Going to have interject some points here because of all the crap flying out of California. Maybe it has something to do with the lack of air conditioning making people cranky.
Anyway, I do have a problem with people who refuse to do anything for this country -- I couldn't care less about foreign countries. One of the biggest problems I see in this country in recent times is the wholesale lack of any sort of civic responsibility. No one votes; no one serves in the military; no one volunteers; no one wants to do sh|t because they feel ENTITLED to live here while letting everyone else shoulder the burden for the sorts of civic duties which must be done for the country to effectively operate. That does not mean that everyone must serve in the military; obviously, there isn't enough manpower to accomodate that (and the services don't want the draft again). However, there are other ways to serve this country, out of uniform.
Too many people, especially the young it seems, feel that they owe nothing but are owed everything. The distinction between RIGHTS and PRIVILEGES has been lost to where these misguided individuals construe everything as a right. That is simply NOT the case, but they are so soft as to not realize how selfish they are being. Should that attitude become even more pervasive, we face a grave crisis down the road.
I am NOT pointing any fingers here (not at you, Red, as I'm fairly certain you don't qualify under this rubrick), and I frankly haven't read all the posts to decide if anyone falls in that category. I have met and read about numerous people who do fit the above description though, and it frankly sickens me.
Ask not what your country can do for you...those words still have meaning, even if you disagree with the speaker's politics (and I do).