In September, I read with great interest an op-ed in the Tages Anzeiger written by Bruno Ziauddin in which the author, a Swiss national, describes his complicated relationship with the United States. According to Mr. Ziauddin, his long-held (and mostly negative) opinions of the United States softened a bit last year, when he was finally able to visit the country himself and experience the U.S. first hand. According to Mr. Ziauddin, what he found in the United States was a country full of friendly, tolerant, warm and unpretentious people, many of whom shared his concerns and beliefs about the environment, social unrest, and political discord. Somewhat surprisingly, at least for Mr. Ziauddin, was the fact that many Americans openly acknowledged areas where the United States might better live up to its own ideals, whether in Ferguson Missouri or in Abu Ghraib. The author’s conclusion that Americans are a diverse and open people, not afraid to acknowledge and address under-performance and failure, is a theme that is central to American identity.

Like most Swiss nationals, Americans want to live in a country where our children have access to the best schools and the best teachers -- a country that lives up to its legacy as a global leader in technology and discovery and innovation --  with all of the good jobs and new businesses that follow.

Like most Swiss nationals, Americans also want to live in a country that isn’t weakened by inequality, that isn’t threatened by a warming planet, and where our children aren’t burdened by overwhelming debt. We want to pass on a country to our children that is safe and respected and admired around the world, helping defend a peaceful global order built on the promise of freedom and dignity for every human being. Americans, like the Swiss, believe in a tolerant society that helps create opportunity for all people.

Also like the Swiss, Americans often disagree with one another, sometimes fiercely, about how to create and maintain that sort of society. One need only look at Switzerland’s ongoing immigration debate or America’s gun control debate for evidence. Whether we are talking about a nation of 8 million people or 300 million people, Democracy can be a noisy and complicated affair, specifically because we all have such deeply held beliefs and opinions. When our respective citizens make big decisions as a country, it often stirs passions, and sometimes controversy.  These arguments do not, however, diminish our democracies. To the contrary, they remain the truest mark of our liberty.

The founding principles behind our ‘sister republics’ were never about what could be done for our respective citizens; rather, our countries have always been about what can and should be done by our citizens together, through the hard and frustrating but necessary work of self- government.

These are the principles upon which our sister republics were founded. These are the principles that have led our countries to create two of the most innovative, competitive, and prosperous economies in the world.

Whether American or Swiss, we are never as successful or glamorous or prosperous as the media might have the world believe. Neither are we as cynical or selfish or ignorant. Rather, we are two peoples with hard-earned global reputations for leadership, prosperity, generosity, responsibility, and hard work. That should be seen and appreciated as a testament to our shared ideals and common goals, which continue to drive prosperity, security, and innovation across the globe.

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