Do Americans really get inspired by this kind of spectacle?
I don't care at all about any of the patriotism. The military flyover is such a waste of taxpayer dollars. It was revealed that the US Army pays the NFL millions of dollars to have the flag out everywhere and keep the national anthem as a focal point of the pregame festivities. I don't know any friends in my age group that get fired up about the patriotism. Maybe it had traction with my parents' generation, but millennials don't give a f*ck!
Seriously? Shouldn't this be something on the DOGE chopping block? :D
Do you think this is somehow a shame, like it is a reflection of how things have changed?
I'm not convinced it is a shame that we are not patriotic to our nation's military symbolism. Most people have moved on from the US being a warring nation, so we see the military symbolism as a sign of excess spending and unnecessary violence.
Even in my parents' generation, they had the Vietnam War, and neither of my parents supported that war either. Maybe there is some patriotism for the US when we compete in the Olympics or other national sporting competitions, but that is just about the only time I find myself rooting for the flag.