In my opinion, I believe that America can no longer be considered a Puritan nation. At one time in our history, our drive for hard work and perseverance over others may have pushed our nation further and made us more bitter towards uniqueness, but I believe it has changed now.

Our work ethic and exclusion principles are prominent today mostly because of our drive for progress. We have become a nation based on efficiency and hard work. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it makes our nation begin to culturally clamp down on certain liberties and pleasantries. This subtle attack is referenced in the article 'Are Americans Still Puritan?' when it says, "...Americans have a culturally specific tendency to view family photos and other personal items as unprofessional presences in the office." This outlook, that can probably be called 'fascism' as a hyperbole, is the kind of attitude that pushes our nation to an extreme.

By no means am I saying that hard work isn't good. It pushes our nation forward and allows us to indulge in the riches that make our country great. I am simply saying that this constant pressure that is caused by increased demand instead of Puritan beliefs has made us a nation of overtired, pill dependent, desk monkeys. We are no longer a Puritan nation, and I hope that we don't become a country run by corporate norms. Our lives should be more free, and while we need to work to maintain a nation, we should live with more cultural liberty. After all, we only have one time on this planet, and we might as well make it worth it.