The chance for people to again rule themselves, given they've ever pulled of such a feat, is slim.
Forging your destiny requires to know who you are, your concerns, obligations to yourself and others + have wit & guts.
I kinda agree with Schnauzer that the US is made out to be the bogey man when there's so many islamic shitholes all over the world(soon including parts of Europe) where you get stomped if you jump out of the line.
On the other hand the US has been slowly captured and its virtues and raw power misused and misguided against its own citizens and many others all over the globe.
World Wars, Solipsism and Internationalism have destroyed much of the west.