Happy Fourth of July!

Here are a couple of items you all might enjoy for the holiday. Mark Steyn re-posts his 2002 July 4th item. It still works.

But America is also an historical anomaly: the first non-imperial superpower. It has no colonies and no desire for any. For almost 60 years, it’s paid for the defence of the west virtually single-handed while creating and supporting structures – the UN, Nato, G8 – that exist only to allow its “allies” to pretend they’re on an equal footing. For “allies”, read dependencies: it’s because the US provides generous charity defence guarantees that the European governments have been free to fritter away their revenues on socialised health care and lavish welfare and all the other entitlements the Euro-progressives berate America for not providing for its own citizens.

and here is Peter Brooks with some thoughts (ok, a bit of a rant) of how things might look without us.
and here is The Jawa Report's love letter to this country.

I think his (Jawa Rpt) is my favorite. I love this country.

I do not love America in spite of its flaws. I like America's flaws the way a man appreciates his lover's quirks.

Without these flaws it would not be America, only a hollow ideal. Ideals are unattainable and are therefore phantoms of imagination.

I love America unconditionally. Like a good man loves his wife. Like a good son loves his mother. Like a good father loves his daughter.

I love America. Always have, always will.

I thank God that I am an American. I thank God for those who died to give it birth. I thank God for those who continue to fight and die for her imperfect glory.

God Bless America. Happy 4th of July.

(see his photo appreciation spread too)
E.J. Dionne Jr. has that impression, common, but whackjob, impression that those of us who love this country think that it is flawless and that in reality the patriotic are those who protest our wayward ways. Whatever.
(How often have you heard a leftie say that this administration thinks that those who protest are unpatriotic? And how often have you heard this administration say that they think those who protest are unpatriotic. Exactly.)

Anyway, what Mr. Dionne doesn't get is that of course we get that we're not perfect. We are great though!! I was lucky enough to be born here and I hope in some small way I help to keep this country great. There are those who really do - those who choose to work for this place vs directly for themselves. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Have a great Fourth of July!