Current day USA in 3 simple sentences

I thought about what America was and what it has become and was trying to figure out a way to express it. The following passage by G.K.Chesterton's from Heretics sums it up.

It may be said with rough accuracy that there are three stages in the life of a strong people. First, it is a small power, and fights small powers. Then it is a great power, and fights great powers. Then it is a great power, and fights small powers, but pretends that they are great powers, in order to rekindle the ashes of its ancient emotion and vanity. After that, the next step is to become a small power itself.

source: glenn greenwald