That is a troubling and highly complex question. If we want to see patriotism as a good thing, than we have to see that all patriotism, even that of our enemies or any others, as equally good. This is the book definition of Patriotism: "the quality of being patriotic; devotion to and vigorous support for one's country." Yet "devotion and vigorous support" means what? Or the simple definition of patriotism as "love of country" means what?

Patriotism is to me a sham; it does not come close to truth on the matter. Samuel Johnson said that it was the last refuge of the scoundrel, yet Boswell, his biographical commentator, gave no context. Let me provide one, my own.

Basically, there is absolutely no need for patriotism. America has ideals and principles and values that we honor and protect. Why? Because if we have integrity those same ideals and principles and values reflect what we stand for as individuals. It is not a dedication to borders or a flag but to the heart and spirit of liberty. If America strayed from these things, as much as another country threatened them, we would be equally zealous, "devoted and vigorous," in rooting out the corrupting influence. This is something the Right does not seem to understand.

Patriotism appears to mean to the Right lock-step loyalty to Trump and abject hatred for the Left. This is what is so totally bad about patriotism. It has no parameters. Such thoughts as those are not for the country or its principles but for party or a man. The word patriotism or patriot should be forever banned as being anything more than a poor and shaky description of multiple and perhaps conflicting feelings regarding a nation.

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you."

Meanwhile, as if we haven't enough if this s*** to worry about, the Democratic Party has very literally become the enemy from within.

I'm 100% confident that they'll be voted to insignificance in another 17 months, after which President Trump, without their obstruction, will be able to more easily deal with all this, and have 4 years to do it in.

When the Democrats won the majority in Congress in 2006, the Wicked Pelosi of the West famously told the Republicans, "We have the majority now, we don't have to listen to you anymore."

Well, let's hope the GOP takes the same road come January 2021.

This really bothers me that we now have 2 communist countries within 100 miles of our shoreline now I understand why they shut down letting cruise ships stop at Cuba. If they start something it would be a great time for the Muslims here to strike within our borders and the ones pouring over the border as well I wonder if that is the reason for such a large influx of these people most are fighting age men

Reported on OAN that the Islands of the Bahamas has been taken over by China. They are building a huge seaport that can dock their biggest warships. Many Chinese people brought in have started small business selling cheap stuff from of course China has put most of the locals out of business.
So for the uninformed, The Bahamas are just 45 miles from Florida. I have not seen any of this on CNN, MSNBC or even FOX for that matter.

https://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/2019/05/17/china-gaining-foothold-in-the-bahamas-americas-doorstep/

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14050/china-caribbean-sea

For some reason, America has not installed an Ambassador for 8 plus years!!

Your closing paragraph strikes a cord on these nonexistent death panels...😡
As for using insurance companies to fend the care needed the military grew, as did spouses and children wise and senior citizen vets too...They couldn’t serve everyone.. On duty military takes first call in the VA and active duty on bases.

The ultimate responsible organization for administration of Tricare is the U.S. Department of Defense Military Health System, which organized the Tricare Management Activity (TMA). The Tricare Management Activity contracts with several large health insurance corporations to provide claims processing, customer service and other administrative functions to the Tricare program... Blue Cross /Blue Shield is another one they utilize under bid contracts..That way others can’t claim favoritism~~ ya riigghhhttt~~
Used to be 12 regions then condensed into three~~and now 2 regions..

Who is running whom??? The United States Department of Defense Military Health System...Look at the VA and we see why it is so screwed up and who loses there, why our vets that’s who..what a racket it is!!

Humana backs weapons sales??
Seems contrary to the purpose of medical and health needs doesn’t it..
What were you reading about this as I couldn’t find anything on it and I’m curious in how and why they back weapons sales?

Father’s Day 2019 – Will it be the Last Father’s Day?
By David Jolly - June 16, 2019

Today is Father’s Day, the day we honor our fathers and grandfathers. But will this be the last year America celebrates dads?

The first Father’s Day was the idea of Sonora Smart Dodd, who in 1910, held a Father’s Day celebration at the YMCA in Spokane, Washington? She was inspired after hearing a Mother’s Day sermon in church a year earlier. She originally chose June 5, as that was her father’s birthday. Her father, William Jackson Smart, was a Civil War veteran.

Over the following years, Dodd helped a number of merchants advertise gifts like ties, tobacco pipes and other items for Father’s Day.

In 1913, a bill was introduced into Congress to officially recognize Father’s Day. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson traveled to Spokane to speak at a Father’s Day celebration. Wilson wanted to make Father’s Day a federal holiday, but Congress refused, largely because they feared the holiday would become too commercialized. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge recommended that the entire nation observe Father’s Day, but did not go far enough to make it an official federal holiday. In 1957 Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith blasted Congress with a proposal that accused Congress of neglecting fathers for decades while honoring mothers. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first official presidential proclamation declaring the third Sunday in June to be Father’s Day. In 1972, President Richard Nixon made the celebration of Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June to be a permanent national holiday.

