this post was submitted on 02 Jul 2025
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I was talking to one of my friends and he mentioned staying home on July 4, citing how there are a lot of really ugly things going on in the US.

After thinking about this myself, I'm starting to feel the same way. Instead of being proud of the country, I'm feeling like I'm just another wallet that companies and the government are trying to suck all the money out of.

The cost of living is going up, the housing market is a nightmare, I don't feel very confident in our government at all, the job market is a nightmare...

I think I'll be staying home this year too... anyone else?

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[–] MudMan@fedia.io 93 points 16 hours ago (8 children)

Not being American I always found the whole thing very creepy. Like, North Korean military parade-creepy.

For the record, we don't have anything like that where I'm from, but the closest things we do have are also very creepy. Patriotism in general is extremely not cool, honestly.

[–] PunnyName@lemmy.world 61 points 14 hours ago

I screencapped this many moons ago on Reddit, I feel that it's apropos

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[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 29 points 16 hours ago

It's rooted in all that "American Exceptionalism" propaganda crap, for sure.

[–] moonlight@fedia.io 24 points 15 hours ago (5 children)

As an American I never really liked the holiday, (I agree patriotism sucks) but I wouldn't say it's that it really feels creepy other than the few people who really go over the top with it. Most people just use it as an excuse to barbeque and watch / light off fireworks (which I'm just personally not into)

Now for some real North Korea shit, look up videos of the “pledge of allegiance“ in schools. I was always the only one not doing it, but it wasn't until I was an adult that I realized how fucked up it is. Creepy as hell.

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[–] treadful@lemmy.zip 10 points 14 hours ago (7 children)

Independence day celebrations are not unique to America.

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[–] SpicyTaint@lemmy.world 47 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

It's been decades since I've cared about the 4th as an actual holiday. Now it's just a day that I don't have to work.

[–] some_designer_dude@lemmy.world 26 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Good day to march on your White House, perhaps…

[–] yarr@feddit.nl 11 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

I thought about this too. In the past I used to go to protests because I felt that if our leaders saw the protest that they might change their mind about something.

Now, so many of our citizens are so insane, they think you won't actually protest unless George Soros pays you. I also can't picture Trump seeing a protest and saying "I think I'll reconsider..." It feels more futile than ever.

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 18 points 16 hours ago

It’s never futile. Sure, Trump will never listen, never care about anyone whose not himself, never face justice (crap, now you’re depressing me), but what about Al the minion who do his bidding. I mean, they’re evil too, but going deeper ….

This all can’t happen without supporters. Maybe it’s voters who are low information or easily manipulated finally seeing the truth. Maybe it’s federal employees feeling the support to do the right thing. Maybe it’s law enforcement growing shame at how they’ve been used. Maybe it’s judicial branch standing up from being marginalized and corporatized, fighting back against legalized bribery and corroded ethics at the highest court.

The billionaires big bill was passed in the senate on a tie breaker. It would have take only one more senator to be swayed. Big elections coming up in a little over a year- your peers might elect someone who will actually serve them. Various states and cities, corps and law firms are standing up for what’s right: maybe you can get one more

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[–] BassTurd@lemmy.world 42 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

Celebrating America hasn't been something to be proud of since before 2001. We had a couple of high points during Obama, but nothing that tipped the scales.

I'm personally disgusted by this place, and anytime I see someone with an American flag anywhere on their person or property, I immediately assume they're a conservative and I think lesser of them. I know that this isn't a reality, but that is what the American flag means to me, and I assume quite a few others.

[–] HasturInYellow@lemmy.world 16 points 14 hours ago (3 children)

Absolutely like that for me. Or Christians. If I know you're a Christian within 15 min of meeting you, we are not going to be friends.

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[–] skisnow@lemmy.ca 10 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

The people who complain the loudest about disrespecting the flag are the same people who ruined it in the first place.

