Hmmm.
I seem to remember having a class in international relations that tried to define American values.
It was pretty interesting.
Basically, you just sort of came away with the "bundling swirl of contradictions" thing.
Which is fine, because that tends to mitigate stupidity over the long haul.
I'm trying to remember some of the things...
Solution oriented
Belief that no problem is unsolvable
Predisposition to action
Messianic (read: mission to save the world, not "come to Jesus.")
There may have been more, but I seem to recall these were the ones we could all agree on.
The last two, of course are what tend to **** people off - especially the last one....The last one is less obnoxious to others in our isolationist phases though. Then the Messianic thing tends to manifest as "beacon/example to the world," as opposed to mucking about in other people's affairs.
"In the world of martial arts, respect is often a given. In the real world, it must be earned."
"A stupid man's report of what a clever man says is never accurate because he unconsciously translates what he hears into something he can understand. "--Bertrand Russell
"Liberals - Cosmopolitan critics, men who are the friends of every country save their own. "--Benjamin Disraeli
"A conservative government is an organised hypocrisy."--Benjamin Disraeli