There's still a lot to be proud of in America

Pride in this country shouldn’t be blind. But it shouldn’t disappear, either. Here’s what still works — and who’s still worth believing in.

As the Fourth of July approaches, a new Gallup poll reveals a sobering truth: only 58% of Americans feel “extremely” or “very” proud to call themselves American — the lowest level since tracking began in 2001. That’s a nine-point drop in a single year, and five points below the previous low during the early years of the pandemic.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Democrats dropped 26 points.

• Adults under 35 are the least proud of any age group.

• Even Republicans, historically the most patriotic, are starting to waver.

This isn’t about left vs. right. In fact, the poll shows pride is dropping fastest among Independents. People who don’t align with either party are looking around and saying: “This isn’t working.” They don’t see themselves ‘fitting in’ anywhere.

While troubling, these polling statistics signal something potentially deeper: the country is starting to question its story — and its future. It’s possible that fewer and fewer Americans are proud of the state, the system, and the slogans that once represented this nation.

We don’t know the exact reasons why people told Gallup pollsters their pride in being American has diminished, but it doesn’t take much to figure it out. The basics we’ve all taken for granted are breaking down rapidly. Institutions don’t work. Corruption is now the norm, rather than the exception. Leaders aren’t leading, or worse, saying one thing and doing something completely opposite. And the Constitution — perhaps the pinnacle law and governance left to us by learned men who wanted nothing more than to see this nation prosper and avoid the pitfalls of tyranny and history — is routinely corrupted or ignored entirely. Washington DC is nothing short of a full-blown clown show.

Bureaucrats and elites have eviscerated the institutions that once bound us together. As Peter Grandich always reminds us, more retirees now fear outliving their savings than dying. Millions live paycheck to paycheck. Young people need perks and points for basic adult responsibilities like rent. Half the country is perpetually enraged at whoever’s in power.

And yet our nation, for all its warts and problems, is truly the last best hope for fighting the tyranny that desperately wants all of humanity under its thumb.

America still has so much to be proud of if we turn our gaze from the rotting corpse that is Washington DC, and instead look to the many amazing communities across this country. There we will see exactly what holds America together, with incredible heart, with selflessness that knows no bounds, with innovation that can only come from a free people, and with unstoppable moxie. When the chips are down, there’s only one nation that the world looks to as a beacon: America.

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Here’s what still holds us together:

The neighbors who step up
When disaster strikes, the real and generous heart of America shows itself. It’s the guy down the street running over with a generator. The mom opening her door to share her pantry staples. The crew operating a tool library or providing community assistance. These acts of care and coordination — often voluntary, rarely reported, never glorified, and quietly provided — are what keep thousands upon thousands of communities afloat. Just look at Grindstone Ministries, featured in a Collapse Life interview earlier this year. Driven by deep faith, they deliver food, supplies, and hope to families recovering from disaster, like those hit by Hurricane Helene — and they do it with no payment, no fanfare. Just a bunch of humble guys (and gals!) from Oklahoma freely offering their help and expertise. This kind of solidarity never comes from the top. It comes from right next door.

The land itself
From the high desert to the Great Lakes, America remains one of the most beautiful and ecologically rich places on earth. If this country has a future, it begins with defending that ground — not abstractly, but literally. Groups like the American Stewards of Liberty, led by Margaret Byfield, are fighting to do just that by keeping exploitative and nefarious forces in check and accountable. In a Collapse Life conversation last year, Byfield warned of the federal government's 30x30 agenda — an effort to lock up 30% of US land by 2030. Her organization works to raise awareness and protect the working landscapes that feed and employ real people. Our forests, plains, and farmland can’t just be preserved as museum pieces. They need to stay alive, accessible, and productive.

The working-class geniuses
Across America, real resilience still comes from the ground up. From repairs to recipes, gardens to gig work, working people keep the country running in quiet, powerful ways. No one does a better job of shining a light on these heroes — welders, farmers, mechanics, and makers — than Mike Rowe. His foundation awards scholarships to people pursuing careers in skilled trades. This is the real American economy, the one found in family kitchens, dive bars, tool sheds, and swap meets — far from the bankers’ boardrooms and venture capitalists’ buzzwords.

The people who stand up and fight
There are still people in this country who say ‘no’ to evil and ‘yes’ to truth. So here’s to the medical professionals who — with everything to lose — stepped up to speak out against rushed mandates and flawed vaccine policies. And, as if to borrow courage, let us celebrate the parents pushing back against ideological overreach in their children’s schools. Because even in the face of mocking, threats, and ostracism by their community — they held their ground, standing for what they believed. Nothing could be more American than that.

The ones who consciously opt out
A growing number of Americans are opting out without checking out. They are building homesteads, teaching kids at home, going off grid, and forging parallel paths in a corrupted, complex and collapsing system. They’re not rejecting modern life. They’re rejecting the lie that dependence equals progress. In doing so, they remind us that freedom is still possible — but only if you take things into your own hands. That’s the pioneering spirit that built this nation.

The thinkers who acknowledge that the law is for the little guy
No one embodies the indomitable spirit of July 4th better than The Rutherford Institute and its founder John Whitehead, a recent guest on Collapse Life (and his lovely wife Nisha). Law is a complex matter and Constitutional law even more so. Collapse Life knows that the battle against elites, deep state, and corrupted agencies starts and ends with challenging the constitutionality of their actions against everyday Americans. That was the entire purpose of the birthright the Founding Fathers left us: keeping government overreach from sliding into tyranny. No one does a better job of holding power to account than John and Nisha and for that reason alone, we encourage you to support their tireless efforts.

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This Independence Day, skip the fireworks and walk your block. Look for the couple juggling several full-time jobs and still managing to keep their lawn mowed. The teenager learning how to fix his own car in the driveway. The immigrant family who started a business that became an anchor of the community. The older person who sits on the porch, quietly watching who’s okay and who isn’t.

Those are the folks who make this country run better than any politician, corporation, or agency ever will. Put down your phone and look into their eyes; no doubt your pride in this country will begin to return.

If we lose the ability to take pride in each other and strive for something bigger, if we ignore the small wins and get caught up in the dramas of mind-numbing political stupidity, if we let divisions dominate our day-to-day, we don’t stand a chance. The technocrats desperate to control us essentially win, because disillusionment is their weapon. If you think nothing matters, you won’t fight for what does.

America’s greatness has always been the belief — however imperfect — that people could live free, care for each other and their community, and push back against corruption. That belief hasn’t vanished. It just doesn’t live in Washington, DC. And we need to recognize that and turn off the TV once and for all.

Be proud of the ones still trying in your community and around the nation. And remember: empires may crumble, but the human spirit endures. That’s why we write Collapse Life (it’s literally baked into the name!) and that’s why we’re so proud to have you as part of our family.

Happy 4th of July and God Bless America