Not true Jonathan, you yanks (or septics, seppos .. neither of which is meant by us aussies as derogatory ..) have created plenty of derogatory terms for non-Americans over the years (I won't name them all but I can think of about half a dozen straight away) so America can't claim moral superiority with that.

And those terms are just as inappropriate in a friendly discussion about gliders as the one quoted!

America has created some wonderful technology (you can keep your McDonalds & Starbucks!) but sometimes (to an outsider) it does seem that Americans (generalising here ..) tend to be a little boastful & blind to the achievements/sometimes better systems of the rest of the world ... the metric system being one of them!

P.S. the Wright bothers thing is very debatable! The Wright brothers had good lawyers & publicity.