{"id":20877,"date":"2026-06-12T16:41:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T00:41:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coldstreams.com\/social\/?p=20877"},"modified":"2026-06-12T16:41:04","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T00:41:04","slug":"is-pride-in-the-u-s-plummeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coldstreams.com\/social\/2026\/06\/12\/is-pride-in-the-u-s-plummeting\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Pride in the U.S. plummeting?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The New Yorker says that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fact Check<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

(This was mostly created with AI assistance)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a growing frustration with media \u201cdoomerism\u201d and a counter-movement toward national pride is supported by recent discussions, though the reality is polarized. While The New Yorker<\/em> article argues that patriotism \u201cisn\u2019t cool anymore\u201d among certain cultural elites and younger generations, other data and public sentiment suggest a strong resurgence of national pride, particularly outside major coastal cities and among those fatigued by constant negative framing<\/strong>,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The New Yorker<\/em> Argument: \u201cPatriotism Isn\u2019t Cool\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Arthur Krystal\u2019s piece for The New Yorker<\/em> (May 2026) contends that national pride has plummeted, especially on the left, due to a focus on historical injustices and \u201cwokeness,\u201d while on the right, patriotism has been rebranded into a commercialized, often aggressive identity symbolized by MAGA hats and military aesthetics. He suggests that true, quiet patriotism has been drowned out by performative nationalism and cultural self-loathing, making it difficult for a nuanced, reflective love of country to feel \u201ccool\u201d in today\u2019s polarized climate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Counter-Narrative: A Resurgence of Pride<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

However, many Americans\u2014particularly in the heartland, among working-class communities, and in response to what they see as elite media bias\u2014are rejecting this narrative. Social media reactions to the New Yorker<\/em> piece highlight a strong backlash, with many arguing that patriotism is not a trend but a timeless value, and that it remains vibrant outside \u201cnortheast hell holes\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some point to high military recruitment rates and renewed interest in national traditions as evidence that pride in country is rebounding, not fading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polling also reveals a generational and political divide: while only 36% of young adults say they are \u201cextremely\u201d or \u201cvery\u201d proud to be American (compared to 65% of those over 65), working-class Americans express higher levels of patriotism than their college-educated peers, who often express more skepticism. A significant portion of the population feels alienated by both elite cultural criticism and media negativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Role of Media and \u201cDoomerism\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The point about media \u201cdoomerism\u201d is echoed in broader cultural criticism. Many argue that relentless focus on national failures, without balanced acknowledgment of achievements, has bred cynicism and disengagement. In response, there\u2019s a growing movement among both conservatives and some progressives to reclaim a constructive patriotism\u2014one that acknowledges flaws but emphasizes unity, shared values, and the ongoing project of forming \u201ca more perfect union\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, is patriotism \u201cno longer cool\u201d? It depends on who you ask. In certain cultural and academic circles, it may be viewed with suspicion or as a relic. But among a large and growing segment of Americans\u2014especially those tired of divisive rhetoric and negative media cycles\u2014patriotism is experiencing a quiet but powerful revival. The tension you sense reflects a deeper cultural struggle over what it means to love one\u2019s country in a time of deep division.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No, but media doomerism remains in full swing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[357,359,17,29,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20877","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily-doomer","category-everything-is-awful","category-facts","category-media","category-media-propaganda"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coldstreams.com\/social\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20877","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coldstreams.com\/social\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coldstreams.com\/social\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coldstreams.com\/social\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coldstreams.com\/social\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20877"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/coldstreams.com\/social\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20877\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20879,"href":"https:\/\/coldstreams.com\/social\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20877\/revisions\/20879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coldstreams.com\/social\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20877"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coldstreams.com\/social\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20877"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coldstreams.com\/social\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20877"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}