What are the values held by an American?

This list is from "The Economic Justice Network". It is an attempt to clarify non-partisan American political values. These are supposed to be read side by side in two columns - the first point under the first title corresponds to the first point under the second title, etc. Sorry to make you scroll.

AMERICAN CHARACTERISTICS

1. Holds the U.S. government to high standards of ethics, openness and fairness. When the government fails to meet these standards, criticize it in order to bring the mistakes forward so that they may be corrected.

2. Believes strongly in inventiveness, entrepreneurship, and human initiative. Opposes taxes that hinder production, opposes corporate welfare handouts, opposes government-sponsored special privileges such as "limited liability" rules.

3. Wants America to have lots of flexible options for energy sources.

4. Thinks critics of the status quo are patriotic

5. Believes that the best way to lead people is to understand and help them.

6. Supports freedom of speech throughout society.

7. Favors freedom of religion and feels proud to live in a land where people of many religious backgrounds co-exist.

8. Patriotism involves wanting the best for all Americans and demanding the best government in the world.

9. Strongly supports the right to privacy. Does not want government collecting information about individuals; opposes laws that criminalize victimless private behavior.

10. Considers commerce (buying and selling) to be a private matter, not a government concern. Therefore,opposes tariffs against international trade, and sales taxes against domestic trade.

ANTI-AMERICAN CHARACTERISTICS

1, Feels anxious when hearing criticism of the U.S. government and feels worried that criticism will weaken it.

2. Is quick to embrace corporate welfare, special privileges and other government interventions, rather than initiative.

3. Wants America to be dependent on petroleum as an energy source.

4. Thinks critics of the status quo are unpatriotic

5. Believes that the best way to lead people is to be powerful.

6. Is worried or made anxious by others' use of freedom of speech.

7. Feels threatened by unfamiliar religions

8. Patriotism means asserting that the U.S. government is already the best and brooks no criticism.

9. Supports centralized government collection of individual information. Favors the government "war on drugs".

10. Does not mind government intrusion in commerce, such as tariffs or sales taxes

Votes	Answer
11	Other
4	I agree, this is what an ideal American should be like.
1	I am on both lists.
0	What! This is an outrage.

