Or, Anti-Americanism on Independence Day.

I had been planning on going downtown today to see the Fourth of July stuff, but it looks rainy. Maybe it's just as well. Could I really stomach the out-of-date speeches that use "freedom" and "America" in the same sentence?

When people make speeches about how they love their country, do they mean what their country used to be, what it is, or what it should be? At Fourth of July celebrations, "patriotism" usually means glorifying the globe-straddling, militaristic Imperium that America became after WWII. 

Maybe I've been experiencing the same thing that old farts all over the world do: a ratcheting disgust with their home country and culture. No doubt some of this is just nostalgia. But how many decades in a row can you stand to see cultural and political trends get worse? How long can you feel like you're always on the losing side, before you start dreaming of becoming an expatriate?

If it weren't for the golden handcuffs of the medical welfare state, and visa limits, I might well move to the high plateau of central Mexico. I've seen the same syndrome in Canadians, who become ex-pats in central America.

In the background of the bloviating politician in today's celebrations, there will be twice as many cops as there used to be, just a couple years ago. Do you remember when cops wore handsome uniforms of blue shirts, hats, and dark pants? When they ate in greasy spoon restaurants, waitresses would flirt with them.

But that look just isn't imperious enough for modern America. Even in small cities today, the cops will be dressed head-to-toe in black. They look more like anti-terrorist swat teams than Andy of Mayberry. Their belts will be festooned with every kind of weapon and gadget imaginable. It's a wonder they don't suffer back pain.

Perhaps there's poetic justice in this. Americans have allowed their government to station troops on other people's soil; meddle with or overthrow their governments; bully, bomb, and invade them. Maybe it's only appropriate that Americans now get to live in fear of their own cops, IRS, environmental agencies, zoning codes, surveillance cameras at stoplights, etc.