These folks – who have profited immensely from being Americans and being alive at this time and place, with the lowest poverty rate in history, the greatest household income in history, historically low unemployment, almost highest home ownership rate in history – and this is what they write because there is nothing good to say?

• Proud to be an American? New Poll Finds Patriotism Dips to Quarter-Century Low Ahead of 250th Anniversary | National News | U.S. News
• Americans’ Pride Drops to New Low as 250th Anniversary Approaches | The New Republic
• As America turns 250, some say the Stars and Stripes is now a red flag
• Why America’s 250th feels less special than bicentennial: nostalgia
• Happy birthday, America? At 250, nation may be too divided to celebrate as one | Reuters
• The Christian right hijacks America’s 250th – Salon.com
• As US nears 250th birthday, Reuters/Ipsos poll shows many Americans doubt it will last another 250 years | Reuters
• Comparing the mood of America’s 250th anniversary with its 200th in 1976 | PBS News
• Artists bail on D.C. bash for America’s 250th birthday after being listed on the lineup
• CBS News poll on America at 250 — its successes and its challenges – CBS News – “America’s best days are in its past”
• “America, U.S.A.”: Eddie Glaude on the 250th Anniv., Race & “The Madness at the Heart of the Country” | Democracy Now! – “I do not love America, and never have, especially now.”
• American Pride Falls to 25-Year Record Low
• Americans’ pride in US history and democracy drops, and fewer are proud to be American, polls find
• Campus Reform | POLL: Most Democrats say they’d rather live outside the United States
• Democracy at a Crossroads: What America’s 250th Anniversary Reveals About Our Future | Campaign Legal Center
• This number helps explain why many Americans are down on the economy – CBS News
• The Declaration of Independence, annotated 250 years later – CNN (Starts out as a review of the Declaration of Independence and quickly becomes a politicized Trump hit piece.)
• Descendants of the signers of the Declaration of Independence talk to CNN about the state of the nation – CNN (Some are proud but fearful of where the country is “headed” – more politization).
• Americans are earning more than ever. So why does the middle class feel stuck? (They paid $123k for their home, 15 years ago, and earn $110k to $160k per year – and say they are struggling…) …. oh … “The primary reason is that median household income rose from about $70,000 in 1976 to roughly $84,000 in 2024, adjusted for inflation, according to Census data. Net worth has also increased, Zandi said. Still, he told Straight Arrow, median earners have fallen well behind wealthy Americans over those decades.” They are not doing as well as someone else … even though today’s middle class has tons more goodies than in the past … but by comparing their lifestyle to someone else’s lifestyle creep, they feel worse off, even though they are doing well.
• For these colonial reenactors, this July 4th is a bit meh | CNN
• As America turns 250, museums and parks fight to preserve the country’s troubled history  | Reuters
• Americans have national pride but lack basic civics knowledge, poll finds : NPR
• MSNOW: ‘It’s going to be a disaster’: Air concerns mount about Trump’s supersized July Fourth (Experts – unhealthful air is going to be a disaster. Remember 2020 and protesting during Covid in large crowds, arm in arm was good?)
• MSNOW: America’s 250th year was a horrible one for civil rights. Here’s how to get back on track.
• MSNOW: On America’s 250th birthday, let’s celebrate the separation of church and state
• MSNOW: 250 years into the American experiment, rampant inequality threatens democracy -“America at 250 has a trillionaire. And a government making it harder for millions to eat”. (Per MS NOW, the US is the worst country in the history of the world, the lowest incomes in world history, the least freedom of any country in history… the only solution is confiscation of assets, and redistribution – This is how MS Now celebrates the 250th birthday of the U.S.)
• New Poll: Nearly Half of Americans Don’t Know What America’s 250th Is Celebrating | Cato at Liberty Blog
• Americans celebrate nation’s 250th birthday – oregonlive.com (Starts out okay, but guess how it ends?)

Everything is awful, always has been and always will be. Worst country in the history of the world, if you read the media.

There is a lot of self loathing and nothing to celebrate at all:

There are good news stories but they do not get attention:

• Immigrants make American flags with pride in Wisconsin
• Rediscover American pride and gratitude on the 250th anniversary
• Columbia VA Celebrates America’s 250th Anniversary At Freedom 250 Celebration | VA Columbia South Carolina Health Care | Veterans Affairs
• Celebrate America: NYC and Tri-State mark nation’s 250th birthday with fireworks, parades, festivals and more – ABC7 New York
• Celebrate America’s 250th birthday at Texas State Parks | FOX 7 Austin

The non-stop negativity where even good news is spun into doom and negativity (story today – “Low oil prices will lead to economic challenges” – yes, really) is unfortunate.

When we are buried under non-stop doom and gloom from mentally depressed journalists, the entire country is dragged down into believing we live in the worst country in the worst time in history. See The “Boomers” versus “Gen Z” today: the 60s/70s vs today – Coldstreams – things are going good, actually.