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 8 points 11 hours ago

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Burning it in a discarded toilet next to a truck stop is less disrespectful than this.

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[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 36 points 11 hours ago

I haven't felt patriotic for July 4 since I was a teenager. And I grow more aliented every year.

[–] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 32 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

What the fuck would I have to be proud of? The US has been on a downward trend for a long time and that's accelerating

[–] VitoRobles@lemmy.today 9 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah but before, we could eat BBQ and blow off fireworks and pretend like America is going to fix itself.

Literally nobody I know is doing a cook out.

We have some scheduled on July 12th.

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[–] RadioFreeArabia@lemmy.cafe 32 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Obama was the last president that made me believe the US was trending towards progress. He proved to be a let down on many issues but I was still hopeful that the next president will be better. On many issues the country seemed to be heading in the right direction, there was even a plan for a national high speed rail network.

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[–] AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today 27 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

I haven't "celebrated" the fourth in nearly a decade for this reason. On top of that fireworks are pretty bad for everything and those with PTSD.

[–] Asafum@feddit.nl 7 points 14 hours ago (2 children)

On top of that fireworks are pretty bad for everything and those with PTSD.

My coworkers dog would thank you very much as well for not shooting off fireworks. He said he usually drives out of town for a few hours until it dies down because his dog gets terrified :(

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[–] GrayBackgroundMusic@lemmy.zip 19 points 15 hours ago

Havent felt proud to be an American in a long while. I'm proud of loving thy neighbor as myself, not lining the pockets of billionaires. I hate that I'm powerless to do much. Representative democracy? My ass. No one represents me. They're all aristocrats. "it's one banana, Michael. What could it cost, $10?"

I'm not bitter about it at all. /s

[–] Peter_Arbeitslos@feddit.org 17 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (6 children)

Kinda interesting how you US-Americans have a certain day for being even more patriotic than the average US-patriotism rest of the time. As a German I personally haven't felt patriotic at any point in my life and most of the people I know (probably more left-leaning than German average) always looked at your patriotism (espacially on July 4th) with a certain lack of understanding. Why even be patriotic? Why always raise the US-flag? Why are there Florida men running through hurricanes with an US-flag? I know independence and stuff, but still why celebrate your patriotism even more on a specific date, even as a more left-leaning person?

[–] yarr@feddit.nl 12 points 16 hours ago (7 children)

I mean, I'd think of it as like being proud of your home and the accomplishments of the country. That doesn't seem very odd to me. It's just that lately, I feel like as a nation we are just making so many mistakes and I feel ashamed, not proud of the country.

I have no enthusiasm to raise the US flag this July 4th, excepting maybe showing it upside down as a sign of distress.

When I think about the US and its future, I just get a sinking feeling and I don't feel very happy about it. I'm ashamed how far this country has fallen in the past two decades.

[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 8 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

It hasn’t really fallen, it’s just saying the quiet part out loud for once.

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[–] DearMoogle@lemmy.today 16 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

I think that’s normal considering everything going on.

By the way, I live in the CA bay area. Interestingly I went grocery shopping today and no kidding -I felt like I was in a small town in the midwest or something. I looked around and it was mostly older white people shopping, like you couldn’t help but notice. I told my bf, wtf are we in Idaho or something lol this doesn’t feel like the bay area?

I think there’s a combination of people being tired of increasing inflation and burnt out by the barrage of shit going on in the news. I don’t imagine minorities, particularly immigrant families are feeling very patriotic right now. Or people are straight up worried about ICE kidnappings. Which by the way, I heard from a neighbor that ICE has been walking into the hospital she works at and waiting outside to snatch people. Terrible…

[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 15 points 4 hours ago (2 children)

Flags have become a warning over the last decade or so about the person waving it. It no longer has the hope of a better America, solidarity, or welcome; it’s a symbol of a myopic, selfish, aggro, uneducated person full of performative nationalism and real hatreds.

