I do find the whole “did you read the lyrics” reaction irritating.

My general views in music is that it has it’s own language and although words may provide literal truth, music provides emotional truth to the meaning of the song. When words conflict with music than music win. This view is probably influence by opera for example if you have two people singing formal pleasantry to each other but the music portrays intense emotional love than the truth is that the two people are in love even if they are pretending not to be. Music is not merely a backing track to the lyrics and music is the integral part of the message of the song.

So if the song sounds like a patriotic anthem than it is a patriotic anthem because the emotional truth of the message is in the music. Interpretation of what the song means has to integrate the bombastic anthemic backing track. So my view is that it is a patriotic anthem expressing duality of criticising the social condition of the country that neglect veterans while celebrating that the country allows the freedom to do this. Sort of the liberal views that patriotism = freedom to dissent and wanting the country to improve. However that message is universal and can cross political divide as both conservative and liberals can criticise the social condition of the country while maintaining patriotism (in fact veterans being mistreated is a very common conservative complaint).

In any case Born In The Usa although i overall think the song is ok I think it is the weakest song in the album as it is melodically repetitive and the verse and the chorus have almost identical melodies