America's standing in the world

Call it American exceptionalism or not, the American people have always embraced the idea that we live in an exceptional country. We are grateful to be Americans. We take a lot of pride in our country, as we should. Pride and patriotism are among America’s greatest strengths.

Having said that, we need to be clear-eyed about our limits.

Sometimes we tend to think we should always be No. 1, no matte...