Sorry upfront to Cipher, Universex, Spear....you did a grand job of moving past Watchdog's opinions, but I can't reciprocate.
I was born in the US (Virginia) and spent my formative years crossing the globe as a Navy brat. So I was as thoroughly brainwashed as to the great "American way of life" as anyone else. That said, it should also be noted that despite country, or race, or religion, OR ANYTHING ELSE, WE ARE all HUMAN BEINGS. We make mistakes. Hopefully we learn from them.
Politicans are also human beings (well, most of them
) so they get to make their mistakes too. And after four/eight year increments, we get to decide (a stretch, ok) who is going to make the next set of mistakes (laws, rules, opinions .... all interchangeable terms).
So this is the way my world works now and I have to accept it. The reverse of that coin would invariably take away any ability to choose and that would not be nearly as interesting nor compelling.
If you have a big problem with the US being hailed as the hallmark of freedom and democracy, you have the choice of seeing it as it really is.... a group of human beings entitled by their Creator to be human beings. Same as every other country. Don't give away your power so easy.