Opinion
 

Loving USA means free criticism

By Matthew Clement

There is a standard refrain that goes, "Love it or leave it!" In most contexts, "it" refers to the United States, which either must be loved or left by an individual who is making a criticism, typically about government or corporate executives in this country.

At first glance, this catchphrase makes sense. Without love, what is the point of staying together? For example, in a serious relationship, if at least one partner does not express love at some point, then the most rational and psychologically healthy decision is for the partners to go their separate ways. If there is no love, leave each other -- that seems logical enough.

One can gain more insight by looking at a parent expressing love for a child. A parent's love goes hand-in-hand with punishment for misbehavior and rules for crossing the street. Yes, love is support and guidance, but it also entails criticism. With no criticism a child is naïve and gullible. Therefore, love without criticism creates the potential for self-destruction.

Going back to the saying "love it or leave it" then seems to make little sense. Theoretically, the analogy of a parent's love is appropriate for this refrain. The hundreds of millions of people in this country are the parents of government and corporate executives.

Government and big business could not survive without the millions of people who support them, in the same way a child depends on a parent. But also like a parent, the people do not want to nor can they leave their children. The parent only wants what is best for the child's (and his or her own) future.

In the real world, the analogy of parental love is still appropriate but needs some slight modifications. In the real world, government and corporate executives prosper at the expense of the safety and security of the people. For example, the executives and shareholders of Halliburton are profiting handsomely from the destruction caused by Gulf War II.

Like a wild child, then, these executives are out of control. Having been given too much power, the executive wild children wield their power with no sense of justice or peace for their rightful guardians -- the people. Of course, this immediately threatens the parent's sense of security, but it also threatens the future; a wild child whose energy is not focused will only lead the world to annihilation and the loss of any hope for the future.

This is the reality. In the real world, the right thing for a parent to do is to criticize the wild child. A parent, like hundreds of millions of people, has tremendous influence over the ideas and behavior of a child. The passion and love a parent feels provides the potential energy for improvement, but this energy must be focused to create a better child. With this in mind, the catchphrase should be changed to, "Love it -- criticize it!" Because to not criticize it, to ignore the power the people have, is to do a disservice to future generations. 

That is, if there are any.

Clement, a columnist for The Daily Cougar, 
an be reached at dccampus@mail.uh.edu.
 

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