metalinvader said:
So much for having national pride.
Noone should be ashamed for his/her nationality, but it's valid to be ashamed of stuff that is or has been done in the name of the nation you belong to.
I'm Norwegian and definitely not proud of Vidkun Quisling, nor am I particularily proud of those of my predecessors who robbed, raped and killed their way through much of Europe and parts of Russia a millennium ago. (They shaped up when they found out that trading and marrying into the local aristocracy were less cumbersome, gave better PR and paid better in the long run) I don't feel any pride over those of my countrymen who were active participants in the slave trade either (they served, often as officers, on Norwegian freighters under the Danish flag)
Indy is undoubtedly American and the stories are filtered through mythos shaped in America - but he
transcends the labels so that we can
all identify, no matter our cultural and national background.
That's George Lucas' real genius; as with Star Wars, he's really retelling old stories known in one form or another found all over the world (a snip from here and a snip from there; add new wrapping and a few quirks) in a way most of us have no problem being (wildly!!) enthusiastic about.