I would like to send out a heart-felt, sincere declaration to my fellow American brothers and sisters.
I pledge non-allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, to the hypocritical, faceless republic for which it stands, a divided nation under a “god” of capitalism and consumerism, with liberty and justice only for those who share the name of Kennedy and Bush.
Call me a flag-burner, a hippie or a fervent pursuer of the first amendment, but I stand true to my convictions.
Why would I want to be associated with a brand-name country who breeds pill-popping, ozone-layer depleting, fast-food consuming conformists who are as jaded by the jobs that they hate as they are blinded by the ego-driven “dreams” that they cannot even claim as their own?
America, once supported by ideals of self-sufficiency, independence and freedom is now a nation crumbling under forces of imperialism and materialism.
You know something’s wrong with a nation when its citizens, children included, turn to Xanax, marijuana and alcohol to distract themselves from the ceaseless drone of their depressingly boring, uninteresting lives.
Sound like anyone you know? America, in its never-ending quest for supremacy, has now become the ultimate global nuisance.
Domestically, we maintain a democracy, one that is a haven for mistreated, emaciated immigrants who flock to the illusion we present as a country based on freedom, the pursuit of basic human rights and, most importantly, wealth.
Internationally, we are known as a power-hungry super-ego, an authoritative force that unyieldingly sends out a global “up- yours” to any nation that disables us from pursuing our morally corrupt corporate interests.
Sept. 11 forced us to reexamine our nation’s values and ideals.
For several months after the attack, we basked in a patriotic revival of democracy, freedom and justice.
An oddly unified America proved to the world that it was not going to stop getting on its planes, watching its reality TV, and even (God forbid!), taking its Prozac.
We fooled ourselves into thinking that the terrorists were the bad guys — crazy fundamentalists who allowed their hatred for our beloved nation to overcome their inherent sense of humanity.
For once, our nation got slapped right back, and we still managed to come off as winners. But now it’s time to stop playing the victim and wake up.
How long can we be the global bully before we get blasted by another Middle Eastern sandstorm? How do we know that this time we’ll win?
As American citizens, we should fight together as one. But not as a conformist, ignorant nation cloaked in a half-burnt flag motivated by touching, yet vacuous, propaganda celebrating freedom and opportunity.
This type of sentiment for our nation is transient and fleeting. I want no association with a country that claims to be selfless and helpful, but proves to be motivated only by imperialism, capitalism and authoritarianism.
We need to stop placing blame outside our national boundaries and focus on gaining allies within them.
What does it mean to be an American? Do we want to be a nation based on equality and justice or a nation so blinded by consumerism, intolerance and corporate interests that we too forget what it means to be human, a classification that transcends any nation, religion or culture one belongs to?
Today, when you’re driving to the job you hate and thinking about skipping the class you’ve failed before, ask yourself what it means to be an American and once you’ve figured it out, then ask yourself if you can presently be proud to call yourself one.
I can’t be proud of the values America stands for today, and until I am, I refuse to be exploited to blindly advocate the hypocritical principles of our conformist nation.
So, until I can proudly pledge allegiance to our flag with true sincerity, I send out my own personal greeting to a country that would be willing to kill for cheap gas. America, keep playing the bully and you’ll have to give up your throne of being the prevailing nation.

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