Why do so many Americans hate America? And if they hate it so much why don't they just leave?

Believe it or not, people have been saying that for decades. I don't hate America itself. I'm just ashamed to be an American.

And course I am leaving. For those who stay, let me know how the next twenty years of cutting back on education and health benefits in order to continue fighting imaginary ghosts works out for you. I've read a few of your hubs and you seem interested in national politics.

I wish you luck and sincerely hope you can make a difference. But you should know how ridiculous your question is. People can disagree with everything their government does yet still work for the prosperity of the state and civilization in which they live.

That doesn't sound like hate to me.

For those that hate America, I invite them to leave. But, if I am critical of the direction we as Americans are going in and I express that does not say that I hate Americda but love it enough to prod at it to be better. Most of that 'hating america' stuff is just so much rightwing drivel.

I feel that (most) human beings define their existence through suffering; how bad their day at work was, they aren't receiving just compensation for their job, they are in debt, blah blah. America has had it too good for too long. It has become a nation of spoiled rich kids yelling across the massive income gap to blame the poor.

Thomas Jefferson said that there should be a revolution every generation but hardly anyone in my age bracket practices civil discourse. Most want to complain and secretly hope that the "other guy" or "they" will fix it. I suppose we have just forgotten how a democratic society is supposed to function.

I urge everyone to travel the world and do an unbiased compare/contrast; we have it pretty good.

I don't personally know anyone who hates America. I know lots of Americans with opinions on what is wrong or what is right. There may be haters out there but they are few. You don't get a true picture of America from the media.

We love this country but we are not blind to it's faults. We also have the right to speak our mind and disagree with one another and we do that very well. But we are Americans first!

Our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as far as I am concerned, are some of the worst things that have been done in my lifetime. In terms of the consequences to the world, and the individual misery and suffering that has been caused (for arguably little or no gain) they are many many times worse than 9/11. And yet in the face of that decision, nobody really stood up and said no, and the American people, half of whom can't find those nations on a map, simply acquiesced out of ignorance, or apathy, or fear, or anger, or all of the above.

People cheering over the ILLEGAL assassination of Bin Laden are further testimony to how far Americans are willing to allow the rule of law to be shredded for the sake of ignoble emotions. We have been doing this now for a decade and it is disgusting and grotesque. Does that constitute hate?No.

I love what America is supposed to be. A place of freedom and the rule of law and where all people are supposedly equal. I just don't see it as that place and I don't like a lot of what America does.

I will love it again when it is the place worthy of being loved. Where we are noble rather than cowardly. Where we are informed, and engaged, and open-minded to the different viewpoints in the world rather than wasting our days on mindless tabloid news.

When we lead the world rather than bully it. When we care about more than making money. My family has been here a long time.

This is my land, and despite my views, no one should think I wouldn't defend the soil beneath my feet. But, you won't find me waving a flag at the Fourth of July. There is too much work that needs doing, and I believe flag-waving needs to be earned.

I haven't earned it yet, and I am not sure many of us have.

I am not sure that many Americans do hate America.It seems to me many Americans complain about the exact same things as most other people around the world complain about. Rising prices, their views on government, the weather, how little they earn. I came to the US five years ago and became a citizen at the end of last year.

I enjoy my lifestyle here in the US compared to England. Taxes are lower here, fuel prices are way lower, I still dance when I fill the car at $4.00 per gallon when I used to pay near $7 in England. With every complaint an American is living the dream of free speech and a right to question.

OK sometimes it gets a bit too much of a downward spiral, but thank goodness we can do that.

I myself understand why some people do, as I share certain views, but I believe that it is OK to "hate" America (depending on your usage of the word) as long as those who do do something to try to improve the country.

People are creatures of habit, they don't know any different, if you watch the news it's all negative. It's the same with anything if you dwell on the bad it just seems to get worse. I work construction and there's people from Mexico, Canada and many European countries all here to live the American dream.

I don't listen to the negative or complaints, if you choose to think only of the good, life will seem much better.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.