Father’s Day holds a special place in my heart because in 2014, Father’s Day was celebrated on June 15 and that night my dad died at the age of 92.

But, as I prepare to honor and remember my dad this year, I can’t help but wonder if this will be America’s last official Father’s Day?

Why?

Because leftist liberals have been busy systematically trying to eradicate all gender specific references.

Schools, colleges and universities around the country are insisting that students no longer use gender specific pronouns. In one school, a 2nd grade girl was disciplined because she referred to a boy in her class by his given name. In 1st grade, the boy was taught a lesson on transgenderism and decided that he wanted to be a girl and his parents encouraged it. Teachers have been instructed not to use terms like he, she, his, hers, and so one.

Some businesses, run by similar leftists have instructed employees to stop using gender specific pronouns, terms and references. I recall hearing about one employee who received a verbal reprimand when she referred to a transgender co-worker as a him.

In some places, birth certificates and driver’s licenses give multiple options for gender, other than the traditional male and female.

With the spread of LGBT privileges (not rights because they aren’t rights), normal references to men, fathers, women and mothers are being forbidden in favor of gender neutral terminology. I’m surprised we haven’t see lawsuits filed against Father’s Day by LGBT activists, claiming that the very name is biased and unfair. With so many leftist federal judges in the judicial system (Obama appointed over 300 of them) you know that one of them will uphold such a lawsuit. As for President Donald Trump, his recently support of gay pride tells us where he stands on the subject.

As you honor your father and grandfather today, make sure you make this an extra special celebration because it could well be the last time we are allowed to officially celebrate Father’s Day here in the United States.

I’m old enough to remember the start of “Gay Pride” and thus it makes more sense to me. Perhaps I can help with a quick bit of history.
Gay Pride began as an insistence that we pay attention. Just as homosexuality was closeted, so too was the legal and personal assault on them. This is demonstrated well in Annie Proulx’s “Brokeback Mountain” and the historic events surrounding Senator McCarthy and Roy Cohn’s UnAmerican Committee.
By having Gay Pride Parades, by making characters in TV, film, and stage be gay, it brings the issue into the open for discussion but also demands that a discussion take place.
By denying them the right to be and love whomever they want, those who condemn- oppose for religious reasons- are doing something that Jesus fought hard and gave his life to support: freedom of religion. Jesus didn’t tell the Romans that they must be Jewish, he simply demanded that he and his disciples be permitted to. The Romans disagreed. (The Book of John is very moving.)
I often ponder why anyone would care how others live their lives. It doesn’t change how *they* live. Vocally opposing them is just cruel. And none of their business. Just imagine if people told you who and how you can have sex. Lol. My wife would go ballistic.
But there’s one of the “whys” for Gay Pride.

Bravo! I admire your generous and responsible point.

The history of the creation of The Bible is fascinating. At least from an historical view.

The first Christians were Jews who deified Jesus of Nazareth and had to worship in private. The Romans would beat, maim, kill, and otherwise disrupt services. Those Christians created a symbol- two lines that curve to create a fish and this symbol guided them to what became a moving worship space. The symbol is common today. But this new religion centered on Christ spread.

In 325AD in the Roman Empire, Emperor Constantine declared that the official religion on the Empire was Christianity. A transitional period followed and then Constantine held The First Council at Nicea, where he brought in hundreds of Bishops and clergymen to create the New Testament. Understand that many of them could not read or write. The story is fascinating and details are on line of the Council at Nicea.
To combat oppression The Holy Rome Empire, newly named, needed to increase numbers. More people. Population. Growth. So at Nicea many rules were in place to encourage human reproduction. “Thou shalt not spill thy seed on the ground.”
So if every orgasm had to result in pregnancy most of these new rules were designed to stop any sexual act other than man to woman. Thus masturbation was a sin, sodomy, homosexuality, oral sex. And it worked. Certainly later the Holy Roman Empire staged the Crusades then the Spanish Inquisition, and Christianity took over Europe. In Britain Christianity was negotiated into their Pagan rituals. As of 2015, Christianity was by far the world's largest religion, with an estimated 2.4 billion adherents, nearly a third (31 percent) of all 7.3 billion people on Earth.
I hope I’ve sparked you and offended no one. I studied all this in both Boston and Rome during graduate school. The libraries and collections at the Vatican are amazing and there are many collections only the Pope sees.
Good day.

No sense arguing, people will believe what they believe. Usually whatever makes them feel better about themselves. As a believer I see the Bible as the Word of God. Yes it was written by men but according to the Word; men filled with the spirit of God. I have studied much Bible Prophesy and am amazed at how accurate it is. I believe my beliefs are right, period. We all have free will, but I do not condemn or say all must believe like I do. Faith is something that comes from the heart. Best I can explain it.