Matt Frei at the BBC has an excellent diary post today pointing out the positives of America and providing us reasons not to despair so much, despite the Bush regime, Iraq, and so on. He does a good job of differentiating between the idiot leaders who drag us unwillingly into wars on false premises.
One great quote to get you started:
It is very easy to find Americans who disagree with its current direction. But you'll be hard pressed to come across those who regret its very existence in a fit of collective self-annihilation.
He's right in underscoring the significance of America in history and the world. While there is much to be annoyed about with the current leadership, and much cause for concern over the dumbing down of Americans, there is still cause to believe that the democracy will continue to survive.