The Great American State Fair opened on the National Mall this week, but the heartland is already the focus of international attention. As the United States, Canada, and Mexico host the World Cup, soccer fans from around the world are crisscrossing this country, gawking at the sheer abundance they find in our stores and restaurants.
Their astonishment is a helpful reminder of what makes America great. It gives the lie to the critics of the American way, both on the far right and left at home and abroad, who claim the system is fundamentally broken and rigged against ordinary people. The opportunities provided by capitalism are one of this country's secret weapons, and our enemies are working night and day to disarm us.
Many of the shocked onlookers come from relatively wealthy countries, but they are nonetheless awed by the sheer variety of choices available to Americans. One of the biggest social media winners of the games is FreddyLA7, the cheery German who is posting about the delights he and his friends find as they zigzag across the heartland. Walmart, long vilified as the epitome of rapacious capitalism and déclassé mass consumerism, is another.
They are discovering the great secret of America: This country, like every other, is struggling to handle the impacts of the information revolution, and there is much work to do, but its people enjoy a standard of living that remains the envy of the world.
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