I think there is a much better and more nuanced way of dealing with the world, yet still believing that your country is a great place to live. In fact, if you ARE the best at something, it’s generally considered bad form to brag about it. There are ways of pushing your own agenda, yet negotiating and letting the other country/person feel like a valuable part of the process.

I think that’s a big part of what this “we’re the Greatest (tm)!” misses, the ability to let the rest of the world know that we can play nice.