We are patriots. We believe in the greatness of America's national ideals. We believe America has an indispensable purpose in the world: to demonstrate, by example, the power of freedom and equal opportunity.

True patriots know that America was founded in freedom -- freedom to speak, to worship, to choose whatever path to happiness suits us best -- but that with freedom comes an equal responsibility to country, community, and family.

True patriots believe that what enables a free society to remain strong is a set of traditional virtues and values: pragmatism tied to principle, honesty and integrity, hard work and personal initiative, responsibility and self-discipline, fairness and compassion, competitive striving and fair play, a desire to serve the nation and a kinship with the world.

True patriots believe that freedom from responsibility is selfishness, freedom from sacrifice is cowardice, freedom from tolerance is prejudice, freedom from stewardship is exploitation, and freedom from compassion is cruelty.

True patriots know that we should measure our nation's progress by whether every citizen has a fair shot to advance on the basis of talent and merit, and by the degree to which we promote the common success of all our citizens. Freedom without an equal chance to enjoy it is no freedom at all.

True patriots believe it is immoral when inequality of opportunity leads to and perpetuates inequality itself. On a truly level playing field, some will do much better than others because we are not all equally talented or motivated. But when the tilt of the field keeps even the talented from ever winning, that is unfair and un-American.

True patriots believe that we should measure a citizens' worth by contribution to country and community, not by wealth or power -- that those whom America has benefited most should contribute in proportion to their good fortune -- and that serving others should be esteemed more highly than serving self.

These were the ideals of the founders of our country and the defenders of our union. They have made America unique and necessary from the beginning. And now it is time for them to inspire a new generation of Americans.

Let me just apologize. I almost trolled there. I caught myself and didn't. Sorry for almost trolling, guys.

You can't possibly be mixing me up with Surgoshan, can you?

Perhaps they confused Patriot with Parrot? It's an easy mistake to make!

With the barest modicum of change to the text, you could stick the name of just about any American political party on top and this would sound much like the start of their manifesto. Take out the American exceptionalism (or just change it by altering the name of the country) and you've got the opening paragraphs of just about every political manifesto in the world.

Excepting the implied support for progressive taxation, there isn't actually anything of substance in this, and it tells us nothing about the writer's position. Maybe the rest of the pamphlet is filled with worthwhile information, and I don't mean to piss on your parade, but I just don't see anything to get excited about in mundane pleasantries that fit just as well regardless of your political bent.

As often, my drug of third-choice (after alcohol and hip-hop) has the sober perspective.

The question we should be asking is: why is the United States so chronically conservative, or at least votes in such a chronically conservative way, compared to other nations and compared to opinion polls that have shown most Americans favor several progressive Democratic positions when those issues are stripped of the inflammatory terminology applied by the established political parties?

Kill Karl Rove.