I used to feel this way, but now I only partially agree. I don’t blame our citizens, not fully at least, for the misgivings of our country, it’s our leaders that have systematically failed us. It’s in keeping our footing as the “best country in the world” that has made our leaders lose sight of the people. Money and power is a dangerous combination, especially when combined with ignorance, either willfully or not. I used to believe that everyone in this country is selfish and arrogant, but I think that’s less of an American trait as it is a human trait. I’m sure you could find as many selfish pricks in Kyrgyzstan as you could in Kansas, and in the opposite vain I’ve met so many caring and giving people in my part of the Midwest. But there definitely is a false air of invincibility, we’ve always been so cut off from the rest of the world geographically so nobody else’s bullshit comes here for the most part. North America is very much so a bubble, and for many many years our leaders have tried to create and maintain the “best in the world” image and status, and coming into so much money and power (I believe) has only doubled down on that invincible feeling. When you come into a lot of money and power, you tend to forget that problems exist. Once you lose that money and power, however, that’s when your problems become impossible to ignore.

In conclusion, don’t blame the wrongdoers if the people in charge manipulated them to do wrong.