I think that any citizen of any nation who is to be worth anything should think of his own country as being the best there is, even if it clearly isn't.
Do i think the United States of America is the best nation on Earth?
When someone asks me that question, i think back to two people.
One is my grandfather.
He gained employment at the age of 15 during the second world war aboard a tanker. This tanker transported oil to the UK and Europe numerous times throughout the later years of the war with him aboard. His job, clean the oil storage tanks aboard the tanker so that other materials could be loaded safely. Fuel Oil, Mineral Oil, AvGas, Water etc etc. For years he would stand in that muck and clean the filth off the walls and floor of the tanks.
From this lowly position, he worked his way up to first mate, and eventually captain of heavy lift ships.
His job now became one of transporting badly needed materials to developing countries. His cargo would grow to included the main elements for the first nuclear reactor in South Korea. At one point he captained a ship so massive that there were only 2 places on earth it could put into port.
In his 40 years at sea, he had been to nearly every nation with a port. Every nation great and small, powerful and meek.
Once while he spoke of his adventures and his time at sea, I recall him saying "We have more opportunity, more individual freedom, more abundance and we do more to help others than any other nation I've personally seen with my own eyes. For all its faults; America truly is the greatest nation on the Earth and I count myself extraordinarily lucky to live there."
There is a problem i have noticed with today's youth.
they have a self loathing attitude. They have this sort of disgust about their nationality. Many of them don't believe America is the best nation on Earth.
maybe its because they have grown up with everything they ever needed being almost instantly attainable? Hungry? drive 5 minutes to the burger joint, or to the grocery store?
but they must be constantly reminded that there are nations out there still today where a young person does not have the slightest idea where the next meal will come from, where the next few scant ounces of fresh water will be found... or whether or not they will survive to see the next day.
The other person i think of is a young orphan from Honduras.
My wife doesnt even know this about my family...
When i was a boy about 8 years old, my father adopted a young child from Honduras to be my brother.
this young man was about my age. he came to live with us. He suffered terribly from malnutrition, scoliosis had warped his spine, he weighed half as much as I did. His family had abandoned him onto the street and his sole possession was a door mat infested with fleas which served as his bed.
When he boarded the plane with my father, he settled in as the plane began to taxi. My father told him he was going to miss the best part, but the young man assured my father that such a great journey at this slow pace would take many days.
his view of the world would never be the same as the airplane streaked into the air off of that runway, i am told his eyes were like saucers.
While in the US, my father saw to it that he received expert medical care. In between his trips to the doctor we would play like young kids will do, blind to our differences.
I remember once, while he was living with us for the first few days we went to the local grocery store. he swore that we were angels and his plane ride was the ascent to heaven... as gathering such an abundance of food in any place but heaven was impossible.
Yeah
America is the greatest nation on the Earth by a country mile.
and any young person in America who doesnt think that needs a good ass kicking.
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