"The Privilege of Being an American"

Thus said Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner.

Why does this formulation grate so?

First, the larger context of the comment is one in which the Secretary is defending increased taxation.  As if, one had to purchase one's birthright.

Second, in this particular Secretary's case, it comes from one who could not himself pay his taxes honestly.

Third, coming from any representative of this most liberal of administrations, the even larger context is more than a bit ironic.  What, pray tell, could possibly be the "privilege" of membership in a country so seriously flawed?  A country that needs to be "transformed" after all?

Fourth, coming, again, from any representative of this most liberal of administrations, one is entitled to wonder if they are not confusing "nation" with "state".  "America" is a nation--"We the people"-- that formed a state, a government, in order to secure individual rights, chief among them life, liberty, and property.  For liberals, however, "America" is principally a state that dispenses, via redistribution, entitlements from one group to another.

Fifth, one more time, according to this most liberal of administrations, native-born citizens enjoy only the "privilege" of citizenship, a privilege for which they must pay through taxation.  Illegal immigrants, by contrast, have rights, to include the right to the fruit of said redistribution, not to mention the right to a smooth and easy path to citizenship.

Sixth, had the Secretary said "the blessing of being an American" instead, it might have grated less, but only for a moment.  Soon we would have remembered that liberals don't believe in God and that he was only playing us for suckers.