What exactly do they mean when they say, "We want our America back"?

[Charles RB]

Outside of race, a lot of them want the world to be however it was when they were children...or at least however it appeared to them when they were children.

It's the political version of going "today's children's shows aren't as good as the children's shows when I was a kid" - of course you think that, you haven't seen those old shows since you were ten.

And kids today have Adventure Time, just like politics has more democracy worldwide and more rights for people who aren't white middle-class men.

[Michael P]

It's quite simple; they want Eisenhower's America back.

But without the tax rates.

[Slam_Bradley]

But without the tax rates.

And the liberal Supreme Court.

And the infrastructure building.

And decolonization.

And government spending on science research.

And...


Again, they want the Leave it to Beaver version not the reality.

[The Black Guardian]

What about destroying the rest of the world so they can be on top again?

[Johnny P. Sartre]

Ah, yes, manifest destiny.

[tony ingram]

I've heard many Republicans say that they want their America back. Did they lose America somewhere? Isn't this still the land of the free?

It would be more accurate to say that it is the land of some of the free. Or possibly one of the lands of the free.

Is pro football still played on Sundays?

I didn't know you played football in America. I thought you just played that weird game with all the padding...

[Charles RB]

I didn't know you played football in America. I thought you just played that weird game with all the padding...

[cactusmaac]

As far as I can gather:

1) No affirmative action
2) No runaway government spending esp. on social welfare for minorities
3) High-quality public schools
4) Low crime environments where children can safely be left to play unsupervised
5) Respect for religion and the USA's founders
6) Being able to buy a home with a yard and have enough income left over for one parent to devote all their attention to the family
7) An end to highly sexualised raunch culture
8) High restrictions on abortion
9) Minimal recognition of gay rights
10) High restrictions to immigration both legal and illegal
11) Low tolerance for environmental concerns
12) School prayer
13) Leaving the UN
14) Highly aggressive foreign policy with plenty of emphasis on American exceptionalism
15) Overt patriotism
16) Low taxes

[dupont2005]

5) Respect for religion and the USA's founders

Oh, you mean those founders that didn't respect religion? I just bought a leatherbound copy of The Age Of Reason today. Seems like it should be required reading since so many people seem to think our nation founding American revolutionaries were a bunch of bible beaters.

[Vibranium]

Oh, you mean those founders that didn't respect religion? I just bought a leatherbound copy of The Age Of Reason today. Seems like it should be required reading since so many people seem to think our nation founding American revolutionaries were a bunch of bible beaters.

Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson nailed everything in a skirt that smelled good

oh they liked people on their knees,but it wasn't for religion

[Slam_Bradley]

As far as I can gather:

1) No affirmative action
2) No runaway government spending esp. on social welfare for minorities
3) High-quality public schools
4) Low crime environments where children can safely be left to play unsupervised
5) Respect for religion and the USA's founders
6) Being able to buy a home with a yard and have enough income left over for one parent to devote all their attention to the family
7) An end to highly sexualised raunch culture
8) High restrictions on abortion
9) Minimal recognition of gay rights
10) High restrictions to immigration both legal and illegal
11) Low tolerance for environmental concerns
12) School prayer
13) Leaving the UN
14) Highly aggressive foreign policy with plenty of emphasis on American exceptionalism
15) Overt patriotism
16) Low taxes

They're delusional if they think all these things ever intersected.

[Vibranium]

As far as I can gather:

1) No affirmative action
2) No runaway government spending esp. on social welfare for minorities
3) High-quality public schools
4) Low crime environments where children can safely be left to play unsupervised
5) Respect for religion and the USA's founders
6) Being able to buy a home with a yard and have enough income left over for one parent to devote all their attention to the family
7) An end to highly sexualised raunch culture
8) High restrictions on abortion
9) Minimal recognition of gay rights
10) High restrictions to immigration both legal and illegal
11) Low tolerance for environmental concerns
12) School prayer
13) Leaving the UN
14) Highly aggressive foreign policy with plenty of emphasis on American exceptionalism
15) Overt patriotism
16) Low taxes

17) missionary position only...lights off, shirt on, no talking
18) closet alcoholism
19) closet domestic abuse
20) closet homosexuality aka hunting trips with the boys

[dupont2005]

Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson nailed everything in a skirt that smelled good

oh they liked people on their knees,but it wasn't for religion

Franklin was an interesting character. I'd like to see a movie about him

[mikekerrIII]

It would take something the size of the ring trilogy movies to do him justice.

[RDMacQ]

What I think "they" mean is that they want to believe in a pre-determined narrative that makes "them" into the victims of a wide-ranging conspiracy. Since "they" can't really argue against the social implications, it's better to take the "moral" high ground, to make "them" see "heroic" and "noble."

It's similar to the notion of arguing for "real" fans- essentially, the people only care about people who already believe what they say. If they don't sign up to the philosophy, it must mean they are lacking "moral fiber."