Unlike the thoughts expressed in I apologize on behalf of my country, I do not expect anyone to apologize for their country, save unless they are migrants or have made active attempts to change things. Why is this?

Simply put, You're only where you are because your parents fucked there. You were not consulted in the matter. The oft-given response of "love it or leave it" is unrealistic if you're in no position to move. There's no shame in staying put.

That said, if you do not work to support the country where you live, it has no obligation to support you. TANSTAAFL, you know. Patriotism is not a dirty word - it means nothing more than supporting the idea of your nation, for good or bad. You don't have to agree with the way it does things or even think it particularly likable on balance. You could even be in full revolt against the current system. The important fact is you are making an attempt to steer things towards what you believe it should be. And should you fail, should things slide deeper into ruin... you ought to be too busy fixing it to spare time for insincere apologies to those who don't give a damn.

That last point bears repeating - patriotism isn't a synonym for 'stupid', either, nor is it one for following the guy in charge, unless that's how you figure things should be.

I do, however, apologize for John Travolta. He never let anyone know at the meetings.

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