May I just add, that what you say, as correctly as you articulate it, is not solely applicable to the USA. This is exactly what is happening in Australia, too.

I don't know whether it is the result of a federal structure, of absence of intelligent leadership or simply the result of years of materialistic, insular and 'self-first' conditioning but, you are right, it sucks.

You are right, too, to say or imply that it is because too many of us put ourselves first, with no consideration for the implications of what we do for others.

Freedom cannot truly exist without responsibility - it appears to me that such is what many US and Australian citizens have either never realised or have forgotten - possibly many world citizens, in fact.

We now find the most insular & aggressive 'nation' (read religion) in the World giving 4th shot boosters, whilst the majority of the people in the Majority World haven't even had a first shot.

Supposed 'leaders' are assassinating or torturing or locking up their own people, despite all that we ought to have learned from history.

Human 'civilisation' somewhere lost its purpose and civility - or perhaps it was always a confidence trick.