Amen, Badger.

A lot of Americans lean more toward "Our country, right or wrong--when wrong to be put right"--expressed by Carl Schurz, rather than the classically crass expression of 2 Mar 2006 7: 56 AM on this thread.

Saddled with the current "leadership" as we are, national pride is temporarily out of the question--except in natural wonders, in which the US is rich. But even these have to be defended against what passes for leadership now.