Americans believe that progress can and must be made, because that's the only lesson their history teaches.
The US is not up to 250 years old, and for all the twists and turns in its history, it has only moved in one direction - the direction of progress.
The US is not up to 250 years old, and for all the twists and turns in its history, it has only moved in one direction - the direction of progress.
There is no "rise and fall of empires" in the American story, or centuries of stagnation - but this is very common in the world outside the US.
So while Americans cannot help but be optimistic, in vast swathes of the world, cynicism is typical.
So while Americans cannot help but be optimistic, in vast swathes of the world, cynicism is typical.
This optimism is a double edged sword, especially when taken advantage of by US policy makers.
Many Americans genuinely believed that Afghanistan and Iraq could be remade in America's image. This was never realistic, but they believed it nonetheless.
Many Americans genuinely believed that Afghanistan and Iraq could be remade in America's image. This was never realistic, but they believed it nonetheless.
This belief turned into despair, and despair soon turned into a desire to withdraw from the world.
Trump rode on this wave, and today there's a lot less enthusiasm about the outside world.
Trump rode on this wave, and today there's a lot less enthusiasm about the outside world.
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