A Briton Writes of America on the 4th

Here's the final paragraph of an amazing essay featured in today's edition of my favorite European newspaper, The Scotsman:

"Could the United States be doing better? Wrong question. If not America, then who? No-one, that's who. At its best, America and American ideals remain, in Lincoln's famous words, "the last, best hope of mankind". The United States still believes in a place called hope. As it celebrates its 229th birthday today, we should too."

Entire piece here...