How can I disown the American people and still live in the country I love?

[shockey80]

In general the American people have lost their minds and have become propaganda swallowing self destructive fools. I love my country, for the first time in my life I hate my fellow Americans. Sorry, that's the truth.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Disown the 35% that are nuts and love the rest of us.

[shockey80]

3. Are you sure it's just 35% that are nuts?

I'm not.

[Hortensis]

16. RWers insist on fooling themselves that they "love" their country

while rejecting the vast majority of people who ARE their country. Most of the acting out now is because they can no longer pretend those who sully their picture are too few to matter. Their bigotry against whole groups, the largest and most powerfully feared and demonized group being liberals/Democrats, not "POC," is now destroying their own ability to be happy in their nation, instead of its too-large targets.

But they're not going away any more than you are.

Fwiw, I think everyone with that problem would probably do best to first first give up on "loving" America, way too high a bar to reach from that hole, and instead determine to look around and restore perspective. Maybe identify a few reasons they each can like and appreciate in their fellow people. Americans pretty much keep ourselves clean, right? Surely that's something to start with?

Maybe as a second step one could just read a poll about Republicans' feelings on topics -- ANY poll will do. But this time go ahead and notice the lower percentages that agree with one's own feelings, like the 36% of registered Republicans who support legalized abortion. MEMORIZE IT to put a halt to demonizing all Republicans as against abortion.

To combat fear-generated hatred for all the people in red states, just check their voting in any election, but this time noticing the third or whatever it is of all who voted Democrat. MEMORIZE IT. To subtract oneself from those across the nation who demonize all Alabamans or Ohioans as trumpsters, as if they don't have enough who mean them ill at home.

Etcetera. Keep chiseling away big chunks of ugliness and replacing them with truth until the shape of reality is revealed. Of course only some can, and fewer will deliberately. But on the plus side, most of those will eventually at least calm down with calmer times, always a negative but not an active threat to democracy

https://www.pewresearch.org/topics/political-typology/

[Mike 03]

5. This is the answer.

It will help you keep faith in our country to remember that between 60 and 70% feel like you do.

I struggle with this too. Robert Redford had a great quote: (paraphrasing) "I no longer recognize this as the country I grew up in."

[hlthe2b]

2. Reminds me of a Gandhi quote:

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. "

So, similarly we can like/love America (and the ideals it is supposed to stand for), but not like (some or many) Americans.

It is hard not to get a warped perception right now. How can we look at people who seem so friendly on a superficial level and not wonder? Are they harboring some of the ugliest views-- in total opposition to everything we thought this country stood for?

[shockey80]

4. It's not a warped perception, the American people have lost their fucking minds.

I am beyond pissed off.

[Mike 03]

8. This crazy leaning into the far right is happening throughout the world.

The walls are closing in on our species and some percentage of us are easily manipulated into blaming the wrong people. It does suck and I don't know how it ends, but I can't give up just yet. We have to get rid of Trump at all costs.

[delisen]

12. Become part of the Leadership Gang that is

going to get us past this grim period in our history.

Remember all the Germans who lost their minds in the 1930's, the Italians too, and the Spanish.

All countries which went crazy for awhile and recovered. The potential for Crazy never disappears completely unfortunately.

Remember Rwanda in the 1990s, Cambodia in the 1970s.

Good things are happening but many people are unaware..

I look at the Millennial generation that has been quieting building the ZeroWaste movement in several countries including ours.

If you are not familiar, check it out --doesn'd matter if you are old or young or in-between. They want you.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. We hear from the worst of them on social media and see the worst of them

at Trump rallies, and if you read the comments section of any on-line newspaper you'll despair. We don't hear as much from the normal, decent people while the loud, nasty ones get all the attention. But they aren't everyone, and I remain hopeful that the arc of the universe will continue to bend in the right direction.

[Newest Reality]

6. I don't know.

Post a legal notice in a newspaper and sign an affidavit to that effect?

Ah, generalizing might be the problem there, so it is a mind thing. A generalization is a form of abstract assumption. You can be sure that words like all, everybody, everyone, always, never, etc., though they are useful in some cases, are never accurate. They are more about brevity, emphasis, exaggeration or persuasion.

Now, why hate? If you realize the scope of the problem and how easy it is to fall for pervasive propaganda, (which may simply be based on a form of misplaced trust) then, compassion and love are probably more proactive and helpful than hate and disdain.

If you see through, then enjoy that, too, even though it can be rather unsettling and sometimes alienating. That will pass. Many people have felt that way through history.

Be Well!

[Turbineguy]

9. I think most Americans are very nice people.

But right now, the patients are running the asylum.

[Voltaire2]

10. By 1968/9 it was pretty clear to me

that a large part of our population is despicable.

[dchill]

11. You are right. And "deplorable" is too kindly a term.

Despicable it is.

[IcyPeas]

13. also depends where you live

I feel for the liberals/democrats who live in red areas. their perception is probably a lot different to those of us who live in blue areas.

[Coventina]

14. If you find out, please let me know.

[PufPuf23]

15. The state of the American people (people in general) is pretty discouraging.

The logical result of our dysfunctional media is a stupid brainwashed population. Painfully so.

I am old and lived in the boons where I grew up, this is how I cope. Hardly ever watch TV "news" programs. The internet is loaded with weirdness and dis info.

Humans are too selfish and reactive.

[HipChick]

17. Pretend you are from Canada?..