Tom, you do tend to find the most negative interpretation (by your lights) of statements such as that. But it can be taken another way:

The story of America is not just about what we've done for ourselves. It's also about our success at convincing others of the value of the American Way. We're no longer a unique, embattled "experiment", surrounded by hostile monarchies and feudal societies. In the political realm, we've created democracies around the world, and in the economic realm exported free market concepts and capitalism. We faced down the challenge from communism and prevailed; in the process, since World War II, we can take credit for the creation of something on the order of 50 new democracies.

In fact, America is not unique in the world any more. And that's a profound measure of success.

As a parent, wouldn't you measure your success in large part on the independence of your children when they go out in the world?

It may be hard to accept that America's "children" don't really need us any more (beyond the muscle of our military), but I think that that's reason for a sublime sense of satisfaction. We can rest easy knowing that the light of freedom won't go out of the world if we should disappear.

We done good.

--Robert