The news that Rio has been chosen to host the 2016 Olympics, while disappointing for American patriots, could hardly be considered unexpected. No South American city has ever hosted the international competition; by contrast, the United States hosted the Summer Olympics as recently as 1996, in Atlanta. Chicago and the United States made one of the strongest bids our nation has ever presented, but as John McCain well knows, it's hard to stand in the way of history being made.
Of course, John McCain also knows all too well that no matter how noble the cause, there are people willing to cheapen it for political gain. In case you missed the, er, "controversy," Barack Obama - who, as you may be aware, is the President of the United States, and is consequently tasked with representing our nation to the world - took it upon himself to do just that, and represent our bid before the IOC to bring the Olympics back to the United States. In other words, we have the duly elected leader of the United States coupling with representatives from the third largest city in the United States seeking to bring a massive infusion of prestige, capital, and tourism into... the United States. Who could be against that?
As it turns out, a small but vocal percentage of the United States.
Let's go over that again - conservatives are opposed to bringing the Olympics to an American city because Barack Obama, the President of the United States, wants to support an American city in trying to land the Olympics.
Now, I can remember a not-so-distant time when speaking out against the President was considered treason, something no Real American would ever consider. I can even remember a time when President George W. Bush went before the Chicago Bid Committee and U.S. Olympic Committee to declare - wait for it - that "this country supports your bid, strongly." All of a sudden, people are cheering in their offices when the United States fails to achieve its goals?
I had been going to write "this situation put conservatives in the odd position of rooting against America," but the simple fact is, that isn't odd for conservatives at all. Today's conservative disdain for the United States is not an isolated incident. They have managed to "love" America so much that they've reset the whole scale, and now hate the country in a constant misguided quest to "love" it better than everybody else. They are like the husband who beats his wife because he "cares" about her, except they also don't want the wife voting or getting an education.
This is the same attitude that drives the conservative zeal for cutting taxes. The United States, they claim, is the best country in the world, and apparently the best way to show that is by not giving it the means to do anything. Taxes are the method by which civilization is paid for; they are an investment in our nation, an investment that conservatives are simply not interested in making. What kind of "patriot" won't invest in America? That must be love.
The logical conclusion of this attitude can be seen in the secessionist leanings of even mainstream conservative voices such as Governer Rick Perry and Sarah Palin. Conservatives have spent the last 8 years telling us to "love it or leave it"; now, all of a sudden, they claim to be able to do both. Nothing says you love your country like taking your piece of it and leaving.
On the other hand, at least the secessionists are being honest - there are still conservatives who are running for government positions on a platform of hating the American government.
Look, conservatives. I'm not asking you to change your ways. You're free to go on thinking the United States is evil - it's not even treason, no matter how satisfying it would have been to turn that around on you. I'm just looking for some honest answers. So just lay it on me straight - why do you hate America so much?