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Pick an issue basically. Does anything coming out of the American media indicate that the future of the species is a bright one? Morally, economically, rationally, politically and socially it looks like America is digesting itself. A vanishingly small number of people - men - control a skyrocketing amount of wealth, information, and natural resources.
It's clear now that the views of most of us have zero impact on the juggernaut of the capitalist experiment, even when it comes to protecting our homeworld, an issue on which the US government has once again isolated itself in world opinion.
Trump's hat should've read: Make America Disintegrate Again.
MADA. Madder and madder...
Now this is clearly anti-american viewpoint , if not outright loaded rhetoric. That was not what was interesting. It was this first response from someone outside America that I found very touching and in many ways reaffirming of my ideals and faith in America:
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Let me give you an answer as a non-American - specifically an Indian - who's never been to USA yet. Yes, American soft and hard power has been influential worldwide for decades, no doubt. As has their clout. For starters, the word America and USA being so interchangeable without controversy. It's trademark mottos of democracy© liberty® freedom™ etc have been, well, repeatedly endlessly to me through my childhood through all the cartoons, movies, music, books, news, this and that. Art, science, education, military, everything, everywhere - the Americans are everywhere and ahead of the rest. That's the image you get wherever you look in mainstream media, pretty much everywhere else in the world. Any non-American would agree.
Of course then I grew up, I've seen, read, listened to, and experienced a lot more and like a lot of people, I've come to know - yeah there's tonnes of countries who're just as good and better with a lot of things USA isn't. And likewise, also understood the myth of USA being some sort of "beacon of democracy and liberty". Yeah it is a myth, you say so yourself in your question. It was already shattered to me long ago, and I don't even know why I began typing this. But yeah, despite all the flaws of America, one thing that kind of sticks to the concepts of liberty, democracy, freedom etc is this - my simple answer - America's strongest critics have been its own people even globally. At least 8/10 times I see someone criticize the wrongdoings or shortcomings or flaws of your country, it's from within. Which imho is a valuable, cherishable, and productive trait. America fucks up somewhere? Americans first to call it out. For example 7/10 of your movies may be braindead "commies are bad we are best" type of garbage, where the villains are all Russians or commies or some laughable rubbish. "we save the world yet again" etc. Black and white, so to speak. But there'll still be 3 which talk about the greys - evils within your own system, which will show the bad guy being someone in the system. I know that's a simplistic and stupid example , deliberately even. But in real world, Americas worst critics come from within, which is an encouraging sign. Take Ed Snowden, Chelsea Manning etc.
Americans aren't afraid to look within and see something is wrong and say it out loud. I mean, as an outsider, I was jokingly predicting months earlier in friendly discussions that the strong, destructive right/left echo chambers in your country is gonna cost you the election. So in fact I was very much telling my friends in discussions that this "myth" will just be a lot more prominent. But again, here's the thing, while you guys may now be laughed at worldwide for obviously very laughable and confusing and backwards news straight from the top of the heirarchy - you guys are the first to be most vocal about it. Whether it's laughing at, breaking down, criticizing vehemently, or challenging that myth. To the extent that I can begin to question that maybe it isn't that much of a myth. Cause it does exemplify liberty and freedom and democracy at the end of the day.
Edit + tl;dr: you questioning that yourself as an American is probably why that isn't so much a myth.
I find this to be a very poignant example of what to me makes America so great. We are not great because we are always the best, but instead because we are willing to acknowledge we can to do better, even where we are the best. We are always innovating and trying new things to see if we can do even better and now is never good enough m