Submitted by Guy Divine, Jul 10, 2007 15:44

I'm afraid we're much closer to an Imperial state ourselves than than a member of the Commonwealth. We build nations (albeit ineptly), have a large volunteer military, and manipluate global trade with our currency and resources.

Only in our greatest metropolises and among the new immigrants does this anti-Americanism grow. It is only because of our freedom. Once upon a time, burning a flag would rouse a mob to burn you. Now it is a dead nerve. I'm not saying people should hurt one another for differences of opinion, but I am a fan of a mid-20th philosopher's words: "You can burn your flags all you want. If you burn mine, I'll kill you."

I was born and raised in New Jersey, and I believe our contemporary patriots come from middle-incomed people. The rich have distanced themselves from our interests with their love of global corporations and NGOs that make no sense to us humble plebs. The lower classes cry out for ever-increasing funds from our pockets. We are torn, tired, and tought to despise ourselves from a global media. I pity the politicians and other elites when they have pushed the middle class too far and don't understand the reason it removes them. And they will replace the elite, like a horse shrugging off a poor rider. Even now, the politicians are still wondering why the millions they serve are opposed to legalization of illegal immigration.

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