Our independence was supposed to free the people of kings and tyrants. It’s been 249 years since 1776, we have undone what the Constitution authors fought for.

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[–] fodor@lemmy.zip 14 points 7 hours ago (3 children)

Patriotism leads to nationalism and racism. Fuck patriotism.

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[–] ramenshaman@lemmy.world 14 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Going to be spending the 4th building guillotines in my garage

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[–] grue@lemmy.world 13 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

I'm surprised there aren't massive protests scheduled for July 4.

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[–] foggy@lemmy.world 13 points 14 hours ago (2 children)

I believe you're supposed to fly a flag upside down in times of distress.

I think it would be wildly powerful for some cities to flip their flags for the 4th.

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[–] EarthshipTechIntern01@lemmy.world 12 points 14 hours ago

People around the country have stood up to make change.

Our politicians haven't done good for the people.

Take back the power.

Join a No Kings March on July 4th

Celebrate the awesome people of this country, join in.

We want massive change. Politicians may act deaf to anything but money. The money flow changes when we stand together

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 12 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

I've never felt patriotic. It's not like I chose to be here and, frankly, the more I learned about the rest of the world, the more I dislike about my own home.

Also fireworks are boring af unless you're manipulating them to be more dangerous and blowing things up. Like hammering down a whistler and tossing it into a porta potty where an ICE agent is taking a shit.

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 12 points 7 hours ago

What, exactly, should I be proud of?

A nation that is moving backwards on human rights, increasing wealth inequality, and got really “mask off” about supporting genocide. A nation that is inherently dysfunctional and wreathed in corruption.

[–] Allero@lemmy.today 11 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

State-level patriotism is always bullshit to begin with.

That's how you're tricked into loyalty based on the most arbitrary reasons.

Be the messenger of humanity and get curious about the Universe. People are brothers, and there's no pride in being born in one plot of land over the other.

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[–] WanderWisley@lemmy.world 11 points 13 hours ago

Same I will be working on the 4th so I’ll just be making good hoilday pay while most of my trump supporting coworkers will be celebrating the downfall of this country. Fuck this shit, fuck everyone who is onboard with the current situation of this country. Stay safe everyone.

[–] anachrohack@lemmy.world 10 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

I haven't believed in America in a few years now. Certainly not since the pandemic. As far as I'm concerned, the state I'm from is the only place I owe any allegiance to. The other states can go fuck themselves, especially the red ones

[–] devolution@lemmy.world 10 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

I’ve never been more ashamed to be an American.

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[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 10 points 17 hours ago

I normally enjoy some fireworks every year, but have zero interest this year.

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 9 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

I was hoping everyone would turn out for another No Kings event but I guess too many people complained.

If we can’t be proud of the mess we’re in now, maybe we can be proud of the people who speak up, who try to create change. Maybe we can hark back to our origins tearing down oppressive political and corporate systems. Maybe we can hold up the mythical ideas that used to unite us and fight to make them true. It’s our duty as patriotic citizens to set our country on the right path toward one we can be proud of.

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[–] apfelwoiSchoppen@lemmy.world 9 points 13 hours ago

Patriotism is jingoism at this point. Haven't felt that for decades.

[–] NikkiDimes@lemmy.world 9 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

As an immigrant to the US, I've always found the blind patriotism commonplace here to be very strange. It feels even more alienating now than ever before.

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[–] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 8 points 17 hours ago (3 children)
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[–] Bebopalouie@lemmy.ca 8 points 13 hours ago
[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 16 hours ago

I mean I always stay home because I'm an introvert, but yeah, mirroring what other's have already said in this thread, I haven't had much to feel patriotic about since at least the Dubya Bush years. So probably more than 20 years of not feeling it.

[–] mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca 7 points 14 hours ago

I would be very concerned about anybody who is feeling patriotic this year

being hopeful and not having given up is one thing. but patriotic? entirely shameful

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