Humans have always been, and will always be, tribalistic in our outlook. We identify with, and promote the interests of whatever tribe we see ourselves belonging to. Other tribes are at best not of our concern, but at worst a threat to our own tribal identify or safety. We exaggerate the suffering and injustices to members of our tribe, and diminish the sufferings and justice of the members of other tribes. We justify the excesses and brutality of our tribe, while condemning the brutality and injustice in the other tribes.
As someone who travels and works much outside the US, I am confident in saying that much of the rest of the world, while admiring and seeking to emulate much of the US, also see the US as an insufferably self-righteous bully.
Personally, the entire notion of 'American Exceptionalism, has gone way to far in this country; it blinds us to what our real and many faults are and thus at best makes it difficult to find, and at worst makes us incapable of finding, solutions to our problems or improving as a nation or people.
