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Nobody should expect anyone to be a blind patriot 

in fact what makes this country great is the fact most of us arent blind patriots


criticism of ones country is not bad unless your motive is not to improve your country but rather to tear it down


showing respect for our flag is not bad either

I prefer to live in the U.S. because everyone I know and love lives here, too. 
But there are dozens of other countries that have the good of America and less of the bad.  We all know this. 

I'd probably be perfectly fine living in any country that isn't a dictatorship, doesn't have a theocratic government, and isn't so impoverished that I can't get consistent clean water and electricity.  I think any of us would live perfectly enjoyable lives in such countries. 

So yeah, that's definitely dozens of countries.  I'd probably lean towards a warmer climate with a coast.  How about you guys?

We don't "all know this."
Pick a better country.

Love of country is not blindness to its flaws.  I dearly love my wife, but I do not think that she is without flaws.  I imagine (and hope) that she feels the same about me.

Love of country means you care about it in a way that goes beyond liking where you live and who your friends are.  It means that you are willing to work for its betterment, that when push comes to shove, you favor its welfare rather than its enemies' welfare.

It means you would be willing to give something of yourself, something that might be difficult, disgusting, or even dangerous.

It means that you give your fellow-countrymen the benefit of the doubt.  You can't love America and hate or despise half of the people who live here.

Love of country is literally patriotism.  Or maybe I should put it the other way, patriotism is love of country.

There has never been a country, or even a club, in the world that was without flaws.  We are wrong if we believe that our country is uniquely flawed, or even more flawed than most.  But it is, of course, flawed, like all human creations.

That shouldn't preclude us loving it.

If we love our country, we should gladly, willingly, voluntarily sacrifice our comfort just a bit by wearing masks and social-distancing.  For the benefit of our fellow-countrymen, even if we don't think it's necessary for ourselves.

JMODMIR

There would be many knotty problems with that, beyond the whole social-engineering problem.  Who counts as black?  Who counts as white?  How do Asians count?

Say a neighborhood has over 20 percent black people in it. Everyone in the neighborhood gets 10 grand. Don't have to worry about whites and Asians that way. Would have to figure a system to decide who is black. But the Confederates did it so I think we can.

Love of country is not blindness to its flaws.  I dearly love my wife, but I do not think that she is without flaws.  I imagine (and hope) that she feels the same about me.

Love of country means you care about it in a way that goes beyond liking where you live and who your friends are.  It means that you are willing to work for its betterment, that when push comes to shove, you favor its welfare rather than its enemies' welfare.

It means you would be willing to give something of yourself, something that might be difficult, disgusting, or even dangerous.

It means that you give your fellow-countrymen the benefit of the doubt.  You can't love America and hate or despise half of the people who live here.

Love of country is literally patriotism.  Or maybe I should put it the other way, patriotism is love of country.

There has never been a country, or even a club, in the world that was without flaws.  We are wrong if we believe that our country is uniquely flawed, or even more flawed than most.  But it is, of course, flawed, like all human creations.

That shouldn't preclude us loving it.

If we love our country, we should gladly, willingly, voluntarily sacrifice our comfort just a bit by wearing masks and social-distancing.  For the benefit of our fellow-countrymen, even if we don't think it's necessary for ourselves.

JMODMIR

I don't think any of that is disagreeable, except giving fellow countrymen the benefit of the doubt.  A random American is no more honest or trustworthy than the average Mexican or Norwegian or Indonesian.  I give evidence the benefit of the doubt, because it removes doubt.

Anyway, the possible problem with your post is something like the war in Iraq.  We attacked a country that had nothing to do with 9/11.  That was objectively wrong.  I'm no less patriotic for saying it's wrong and for wanted it to stop immediately.  The person who figures hey, we're there, you're only patriotic if you cheer for us to "win" - whatever that meant - is a baffoon.  I'm not saying you've suggested that.  

Pretending that your country is more ethical or moral that its actions suggest is not patriotism.  It's simply silliness.  Do you disagree?

If you think that opening the economy is solely about getting Trump re-elected then you are letting your hatred for him override good common sense.

There are many valid reasons to open the economy. Millions of Americans are asking for it to happen and helping Trump’s re-election is pretty far down on their list of reasons why.

Right, but you're concerning yourself with what millions of people want (correct me if I'm wrong) and my post concerned itself with what Trump wants and what's motivating him, personally.

Right, but you're concerning yourself with what millions of people want (correct me if I'm wrong) and my post concerned itself with what Trump wants and what's motivating him, personally.

the point being made is that the only thing that matters is whats best for the country not what you think is in someones mind

if you cant get Trump out of your head which is where he wants to be youre gonna be a very sad person the next four years