Surprise, I read that article! Edit: Whoops, I didn't notice that yur posting is rather old already!
What is that socialism thing in this context? Confiscation of all property, like in the USSR? Or just more control by the state? Or more welfare and social insurances? Whatever, what's helpful to reduce that percentage? Certainly not the hilarious stuff you were posting recently. That will probably make more people turn into what you call socialistic. Before you ask: No , I won't elaborate, it's fine for me to leave your statements as they are.
I also find it embarrassing how many people are extremely proud to be American. As I said before, being proud of the society or nation into which you were born into without any efforts of your own is of limited value. Being American comes for free, doesn't it?
It's certainly OK to agree to support and praise the achievements of your country or your countrymen. I'm doing that all the time with Beethoven and sometimes with respect to the German state, society and system (not always and unconditionally, but at least half of the time). Also, if you took part significantly in making your country great, then it's OK to be proud of these achivements, but without any achievements of your own it's just arrogance and vanity or even ignorance. I seriously doubt that those 42% extremely proud people did enough themselves in that regard to make it a pride that others would acknowledge. Certain elites probably like these proud people because they can be deluded into doing silly things, so they can keep on not noticing that they are mixing up of the greatness of their country with their own greatness.
