The US CIA runs a global secret network of unaccountable torture prisons.
When the US congress tried to investigate them, the CIA compromised the congressional computers to avoid oversight of their torture programs, then lied about compromising them.
The US military conducts bulk espionage on everyone inside the country, in violation of the country's own basic law.
The differences aren't quite as stark as you think.
I also believe that if you ask the average Chinese or Russian person (the US bogeymen of the season) they would also believe that their country is fundamentally good.
It turns out humans everywhere are fundamentally good, and governments everywhere tend toward illegal and oppressive authoritatianism, given enough time to gather resources, size, and fear.
When the US congress tried to investigate them, the CIA compromised the congressional computers to avoid oversight of their torture programs, then lied about compromising them.
The US military conducts bulk espionage on everyone inside the country, in violation of the country's own basic law.
The differences aren't quite as stark as you think.
I also believe that if you ask the average Chinese or Russian person (the US bogeymen of the season) they would also believe that their country is fundamentally good.
It turns out humans everywhere are fundamentally good, and governments everywhere tend toward illegal and oppressive authoritatianism, given enough time to gather resources, size, and fear.