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The impressive integrative power of American society seems to generate a kind of obliviousness to the world, a multicultural unilateralism. The result is a paradox: a fantastically tolerant and flexible society that has absorbed the whole world, yet has difficulty comprehending the world beyond its borders.
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Basically it's Narcissism with a "come and look in the mirror with me" attitude, which is the only reason we get away with it. I think it's kinda cool actually. You can see it on this very forum, where Aussies and Europeans focus on American politics almost exclusively. I would hope that a global meeting place like this would have more to offer an American like me seeking otherness, but it is strangely absent. I think in the end the trans-Atlantic conflict that Schneider highlights isn't one of fundamentals, but one of jealousy. In the future there will be a few new superpowers, China, the Arab world, and the continent of Europe, all seeking to clens themselves of American influence, wanting to have the same global influence on culture. The future war between these superpowers will not be fought by soldiers but by pop idols, fashion designers, movie producers, food chains, and advertising agencies.