Reply #9: The U.S. is not #1 in many things, but it has great potential.

[Laurier]

There is nothing wrong with Americans being supportive of their country, and Americans are justified in taking great pride in their country and the wonderful accomplishments that it has made over the past few centuries. That said, there is much room for great improvement across numerous sectors, some of which are pointed out in the opening post.

And the OP is correct: you have to recognize the problem before you can fix it.

I am not American, but I believe that "all y'all" are collectively capable of recognizing your problems and fixing them in order to bring your country back up to the standard that it once defined. I wish you well.