[MicroBob]

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good post microbob. "But the benefits of U.S. citizenship are just so huge." that is a problem though, the way you wrote the sentence which i think is the truth. i think the benefits have to be passed up for moral reasons, but as you say the benefits are so big and we have so much to lose by passing them up it's hard to.

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It's not just about keeping it for the benefits in spite of all the evil crap even though I believe I made it sound that way.

The U.S. does get some things right and does indeed do some good in spite of all their hyporicy and horrible policies.

Allowing themsleves to continue to be a land of opportunity even with significant immigration limitations, etc in there and also the bit about freedom of speech and expression even though most of the country doesn't seem to get that are still a couple of significant reasons why the U.S. ain't ALL bad.

Land of the Free seems like a ridiculous slogan when the government is specifically telling me that they don't want me playing internet-poker. I have a lot of other problems with the U.S.
But then I just start to feel ridiculous about it all when my GF tells me of times when they had to wait in line for hours and hours for rationed bread or sugar because there was some wacky political coup or overthrow and her whole country was a total disaster.

Now her country is doing better partly due to more trade with the U.S.
But she has cousins in their late 20's with decent jobs who make $300/mth which is an acceptable salary there. They are just expected to continue living with the rest of their family because they couldn't possibly live on their own.

So she looks at me with my complaints about the U.S. and even when she doesn't say anything I kind of feel ridiculous because it's obvious that my almost petty principle-issues of "the government sucks and they're all morons" are nothing compared with some of the problems of some of the other countries with 50% REAL poverty or whatever and who look up to the U.S. not only as the world's super-power AND as the land of opportunity.
Not to mention the fact that there are plenty of incredibly incompetent politicians in other countries. Her Dad goes on and on about all the idiots who keep screwing up any chance her old country has to do better.

So it's not just the realization that I have really been taking for granted the advantages of being an American but also realizing how the U.S. truly does do some really good things too and I guess taking a little more pride in being an American as a result.