Lot's of good stuff in this thread. . .

Kelida - One problem with writing down what you feel is that no two people will read it quite the same way. And in a forum like this, there is much room to parse every verb, so to speak. I thought your disclaimer up front about loving America (as do I) indicated that your criticisms were meant in a constructive sense. The attempt to improve, implies the hope that improvement is possible. That's why I didn't think you were being cynical or pessimistic. And I think you write darn good, too.

"Rights of passage" can apply to people and countries. America is a very young polity, as compared to the other hemisphere. Yes we're perceived to be rude, and self-indulgent, and self-involved and yada-yada by our "elders and better". And, yes, we don't seem to listen and we don't always seem to care. We flex our muscles quite a bit, don't we. And, by God we feel pretty good about ourselves (when we're not bemoaning how, clumsy ans stupid we are, and how unappreciative the rest of the world is toward us). Sounds like a lot of adults talking about a lot of younguns', doesn't it.

In closing - All you old folks and old countries - Don't ever under estimate the young. Don't ever forget what it's like to be young. Be patient and offer your guidance but don't be surprised if it's not appreciated until later. One last thing, the traits you hate most in the young are usually the ones they learned from you.