"Mythology"

I'm taking the long view of centuries. In that reading this thing the American story has just started. We had several foundation wars in the 19th, and 20th centuries internal, and external. We're only just coming to terms with our identities crimes virtues, and intentions.

Yes our first empire period is over as well as common mobility, and somewhat justly distributed wealth. If that's one's whole view of us then absolutely that period is now over. ...but our story isn't.

Other opportunities adventures disasters even other manners of empire are ahead.

The basic national mythology is generally set.
This usually is done in the first 400/500 years of any nation. We've just finished that. A general starting point being Jamestown in 1609 through the Moon landings in the late 1960's/70's. ...this a rough gage. We have an outline a sense of who we are through all that.

We are part of the struggles around the world the new technologies the earth, and climate changes. The pressures of a global world of which we are for now a major part. In the future a middling to minor one.

Then in centuries to come another Imperial period. Just as China has done before, and is doing again. These will come, and go. China is a good example. The Chinese histories of rising, and falling. 

Think like a Chinese scholar.
From that point of view the American circus is just getting on the road. Coming soon we'll have a kind of Mad Max era. This because we haven't prepared for all the changes that the world is already going through.

Climate peak oil new tech, and hunger in particular.

Eventually they'll be a slow stability, and another Enlightenment. Some prosperity then another fall again. On, and on like China. Also like China the American culture is here to stay.

The American culture from our first, and currently ending Imperial era. This unique show is what the world is awed by. They still amazingly want to be like us. Or at least what we were in the mid-20th century. 

That mythology is granite solid, and will remain so like Chinese food.
It's gone that era of wealth, and plenty, but it's memory around the world has, and will continue to stick. 

We are falling. Half of all Americans at this very moment are living in or near poverty. Hear that, "...in or near". "One paycheck from homelessness".  It's still falling. My grand nephews, and nieces will see it hit bottom. However this is just our "First Collapse". ...Empires do this. 

Yet Myths particularly the American myth will live forever. ...like China's.

So don't weep because we're in a bad patch,...history is 'one long bad patch' with a few parties tossed in. 

The American mid-20th century was one such party. 

I was there it was one for the ages!

I can hear some details of American crimes being posted in the comments.

Let's save our digital ink.

No one will care what we did. No one cares what anybody in history did.
Our crimes are already blown away in the wind. Un-remembered except by the great grand children of the survivors, and no one cares what they think.

Have you met anyone still pissed about the Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre?

No one cares that relatives of my grand parents were lynched.

Or that I was beaten by a mob of white kids when I was 9. I was first picked up on suspicion by white cops when I was 6. So I know about forgotten crimes.

I'm sure your personal histories have atrocities in them too.

History is cruel. No one cares.

Our sorrows are lost in the maelstrom that is the human story. In the above I just outline the likely futures of the country I live in. I think I'm somewhat close to the realities to come.