Presidential Candidates May Not Criticize America

One of the many unfortunate consequences of the hyper-patriotism espoused by Republicans and a growing number of Democrats is that honest criticism of America is forbidden by any presidential candidate who hopes to succeed. I cannot help thinking that this is one of the core issues in the Obama-Wright "scandal," but one which you are not hearing about in the media.

Of course, race and the intense discomfort many Americans have confronting racism are involved. But as I have seen many on both sides of the political divide condemn Rev. Wright's comments, I keep wondering what was so bad about what he said. I am increasingly convinced that the real but untold story here involves the refusal to allow a presidential candidate to criticize America.

What was Rev. Wright's harshest statement? If what I've seen constantly rebroadcast on the major television networks is any indication, it would have to be the "god damn America" line. But the context appears to have been about showing that America is no innocent bystander but an active participant with blood on her hands.

As a middle-class white guy, I'm here to say that Rev. Wright is absolutely correct on this point. America is a leading sponsor of international terrorism and has been so for decades. Our government is now in the fifth year of an unprovoked war. We regularly condemn international law, insisting that it does not apply to us whenever it conflicts with someone's skewed view of our national interests. We are unwilling to abandon torture. We have handed over our educational system to anti-intellectual bigots.

Criticism of America is precisely what we need from anyone promising change. Of course, we need solutions too. But if we cannot acknowledge and have open discussions about the nature of the problems we face, there is little reason to expect that proposed solutions will ever gain the necessary traction.

Calling someone insufficiently patriotic when they acknowledge America's many flaws and offer solutions is much like condemning a child's teacher for trying to correct educational deficits through remedial education. Sadly, one does not have to look very far in contemporary America to find those who do both.

Tags: America, Obama, Rev. Wright, politics, criticism, president, candidates, 2008 election, election 2008, change, patriotism, Republican, Democrat