America is a religion (Guardian)

The United States is no longer just a nation. It is now a religion. Its soldiers have entered Iraq to liberate its people not only from their dictator, their oil and their sovereignty, but also from their darkness...So American soldiers are no longer merely terrestrial combatants; they have become missionaries...

...Gradually this notion of election has been conflated with another, still more dangerous idea. It is not just that the Americans are God's chosen people; America itself is now perceived as a divine project.

キリスト教ファンダメンタリストがメインストリームになりつつあるらしいことを考えると、そこまで話を拡張してみたくなるのも不思議ではないかも。