The United States is not America

Now here is an interesting thought from Kevin Van Horn.

The mindset that equates these two is firmly established in our country. Ask the man on the street about the American space program, and he will think of NASA, but not of private enterprises such as Scaled Composites, Blue Origin, or Bigelow Aerospace. Ask about the American education system, and he will think of the government schools, but not of home schooling or private schools. Criticize the U.S. too strongly, and he'll respond with the non sequitur, "America -- love it or leave it." Oppose U.S. military action and foreign policy, and he'll denounce you as anti-American.

The American anti-war movement constantly shoots itself in the foot by confusing the United States with America. They write of what America is doing in Iraq, or what we are doing in Iraq, instead of what the United States is doing. Such language only plays into the hands of warmongers, who can then accuse war dissidents of "blaming America first."

Worst of all, even many libertarians can't seem to distinguish the United States from America.

This is worth mulling.