We Americans live in the most affluent and powerful country on Earth and, as a result, enjoy unparalleled freedom and opportunity; yet, our education and health care systems are inferior to many other countries, reflecting the priorities of our society. While we are optimistic, productive and generous, we are also self-absorbed, eager to exert our influence and sensitive about our image across the globe.
Long a melting pot for human cultures, various ethnic groups live in relative harmony throughout the United States; nevertheless, there is an undercurrent of racism here, invading our political and cultural systems and crippling the full expression of human potential. While America has the best National Park system on Earth and sponsors conservation programs across the globe, we are the king of consumerism and waste more natural and man-made resources than many other countries consume. We are also a religious country, a reflection of both our optimism and the scientific naivety of our populace; yet, one need only visit the websites of our major media corporations to find that Americans are enamored with celebrity, entertained by suffering and obsessed with the sexual behavior of human society.
The exceptional freedom in America unveils the natural traits of humans as a whole. While the trappings of industry and technology give us an unnatural life style, our natural behaviors are less regulated and, despite our complex society, Americans reflect the human condition, with all of its beauty and ugliness.
