“There is such a thing as national character, a term I use, not by way of compliment, but only to describe how national traits are formed by history and by commonly held ideas. Americans, unlike, say Russians, are used to freedom. They are used to sounding off on any subject that interests them, and their egalitarian streak makes them far less deferential toward “their betters” than is the case in many other societies”.

I love this perfect expression of the cautious liberalism my parents and you and much of your generation. It is an earned and exact optimism. Thank you for conveying it so perfectly.