User	Comment
Matty	posted 24-Sep-2008 1:48pm This concept is far too nebulous. Developing such lists is ultimately futile.
Frostbrand	posted 24-Sep-2008 1:56pm Sadly, the idea of American exceptionalism doesn’t extend to Americans being exceptional. If you excelled academically and are able to casually use 690 SAT words then you might as well have the press shoot video of you giving the finger to the Statue of Liberty while the Dixie Chicks sing the University of the Taliban fight song. The people who want English to be the official language of the United States are uncomfortable with their leaders being fluent in it.
cerealkiller	posted 24-Sep-2008 2:48pm Some of each list would be normal I'd think.
JessicaWoman99	posted 24-Sep-2008 3:26pm I agree the ideal American should be like but it is not and all because of George Bush
JessicaWoman99	posted 24-Sep-2008 3:27pm George Bush he has failed all Americans
Melf	posted 24-Sep-2008 4:08pm I think the top list should be true of people in general. The only thing I've really seen that sets America away from other countries is faith which turns into ignorance, combined with tons of optimism. Blah. I couldn't live in America.
Enheduanna	posted 24-Sep-2008 7:03pm I think it's interesting that many of the things from the anti-American list are becoming increasingly likely attitudes to find among Americans. I don't think that everything from the first list is really what America does, or should, embody, though. I do think the second list is a pretty accurate description of what I personally feel is unamerican.
Enheduanna	(reply to Frostbrand) posted 24-Sep-2008 7:05pm You should cite your source.
dab	posted 24-Sep-2008 9:11pm Seems a bit idealistic but it's not bad to strive for an ideal.
Frostbrand	(reply to Enheduanna) posted 25-Sep-2008 1:17am For a funny line? Sure. Arron Sorkin wrote it for Maureen Dowd's column. It was the one for the 20th I beelive. I re-posted it in its entirety over on the forums.
ausfox	posted 25-Sep-2008 2:09am Not American, couldn't be bothered reading all that.
Matty	(reply to Enheduanna) posted 25-Sep-2008 8:06am I think the author should also cite a credible source regarding the formation of the lists. What the hell is the "Equal Justice Network?"
Enheduanna	(reply to Matty) posted 25-Sep-2008 9:13am Sure. It's not as though there's an objective list of what it means to be American, though. It's all a question of someone's perspective.
Matty	(reply to Enheduanna) posted 25-Sep-2008 9:18am I completely agree; there is no such list. This survey seemed futile to me.
Joanne	(reply to Matty) posted 25-Sep-2008 10:45am LOL This is like playing poker!! You called my bluff, but I have a good card - I didn't make this list up, it's from a credible source, I call you to check it out. AND check out the responses on that website to the list. (Futile? Why?)
Joanne	(reply to Enheduanna) posted 25-Sep-2008 10:59am You could always google Economic Justice Network. Matty, not Equal - Economic. I was intrigued by the comments you all were making about McCain and Obama so I thought I'd throw this in for measure and I did cite a source. I'm not American, but I thought it was interesting 'cause some of the comments there say it's a good list for any country, , , and even for anybody's business. I'll save you guys a step. Try this: http://www.progress.org
Matty	(reply to Joanne) posted 25-Sep-2008 11:32am Futile, because the definitions of what are American values differ incalcuably. Further, I would submit that there is no "good source" given the subjective nature of the topic. In short, the question is too large to be very specific. To me there is only one question denoting patriotism...do you love America or not?
Frostbrand	(reply to Matty) posted 25-Sep-2008 1:08pm > Futile, because the definitions of what are American > values differ incalcuably. Further, I would submit > that there is no "good source" given the subjective > nature of the topic. In short, the question is > too large to be very specific. To me there is > only one question denoting patriotism...do you > love America or not? I think HOW you love America counts there too. Do you love America like an adult relationship (like a close friendship, or a brother/sister, or even a marriage), or like a 4 year old loves their mommy?
southernyankee	posted 25-Sep-2008 2:53pm Yes, I agree with most of these ideals. The only point I disagree with is #10, because having some taxes regarding trade such as sales, exersie (sp?), and tariffs is a good thing; albeit they should be as small as possible. Sales taxes are regressive, which is a huge minus. Exersie taxes on liquor / cigaretts / prostitution (if it was legal) make sense since their use costs the government. Tariffs make sense when the other country is going the same thing back to you. Off course this is only an ideal, something we should work for; but in reality doesn't always happen.
romkey	posted 25-Sep-2008 4:07pm I would like it very much if the primary American value was that an American didn't divide people into "us" and "them" based on individual characteristics.
Enheduanna	(reply to Matty) posted 25-Sep-2008 6:30pm I thought it was mostly futile in its straightforward sense, although I thought it was interesting to see what I agreed and disagreed with, and also to see how many of the non-American things, which I agree are non-American, are nevertheless increasingly prevalent in the US these days.
Enheduanna	(reply to Joanne) posted 25-Sep-2008 6:38pm I wasn't taking issue with where you got it. (My comment to Frostbrand about sources had to do with his own comment only.) I think it's kind of an interesting list and many of the things from the first list are things that I agree more countries should do, although I personally take issue with parts of 2 and 10, and I'm not sure how "most Americans" would feel about the list.
Joanne	(reply to Matty) posted 25-Sep-2008 10:22pm That's just silly to me, because someone can "love" something and behave very differently towards it. I didn't say good source, I said credible source - very different. Credibility doesn't mean good, it means plausible which means reasonable. Reasonable, not good. It's a reasonable list, a reasonable question. Reasonable questions deserve debate. Which brings me to my final point, that while I agree with you that American values differ incalculably, the definition of a value doesn't. Americans have to "reason" what makes which values patriotic to America or not. This list is a place to start, and you have every right to disagree with it, indeed you should question it, reason it out. That's being patriotic. Good for you!
Joanne	(reply to Enheduanna) posted 26-Sep-2008 1:14am Yeah, I got that about your reply to Frostbrand. Matty took issue. Thought you agreed with him in your reply to his post about my source? Anyway, I found that website while I was researching what I'm reading in Canada about U.S. politicians/politics. It's a provocative website, interesting arguments on both sides of the list. But I don't think it helped! I'm more confused than ever about your policies and parties. And so glad I don't have to vote in the presidential election!
cantilever	posted 26-Sep-2008 6:31am Just as long as they don't take the guns away!!!
Matty	(reply to Joanne) posted 26-Sep-2008 8:06am Ummmmm....OK.
Enheduanna	(reply to Joanne) posted 26-Sep-2008 11:28am Oh, I can see how you would have thought that. I was sort of agreeing with him, I guess, although since I think any website is going to have some bias, I don't find it objectionable that you chose this one. American politics is stupid; seriously, you should just ignore us.
docgbrown	posted 26-Sep-2008 3:48pm I assert an objection due to the logical fallacy of false dilemma
Joanne	(reply to Enheduanna) posted 27-Sep-2008 12:09am Ooooooo. Good advice!
Enheduanna	(reply to Joanne) posted 27-Sep-2008 10:54am
cloudhugger	posted 10-Oct-2008 12:04am oh fudge a duck

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