Why do we have wooden homes? I once knew a man from the UK. He wondered the same thing. What do you build your homes out of?
401K's? It used to be that most large employers offered pensions. Now only a few companies still do. Most large companies offer 401K's instead, where you contribute to your own retirement and they may or may not match the contribution. It is voluntary.
Automatics? Mr. Fiorini and I have two cars. One is an automatic, the other a stick shift.
Proud to be American? Yes, but I haven't always been. Growing up a JW, I was taught not to identify with my country (too nationalistic). After I left, I didn't give it too much thought until the Bush administration. Sadly, I was embarrassed by the way Bush dealt with the rest of the world. Now I am hopeful with Obama. The US has, at times, stood for freedom, democracy and human rights. That is something Americans can be proud of, in my opinion.
Rest of the world? I think it's possible for some citizens of a "superpower" to fall into the trap of thinking the world revolves around them. Additionally, many Americans have descended from immigrants who came to the US in search of a better life, and they sometimes think everyone else views the US from that perspective. But I also think that many Americans are aware of the rest of the world. And as that world becomes more and more interconnected, any problems will resolve themselves. I am interested in the world and have had the opportunity to travel to other places, including Europe. I hope to do more travelling in my life and believe that we all learn from each other.
American dream? The founding fathers of the US wanted to create a country that provided its citizens the opportunity for "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The US became a melting pot of peoples who, mostly, emigrated from around the world. Some were native (unfortunately they were treated pretty badly), others were brought as slaves against their will (also treated terribly), but many came voluntarily, often fleeing difficult conditions at home. These people believed that if they were smart, worked hard, and conducted themselves honestly, they would be able to make good and prosperous lives for themselves and their families. Many consider this ideal of opportunity and meritocracy the American dream.
British ancestors? Some of my ancestors are English and Welsh. Others are of various European backgrounds, including French and Norwegian. The most recent immigrants in my family came from Sweden. Mr. Fiorini, as you may have guessed, is half Italian. His mother's family is of British ancestry. In the hundreds of years of US history, there has been a lot of mixing and matching. Many no longer know where their ancestors came from, and just consider themselves American.
Fast food? I doubt there's an American alive who hasn't eaten at McDonald's at least once in their life (unless they're an infant). I try not to do fast food very often. It is tempting though, because it's cheap, convenient and, well, fast.