The American Disease

This can be described easily - it is the illusion of being all-powerful.

It reached its peak right after WWII, when in fact, America was the most powerful nation in history - and the rest of the world (with the exception of the USSR) lay in ruins. Americans assumed this situation was permanent, and planned their lives accordingly. The American economy was booming, most Americans owned new homes in the suburbs, and they were driving powerful new cars.

The only problem Americans could see was Communism, and they set about eliminating that, in the Cold War.

The rest of the world, however, was changing - Europe, Japan, Russia, and China, acquired the American Disease. And saw no reason why they couldn't become all-powerful also. After all, it was an attitude, and they could have it too - and once they had it, they took it seriously.

You will no doubt, view this as global insanity - which is another, equally valid, way of looking at it.