"I'd quarrel with "a country that leads the world in educating its people". That may be so of a tiny minority of the best students at the best universities, but school-level provision for those in the poorest communities is at third-world level, and the impression at least from the media* is of schools where bullying thrives and indeed is almost encouraged in the name of freedom of speech, academic betterment is ridiculed by street culture, the weakest are left to go to the wall and those in the greatest mental trouble receive neither counselling nor help - and meanwhile teachers are held in contempt." Richard Bridge

That is the problem, Richard Bridge. The media may well give you that impression, but it is a vast and misleading statement and a very limiting belief.

One thing I am VERY proud of my country for is our willingness to examine and accept our failings and our determination to address and redress them.

A beloved song of ours has the line in it:"God mend our every flaw". Aside from the fact that I believe that Americans realize it is up to us, ourselves, to mend our flaws, I have read that NO other country would consider including such a thought.