Dinesh D'Souza immigrated to the United States from Mumbai, India. In the famous editorial, "Ten Great Things About America," he remarked on blessings he saw that we, born here, tend not to notice.  For example, he says, "the ordinary guy" in most countries does not have a car, a high-definition TV or cable.  Blue-collar work in other countries is usually considered slightly demeaning, as if driving a tractor is a failure in life, and plumbers do not buy $4 coffees or drive Hondas. "America," D'Souza says, "is the only country in the world where we call the waiter sir, as if he were a knight." A friend of his in India wanted to see America because he wanted "to see a nation in which poor people are fat.

Not all Americans realize that their nation shows the kindest, most gentle foreign policy of any superpower in world history. A single U.S. aircraft carrier, with planes and armament, is more powerful than most nations' entire militaries. Imagine if North Korea - or almost any other nation - commanded the forces that America does. Its political will would dominate the planet on a daily basis.

Twice in the 20th century, America has saved the world, but after those wars, it showed no interest in taking control of the countries that were defeated. After WWII, America helped to rebuild the nations and economies of Germany and Japan. Today, both are our friends. 

We can imagine how much interest some countries would have in conquering the world, if they commanded U.S. military power. "Moreover," D'Souza writes, "when America does get into a war, it is supremely careful to avoid targeting civilians and to minimize collateral damage. Even as America bombed the Taliban infrastructure and hideouts, its planes dropped rations of food to avert hardship and starvation of Afghan civilians. What other country does these things?"

A critic of America wrote to historian Bill James, complaining that if you approve of "the American Empire" you approve of war atrocities, inhumane dictators it supports and so forth. James wrote tersely, "There IS no ‘American Empire'; any child can see the differences between American foreign policy and the empires of Rome or Britain, or any other ‘empire'."  

James went on to point out that people - with or without government - do wrong. If people were not governed, they would commit crimes and these would exceed the wrongs done with a government to deal with these issues. Governments must exist, and the question is which one we want. It seems clear that the world is fortunate that the U.S. is the dominant superpower rather than the old Soviet Union, for example.

It is true that at times, Servicemembers have committed illegal acts, as do civilians. When they do, in America, these crimes are prosecuted. Americans hold themselves to ideals. When we fall short of those ideals, we generally acknowledge those failures and we deal with them. There is no moral equivalency to draw between America and evil empires of the past. America aspires to more, and is more.

There are many ways in which America differs from history's superpowers. It is hard for modern Americans to grasp the fact that before about 1950, mass genocide against civilians was considered a necessary and natural device of war; today America expertly minimizes wartime "collateral damage" when forced into war.  

No nation in the world's history has consistently tried to support international democracy, the rule of a nation by its own people, as America did in Iraq. No nation has taken as much action against human rights violations, and oppressive dictators, even where those countries did not affect America's interests directly.  Almost 5 percent of America's Gross National Product went to help Europe recover after WWII.  

America has never gone through an ethnic purge, as have Russia and China. It has never gone through an inquisition in which millions of dissidents were executed. America's concern for the rights of the individual is woven into its very fabric. It protects free speech; witness the Internet. It is tolerant toward different, even bizarre, world views and rejects censorship.

In part these blessings are due to the fact that America is a Republic - that to run for office here, or president here, a candidate must genuinely seek the approval of the man in the street. It was once said that for a Republican to be elected president, he first has to persuade Soccer Mom that he is John Wayne, and not Clint Eastwood.

We don't conclude that America is a flawless jewel of Truth, Justice and Benevolence - but compared to any other great power, it is certainly the kindest superpower to date.