Andrew:

You wrote this..."because I wasn't putting forward a case for Britain being the leading light" But earlier you had written this...
"I think you will find Britain... is the Country that has done most in this world in the fight for freedom, good governance and equality.”

This sounds like a belief in leading lightness to me, whch together with its denial suggests little Englanderness.And really
having looked at this through foreign eyes, including all the examples you brought up, such as UK ending the world wide slave trade...well I have to agree with Declan that this really is a laughable position.

However, Declan, is off elsewhere. He makes specific points about the US being up to no good in South America and American citizens just generally being thick.

There are many acknowledge drawbacks in American interventionalism, but it is also, and much more often, a force for good. Remember it was the US that forced Israel, the UK and France to stop the invasion of Egypt in 1956.

The fear of socialism may have lead to poor decision making in South America but it also freed hundreds of millions around the world from Communism...all of which is beside the point really, because it is the second point that is really dodgy.

America is profoundly Democratic, and a central aspect of that is that they have a system design to allow intelligence to shine. All the leading research that has taken place in the world since the Second World War has centered on America, they have a system that makes excellent thrive. American intelligence and excellent is a defining characteristic of the last 50 years. So to dismiss Americans as stupid is mikeskness.

I really hope you haven't been confusing openness, honesty, inquisitiveness and a general lack of deceit amongst Americans as a sign of ignorance. Or even dismissing an entire civilization on the basis of a couple of acquaintances.

The US really is the embodiment of the quote that standing up for an ideal or to strike out against injustic...sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”