Before the U.S., no nation had ever long survived as an extended republic, and none was explicitly founded on and served as a worldwide beacon for ideals of liberty. None. No other people declared their nationhood by appealing, in the name of unalienable rights, with a “decent respect to the opinions of mankind,” to the “supreme judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions.” No other national government was established through the explicit and deliberate actions of “we the people,” not to secure dominion but to “secure the blessings of liberty.”

And none, despite the caterwaulings of the “blame American first” crowd, has so lived up to those ideals, at home and abroad. We enjoy the freest speech, the most vibrant and varied expressions of faith, the amplest procedural protections in criminal trials, the most unfettered public square — and, more materially, the most robust and enduring public perception that “people are rewarded for intelligence and skill.” The simple truth is that aside from a few Nordic countries that have not borne the brunt of defeating Nazism and Soviet communism, the combination of freedom and average prosperity in the U.S. remains virtually unmatched.

Wise and reasonably aware people should be able to recognize when they are blessed. Good and decent people should be grateful for their blessings. God has blessed America, abundantly and wonderfully so.