Anton Savage: Feeling superior in the Land of the Free

We are free to complain about our country’s failings, but we also have more personal and economic freedom than most other countries around the world, including the US

This year’s fad in the US seems to be vocal nationalism. Every second house or business had some flag or sign declaring America to be uniquely free or warning off people attempting to curb the owner’s liberty. Picture: Getty

After two years of exile from America I made it back over Christmas, and was immediately reminded of how, for such a vast country, it changes amazingly fast; I notice it whenever significant time passes between visits – I arrive back to discover the nation has passionately embraced some daft new fad. One year it was everyone wearing plastic shoes, another it was no buns on burgers, another it was blue flags in every garden ...