> I don't disagree that the values of the United States have always been an aspiration rather than actual reality. The US is a constitutional democracy that w

> I don't disagree that the values of the United States have always been an aspiration rather than actual reality. The US is a constitutional democracy that was created in a world of kingdoms. It has the oldest constitution, a code of laws that grants its citizens rights which the government is prohibited from violating. And while the UK may be considered as an (perhaps only) older running democracy, it had a king, where the US replaced this role with the invention of a popularly-elected president. Sure it's not so special anymore, since everyone has democracy and presidents these days. But it most certainly was not always the case, especially back when the US was stumbling at times living up to its ideals. I am old enough to remember a world where the most common form of govt was still a dictatorship, not democracy, and there were despicable authoritarian regimes on almost every continent. US history is certainly not all positive, but the positives are there. A constitution and popular elections are not ideals, they are results. People who have positive opinions of this country throughout history were not as blind and irrational as these dismissive posts think.