Just to be clear: yes, most rankings are BS all the way, but thinking about what role the US (or any country, really) plays in innovation/education/economy/$thi

Just to be clear: yes, most rankings are BS all the way, but thinking about what role the US (or any country, really) plays in innovation/education/economy/$thing seems worthwhile? Still, is it just me, or are the most posts here reflex-like defenses of the US? What would you suggest instead? It would have to yield actionable results, mind you...