Progressives Speak Out On What It Means To Be An American
Not too long ago I wrote an article within which I posed the following three questions:
My challenge to the left is really quite simple and involves answering the following questions.
What is it to be an American?
What are American Values?
What is American Culture?
Let’s see if I can make some sense of the senseless. Following my synopsis I have provided the quotes from which I have drawn my conclusions.
The progressive answer to the first question, which claims that “American” is simply a descriptive term based on physical characteristics, essentially answers the other two questions as well, and thus points out the fundamental difference between the worldview of the progressives and everyone else. In the minds of progressives there really is no such thing as an “American”, ideologically or culturally, and thus they argue that they cannot be considered un-American. The problem with that view is that the very fact that they make the claim is, by definition, un-American. I now ask a related question:
In what parallel universe is a term defined by the absence of any common characteristics?
The answer is none, as it is patently ridiculous to suggest that any term can be applied to a group or set which shares nothing in common. As stated in Wikipedia:
An intensional definition, also called a coactive definition, specifies the necessary and sufficient conditions for a thing being a member of a specific set. Any definition that attempts to set out the essence of something, such as that by genus and differentia, is an intensional definition.
Perhaps the definition according to Merriam-Webster might provide some further insight:
transitive verb
1
a : to determine or identify the essential qualities or meaning of <whatever defines us as human>
b : to discover and set forth the meaning of (as a word)
c : to create on a computer <define a window> <define a procedure>
2
a : to fix or mark the limits of : demarcate <rigidly definedproperty lines>
b : to make distinct, clear, or detailed especially in outline<the issues aren't too well defined>
In essence, the progressive claims that there is no such thing as an American, which suggests that there is no such thing as “America”, and it is from this fundamental premise that all else emanates.
If there is no America, and no American, a progressive victory can have only one result: no United States of America.
I suggest you vote wisely.
(The following quotes have all been attributed to those who made them in response to an article which was later collapsed and thus I cannot provide links at this time. Obviously no one was able to answer any of the questions I originally posed.)
(bluewolf)
1. To be an American is to be either born here or Naturalized here.
2. American Values are the diverse values held by all the people either born or Naturalized here.
3. American Culure is the mixed and diverse culture of people born or Naturalized here.
NectarineRecordsInc.
A question that has no answers and you attempt to pass this BS off as intelligence, a new low even for you.
American values can be interpreted to be anything.
There is no " American Culture " as America is a mixture of races, religions, ethnicities and backgrounds.
(bluewolf)
You don't have a point if you dont have context.
First you must define "American" to have ANY reference as to what is "Un-American"
So......
Define it.
Vlad’s Dog
Culture- 1. Intellectual and artistic achievement of expression, 2. Customs, achievements, etc, of a particular civilization or group.
we are all Americans with values and culture but not all the same values and culture. It was and is the nature of our melting pot to assimilate who ever came here and to also utilize the interesting cultural ideas they brought with them.
We are all cultural mutts.
Celebrate our differences, celebrate what we have in common. That is what America is truly all about baby!
Theyreallcrooks
YOU haven't articulated what "it is to be an American" then you accuse others of not being able to articulate it which makes your rant really stupid, idiotic, absurd, ridiculous, moronic, and without any context - other than you hate the left.
Buono Cane
American culture? It's the petri dish where the diseased minds of republlicans flourish.
caballojoe
So if you want to act like an American, or if you want to know what a lefty (me) thinks the definition is, well, it requires you to do what I just did, and define for all of us here on Newsvine so we can, as a group of people, arrive at a consensus. That's American to me.
Bad Fish
If you are born on US. Soil you are an American. You can behave any way you want to, say anything you want to, and your still an American.
DBW-382651
What is it to be an American? To be a thief and a liar!!
What are American Values? Money focused!
What is American Culture? Stealing, murdering and warmongering!!
