Your retort might be formulated too dramatically, which makes it easy to dismiss (or downvote). Having said that, yes, when I came across that sentence you quo

Your retort might be formulated too dramatically, which makes it easy to dismiss (or downvote). Having said that, yes, when I came across that sentence you quote (> Most fundamentally, I’ve always thought that the United States had a more profound respect for human dignity.) I had to chuckle as well at the (then) naïveté of the author. Apart from immigration, the incarceration and homicide rates I’d also adduce capital punishment, the issues surrounding policing and race, as well as health insurance. Still, much better than many other countries! But certainly not near the top.