Was there an overall agenda ? Is this film satire?

I am familiar with Altman films and enjoyed this film as well as others including Mash and Prairie Home Companion. It seems from the start that Nashville is making fun of the country music scene, it's characters and the over the top religious theme of some of the songs.

I can't quite figure out if Altman despises country music and is mocking the entire genre or if he's simply using the theme to tell a story and adding some fluff with the characters, music and blind patriotism.