The Reverand Wright controversy has brought back into conversation that that "liberals" or "the left" hate America. I would like to look at these accusations to see whether there is any truth to this argument.
First, let me state that I'm sure that there are some people who get labeled as left wing or liberal actually do hate America, but I think this is a very small minority of individuals. The majority of people with liberal views actually love America and want to see the country evolve beyond some of its less than stellar past mistakes. Everyone needs to acknowledge that the Unites States has erred many times in its history. Primary and secondary history courses often paint an idealized portrait of the U.S., without acknowledging that we have made terrible mistakes that have even cost innocent people their lives. I challenge anyone to make a credible argument that the U.S. government has not been responsible for the death of innocent people. Would conservatives have us celebrate this achievement, or dismiss it as an anomaly of our allegedly superior system? The purpose of dissent and criticism is to change and improve, not to destroy. If we do not admit our failures, how can we have any chance at improving ourselves?
Yes, the U.S. market approach may be the best system in the world currently. There is a certain degree of opportunity, though we are not as much of a meritocracy as many believe. We are relatively free from government interference in our daily lives. When you compare the U.S. to the chaos of say parts of the African continent or parts of Asian, then the U.S. does appear to be a beacon of freedom and justice. The U.S. has done a lot of great humanitarian work throughout the world, but does being the best house on a bad block mean that we should become complacent.
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Conservatives and libertarians uphold the founding documents and ideals of America. We may differ on the details, but we generally see the miracle in Philadelphia for what it was: the unlikely beginning of a much freer and more prosperous world.
If you are a Marxist, Marxist-Lenininst or even a modern "liberal" you support ideals and policies that are antithetical to the American founding, which is rooted in a health dose of Lockean and Burkean ideas.
"Liberals" have their roots in Rousseau, Marx, Engels and Dewey. Conservatives like Edmund Burke were repulsed by abstract ideology and tyranny of the anti-Christian French Jacobins.
If one draws from the intellectual well of those whose ideas were rejected by our founding fathers (and their philosophical mentors) then how can one claim to be supportive of the American experiment?
I have and will always value freedom above all else, and my roots lie in the idea of freedom. You do not address the failures of the ideas you espouse. Conservatism has surely erred at least a few times in American history. How do you explain this? Burke and Locke were empiricists, and the evidence for excessive government interference is there. Do you refuse to acknowledge the mistakes our country has made? America is about freedom and opportunity. No matter who you quote, you cannot forget those ideals. Everything else is moot.
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