Sorry, but there was never any kind of US superiority complex in the same way that Japan and Germany felt about their cultures. Both of them felt destined to take over the world, and both treated their leaders as god-kings, Japan openly so due to State Shinto claiming that Hirohito and his progeny are descendants of the sun goddess Amaterasu.
With all due respect, you are starting to go down the same road as Obama when he stated things about the USA being too big for its own good and went on that infamous “apology tour”. There is no comparison between the USA and Japan on the score of cultural complexes.
You misinterpret what I meant...likely my word choice.
I’m not referring to the prior to WWII Japanese mentality when I talk about Japanese cultural preference - I’m talking about todays.
The vast majority of Japanese today that I’ve met accept that the Tojo regime was tyrannical and out of control. Not all, of course there is never 100% consensus.
But they do have national pride, just as we have national pride. There is nothing wrong with that. Just as there is nothing wrong with our patriotism. Perhaps that is the word I should have used patriotic instead of superior.
I’m well aware of the Shinto philosophy on the emperor and most Japanese I have talked too think they are more inbred then the European monarchies, but as with the Europeans (Netherlands, England, Denmark, etc) they still feel they have a place. That has drastically changed compared to pre-WWII.
I’m not apologizing for us - There’s nothing to apologize for. I’m a damn proud hoosier country boy who thinks my grandma’s oyster dressing is better than anyone else can put up.
People who believe the Japan of today have the exact same mental hangups that the Japan of the 1930s have are completely out of their gourd. Comparing the two is like comparing the evening stars to the sun at noon. That doesn’t mean they don’t have pride and respect for their culture though. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.