As we head into the Fourth of July weekend of patriotic bluster and beer swilling — but before we are too besotted by ourselves — might we also for once consider our imperfections? Why not take a moment to heed the cautions of our founding father, George Washington, whose true legacy will most likely be ignored during the flag-waving weekend?

Washington's "Farewell Address" to the new nation was a warning about the threat of American imperial ambitions and a decla ...

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