As an American who grew up an expat but now isn't (except by culture), I also have noticed that in any country, third-world or industrialized, anglophone or not, there are always patriots. One of my very best friends believes that patriotism is the root of all evil, as it promotes We Are Better Than You thinking (which is only one step from either And So We Are Gonna Beat You Up, or No You Ain't So WE Will Beat YOU Up). He is very anti-sports, too, for the same reason. I have been having a harder and harder time arguing with him...

As an aside about Quakers and America: I always found it odd that my Quaker father and uncle, conscientious objectors during WWII, were forced either to be guineapigs for medical experiments (Dad's choice), be an orderly (shovel s**t, my dad said) in insane asylums (nobody's choice) or rot the whole time in jail (Uncle Greg's choice). Where is the freedom of religion there? Why couldn't some of the choices have been build schools, or roads, or other helpful but not specifically punishing community service? After the war, dad could not have a glass of wine with dinner (the cure they tried for the hepatitis they gave him didn't work) and had scars on his arms and legs (the cure they tried for the frostbite they gave him didn't work) and ok, I'll stop now. Maybe my friend has had more of an influence on me than I thought...