The quality of its political leaders is not something you can separate from the appreciation of a country.
Perhaps. I like to believe if more of my fellow countrymen were better informed, or just cared enough to pay a little more attention, they'd be eager to vote for people who'd fix things.
As someone who studied in the US... and was, honestly, horrified by how myopic so many Americans were, I think a broader perspective is definitely needed.
A friend of mine who's a teacher in IL, is really disturbed by how they teach the American Revolution as purely, democracy vs tyranny... rather than be honest, that it was actually incredibly complex and doesn't go into the background as to why Britain did what it did etc etc...
America is a great country, full of really good people, the story about American social mobility is increasingly a myth, America is as strata-fied as any European or Western Country for that matter. I think what might irritate people abroad is the idea that the US is the pinnacle of democracy... last time I checked... most western countries have free and fair elections... freedom of the press etc etc...
Just because you're flawed, as all countries are in their own ways, doesn't mean you aren't great... you're just not the best at everything... some countries do do things better than you... but you do other things better than them... it's not a contest.
No kidding... The disconnect between reality and traditional world views held by many is astounding. Maybe it has something to do with the fact the U.S. is the world's dominant power. There are just so many people who say, "I'm right because I say so, and everybody around us has to live their lives like we do."
Honestly, then-Governor Bush said it perfectly in 2000:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9SOVzMV2bc
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