Couldn't have put it better myself.

On their behalf I think Americans are viewed as arrogant, but it actually stems from ignorance of not knowing much about anything outside of America. <- That is disputable and I'm only basing this on what I see on the media, behind some scenes and a lot of movies lol. America is definately up it's own ass because they think their way is the only correct way and they force their ideologies onto others while maintaining it's for their own good. As you said. No doubt it is a great country in many respects but it's all short term and looking through history it has had a hold on the world for a relatively short time.

Their fear however I think can apply to all cultures, countries etc. ANYone that cannot adapt to or doesn't want change.

American's lifestyle based on greed and fortunes based on other's misfortunes while maintaining their innocence yet at the same time being educated about other's misfortunes has come back to bite them in the ass. Not just poverty and deprivation in other countries, but pollution, ideologies etc.

So I wouldn't call it madness... but hypocritical and selfish.

I would say it is one of the most hypocritical nations ever.

It's been my opinion for some time that many on the Right-wing in the USA are motivated in their beliefs by the fear that they have of human nature. It's been my feeling (and there have been a few books written on the subject) that "conservatives" are fearful of the nature of man, so they cling to ideas that will protect them from that "bad" nature (a strong sense of "law & order", gun ownership, militarism, greed, ant-immigration, etc.). Surely not every one of these positions is unique to the Right-wing, but fear is a main driver in "conservative" politics for sure.

There is certainly a feeling on the part of many Americans that we have the "best interests" of the world at heart, but this mainly, IMHO, comes from an ignorance of history on the part of our public. For instance, when Americans cower in fear against a potential nuclear attack (especially by some country that doesn't even have nuclear weapons), they fail to understand the world view that the USA is the ONLY nation to ever use nuclear weapons on another country (rightly or wrongly).