As an American, I feel very torn about my country and criticize it often, because I think it has completely lost touch with (and given up on) the idea of building a society that is good for people. Instead, much of US society is hyper-focused on short-term profit and not much else. Poverty is excused away as personal failure, and individuals pay the price and suffer for systemic flaws. I often question whether the supposed 'values' the US claims to be built on are even valid or good in the first place. It seems like the ones that are good are ignored, and then ones that are questionable (like unfettered Capitalism and narcissistic individualism) are wholly embraced as virtuous despite all evidence to the contrary.

The other thing that bothers me about US culture, are the elements that demand that you must never criticize it, and that you must love it. A lot of pundits and politicians exhibit much consternation over what they perceive as, "The youth aren't being taught to love America!" However, I often ask myself, "What is there to love?" Does US society/culture as it stand today give us much reason to love it? Does it love us back? Demanding that you love something (or someone) that is abusive and exploitative seems like a highly toxic and abusive relationship to me. For an increasing number of Americans who are experiencing the 'American Dream' of prosperity and good quality of life slip through their fingers as the 1% gorge and enrich themselves at everyone else's expense; there isn't a lot left to love.

But - as you point out - I haven't given up on the idea that there still is some good left in the US. Even if the system has become rotten to the core, there are still those who make an effort to retain their humanity, compassion, and empathy, despite these attributes being increasingly demonized as 'weakness' in our society where psychopathy is rewarded. Luckily, not everyone in the US has been entirely consumed by greed and narcissism (yet). It's the everyday acts of kindness that can still be witnessed that give me hope.

I think 'America' as a concept is a declining, sick society with little left to offer to the world beyond its vision of for-profit depravity and total economic domination. But many 'Americans' - the individuals, the people - still have some humanity left; though our society as a whole (steeped in greed, brutality and violence) tries its damnedest to beat that out of you.