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Traveling in California and New York over the last couple of weeks, I noticed something in the summer landscape of these two deeply blue states that is more reminiscent of rural America this time of year – a surfeit of American flags.

It’s not unusual to see a flag in liberal provinces, of course. But in the Bush years of sanctioned torture and war built on deceit, many Americans withdrew from overt displays of patriotism. Some said they were ashamed of their country.

Stephen Colbert, with so much overt flag-waving and eagle-flying that he neutered the public blowhards who costumed themselves in red, white and blue at the peak of the Bush presidency.

The same country that turned away from its ideals in the runup to the Iraq War is opening its embassies this Independence Day under a president whose personal narrative shows the promise inherent in that flag.