You, Michael and the other German guy are just visiting the U.S., under the guise of the internet, to bash our country. All your cliches are tried and true leftist propaganda. Try coming over here and discussing in person what you have to say.
BuHuHaHa! You must be joking? Right? Although I do not have any problems to tell you about my point of view, you should understand that I must support my family instead of flying to the US just to tell you about contemporary European policy.
Stop - just wait - I charge 120,- Euros/hour, a good hotel and a Lufthansa first class ticket (since I am an qualified architekt and civil engineer those prices and conditions are quite suitable), if you want to talk to me eye to eye in America. You can have it a littlebit cheaper when you visit me here in southern Germany. I will give you 2 hours of my precious time just for free. :-)
Besides - I would never ever bash America for a "tried cliché". Just like many Germans I have reason to be thankful for many beautiful things your country gave to me. This is a wide field starting with the declaration of independence i.e. (Which was a first definition about those "human rights" that we both are argueing about. The influence of this stroke of genius can still be felt all around the world), the Berlin air-lift, the toppling of the Berlin wall, Steinbeck, Hemingway, Frank Lloyd Wright, Sinatra, the "Rat Pack" and many more beautiful things. Believe it or not: If we criticize we do it as friends and not as enemies.