On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say 0 (zero).

What does it even mean to love a “nation”?

Right ^^^^? It’s where I live.

It has nice landscapes, plants and animals.
To bad it has that horrible infestation.

I’m fond of the land, I like living here, and I enjoy studying the history.

I’m not a jingoistic “patriot” or nationalist but I’d choose it as a place to live and work over many other countries.

I love it. I love other countries, too, but home hits differently.

^ When you say you love “it”, what are you referring to? (Genuine question)

^ And just to clarify – when people say that they love “America”, do they mean that they love the people who live here? Everyone? If so, doesn’t this imply that there is something unique about the population of the US that doesn’t apply to other countries? What would that be?

Or is it the history? What does loving the US genocidal history mean? Is love of a “nation” a love of the government and its violent actions in the world?

I’m genuinely confused by the concept. I live in the US, but don’t identify as “an American”. I wouldn’t know what that would even mean. And any guesses (as evidenced above) would be quite negative.

Because it’s home and as you all know, “There’s no place like home.”
I could say the same thing about Australia, but I’ve never been there.
Otherwise, there’s no place else that could come close.

I don’t see it as a question of “how much?” but of “what parts?”

I love the land and its plants and creatures, mountains, rivers and coasts. The environmental damage the industry does to them, and to the rest of the world, however, is terrible.

I love most of its ideals about freedom, liberty, justice, equality, fairness, and pursuit of happiness.

I love the warmth, humor and essential good intentions of most of its people. And the intelligence, tolerance, creativity, and many other good qualities of many of its people.

But I can’t stand many things that some people also label or associate with America, particularly when used to try to say that America means bad Christianity, or bad capitalism, or Anglo-Saxon-ness, or submitting to the injustices of our economy or bad laws.

I also can’t stand the all-too-common racism, bigotry, xenophobia, ignorance, commercialism, intolerance, and the vilification of the poor and the not-extroverted. The political system has been perverted and abused far too much. The mainstream news media has been bought out. Too many movies have become way too stupid, too.

I am patriotic. I love the government, the land, and the dream.
It’s not perfect. Far from it, but we’re trying.

I love the sheer size and diversity of the country, Oregon and Colorado, Arizona and Wisconsin, California and New York State; you have a dozen countries in one. I also like your constitution and the principles that the country was founded upon. I don’t like the soulless sprawl of the towns and cities and the need to drive everywhere. I also don’t understand or like the mood of much of the country these days which has changed from the America I once knew. It is, frankly, frightening.

It’s kind of like Kansas. It doesn’t have the diversity of other states but it has It’s secret. I’m perfectly happy living in Kansas. Many people aren’t.

I love where I’m from (Boston). I love many of the places I’ve visited including New Orleans, D.C., New York City, Niagara Falls, San Diego, and Nashville — for a variety of reasons, often food and culture related.

I appreciate the freedom and opportunity we have by living here but am fully aware that those are often undermined by socio-economic inequalities.

I love the concept of democracy as a basis for our government but dislike (hate?) our actual government. I feel this amazing idea, with so much power and potential has been left in the hands of petulant, selfish toddlers. It is really depressing if I think too much about it.

I was raised in a military family, grew up a nice little patriotic boy. Then I took a facination with history, and it opened my eyes. I honestly can’t love a nation that treats some of it’s people unequally. Read Blacks, Native Americans and I’m sure some others. If that makes me a bad guy, so be it. Talk to me again when I see some real equality. For everyone. Not grade school level , “Gee weren’t our freedom loving Founders so freaking awesome?”

I love America, particularly the landscape and all the variations. If desert is not your thing you have mountains, temperate rainforest, island life etc.. I love most of the people who are not A-holes which is about ⅔. I like the freedom to move around as I please. I love the ability to enjoy the fruits of my labor for the most part or that we can give it away if we so desire. It does not matter who you are here, you can make a place for yourself. Our Gov’t has issues but less so than most other places. Much like our healthcare…it needs some attention. Some of the food here is fantastic, especially southern BBQ. I do hate the political landscape here though, it’s toxic. That ⅓ who are A-holes are either hateful conspiracy-laced ignorant right-wing-nuts or America hating left-wing-whiners who are full of self-loathing and hate for anyone who does not share their narrow viewpoint. That ⅓ is wrecking this place.

I love it, just like one might love a dog with some crippling congenital defects. The melting pot soup of immigrants from all over the globe adding their cultures to the collective is stimulating and a source for endless opportunities to learn, grow and enrich one’s own life.

Politically it’s a steaming plate of hot excrement. We’ve got two major parties in America: a right-wing party of Reaganites who like to virtue signal on how woke they are on LGBTQ issues and an even further right extremist death-cult party that’s completely psychotic, with a corporate media playing along like announcers at a pro wrestling match pretending it’s a real fight when everyone in the ring and in the announcer booth are all paid by and working for the same guy.

@gorillapaws Spot on assessment of the political “culture” here.

I love the United States of America. I love the ideals of what it is supposed to be even though it falls short.

I love that it took in my ancestors and so many other people when they were poor or oppressed or dying in their former countries. I love that anyone can be an American. Any race, religion, national background, or ethnicity.

I love that it was founded on religious freedom and equal opportunity.

I love that we have varied climates and beautiful mountains, prairies, and waters.

America was in my opinion a great leader of freedom and democracy when so many countries were ruled by royals or religion. I am not talking about the US getting into wars to preserve or install democracy on foreign lands, I’m just talking about the formation of America itself. Freedom of the press, of speech, and of religion. These things were rare if not non-existent at the time. Now, America is falling behind other nations in some ways, and we need to get our shit together before it destroys the country.

I love it. I can see a lot of things America does well that my country fails to do. I’m amazed at how much America grew as a country since its birth and how fast it took to grow, compared to other countries. Sure, there are things I don’t particularly like about America, but no country is perfect, and overall America is a good country in my opinion.