Or even earlier to "e pluribus unim" Americans have always been at odds with the rest of the world with this 'all men are created equal' and 'give me your tired and poor' shtick. But when the Europeans call for "culturally neutral universal values' they mean for Americans to respect Europe but not the other way around. It's always been a one-way street. Remember the pacifists? Hitler and Stalin loved them- in America.
OK, it's time to get clear on the facts. Americans are only a twentieth of the worlds people but we've created over a fourth of the world's wealth. The rest of the world knows it and they hate it, because they know that it proves that the American way is superior while they've been struggling to prove their superiority (see live thread on Japanese racism). The fact is that America IS the world's powerhouse precisely because it has a culture open to good ideas from all over, not at all like those self centered, self-righteous old-world types.
That's why our culture is right and theirs is wrong!!
I think I need to go soak my head in cold water.
I agree with your post. they've been struggling to prove their superiority. So true.