Danielost, I have to say this,
You post a list of things that you say America is "Not" in support of your conclusion that America is "The People!" And, I think that is Fine. Please allow me to dig into this notion a little further, okay?
You see, I would only disagree with the overall premise of your statement by saying, Yes, it is Not one Single entry that you list. I would assert that "It Is ALL of Them!" and, of course, Including "The People!" Does that make sense?
Digging further I would also suggest that of the items you listed there are a few of them MORE important than others. That many Americans don't give enough credit to the real things that make us believe that America is Great is unfortunate. And one of the "Real Things" that is essential and that without which NONE of the others would be possible, is "The Constitution!" It is a shame that the average American simply does not appreciate the importance of that Document and more importantly, what it Means!
Our Democracy is Strong ONLY because it is based on Our One and Only CONSTITUTION! You see, by structuring all the issues of human existence in the orderly way our Founding Fathers constructed it we end up with a plan that has safeguarded American Liberties and Freedoms for a very long time. Why do we feel that our Founding Fathers were so Great? Because these Wise Men took the time, care and attention to formulate such a tight recipe for a new Country that would work to solve many of the issues that have flawed other country's or republic's efforts at organizing a mass of humanity that could be allowed to live and prosper in Peace.
The Constitution is the Main Reason that we sense America as Great. The fact that its basic format is a Democratically inspired Constitutional Republic was a stroke of Genius at the time of its creation, and the full credit should go to the originators, no matter their personal motivation. Their invention was patterned to support the best treatment of the most important ingredient of a Democratic Republic, it's People! The balance between the three branches, for instance, was the first time that anybody knows of that built in a system of Checks and Balances so that it could be self-correcting. This item alone has worked extremely well until recent times, but the future will show that given time, the Constitution will re-assert itself through the efforts of honest men who are dedicated to the sanctity of Democracy.
The Freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution are the things that have allowed America to work and prosper without undue control by any other form of governance, whether Federal, State, or Local. The symmetry of the document as a whole is an additional work of Genius. Of course, our Founders had their main experience in English Law for a starting place and used it as a framework, but certain improvements they added further enhanced it, and ironed out some of the flaws still extant in the English experience.
So, no matter how much we feel like America is Great because of Her People, the People themselves would not have the opportunity to BE Great if it were not for the framework the Constitution provides us. The Primary Uniqueness rests in the combination of ALL these elements.
In My Humble Opinion, or course!
Thanks for your thoughts, Dan
