[quote=Sapphire]
The difference between America and the Netherlands is that Americans are pretty self centered, we are pretty bad at making choices based on the true common good but we are fun at parties and we are the theme of some parties. I lived with an relative in Germany for a while and there were a couple of American parties that I was invited to. The Netherlands is a cool place, like the rest of Europe. I'm not totally sure what it is but it seems like most of the world has something that America lacks. Maybe we hate our government too much?
[/quote]

I don't mean to insult anyone, but I think that it's not something you LACK, per se. I think it's something you have too much of. Pride. The Americans refuse to conform to the rest of the world. This can be seen in your measuring systems from distance to temperature. Also, your culture is more open to the individual hero, as well as the use of violence, which can be seen in your media, as well as your crime rates.