re: Are Americans historically less able to empathize with other cultures in

We're pretty fricken young as a culture. And with youth sometimes comes brashness.

That said, it worked out well with countries like Japan, South Korea and Germany. Heck, even with some former Eastern block countries like Poland.

I am not at all sure that other countries don't want freedom. They may not ready for it in some cases but I think it's a pretty basic human longing. Even with things like the "Arab Spring" you could see people that were exposed to knowledge and ideas had a desire for it.

So while yeah, there tends to be a strain of jingoism and cultural immaturity that surfaces from time to time, I think that overall, a desire to see freedom grow has been a good thing.