I don’t believe the US is better than anyone else. I don’t believe we’re smarter, faster, stronger. I don’t believe our economy or our government is unique or even [gasp] the best one in the world.

I do believe that our democratic and economic systems are uniquely set up to encourage excellence. But I don’t think this is something amazing we’ve discovered, or that it can’t, or doesn’t, happen among other peoples or even in other systems.

During election season, we hear a lot of rhetoric about how great America is. I don’t disagree — we wouldn’t have people from around the world wanting to come here if this wasn’t a wonderful place to live. But I don’t believe we’re an exception to the world. It’s a fine line — to agree that the concept of America is great, but to say that it is not unique.

Of course, we don’t always live up to our self-concept. Now actually, that’s a question. Does every nation, or people, have a self-concept, an ideal to which it subscribes? Or is that something exceptional about America?

If I had gone to grad school in history, like I considered for about a day, I might be able to answer all these questions as well as ask them.