I have a confession to make. I love America. No really, I think it’s great — like England, only much, much better. This is not a popular view among Europeans, especially among my English compatriots who don’t think that highly of their trans-Atlantic cousins.

Much of this dislike is recent and will fade once you all see sense and elect President Obama/ClintonRomney/McCain/Huckabee/Edwards/Paul/Gravel/Keyes.

I find something galling, however, about my countryman’s failure to recognize the self-evident truth that is America’s greatness. It seems ignorant not to embrace the last, best hope of Earth.

Now I admit, one of the strangest things that has happened to me over the last four and half years is my falling head over heels for this country. When I sent off my acceptance to Stanford, I expected to spend half a decade mocking, not praising — and certainly not defending — this country.

But America is an easy country to love, especially when you’re in California. The people are as welcoming as anywhere else I’ve been (and I’ve been to a lot of elses). A cornucopia of riches is available with only the smallest effort. And everything is just so much easier.

Take sinks, for example. Words can hardly describe how much better life is with hot and cold water coming out of the same tap. And don’t get me started on trying to live without waste disposal . . .

Plumbing marvels aside, though, America is still leagues above the rest in so many other ways.

This is the most culturally diverse place on the planet. Every corner of the world can be experienced here, if not in full, then at least in part. To understand how unique that is, compare the difficulty of finding an American diner in Addis Ababa versus an Ethiopian restaurant in San Francisco.

This cultural diversity goes hand-in-hand with America’s status as the most tolerant country in the world.

I would’ve thought that America’s tolerance wasn’t up for debate, but a surprising number of people — both in and out of this country — are incredulous at the suggestion. I think the constant presence of race in public debate may lead some to assume that everyone’s a racist, if only because they fail to recognize that discussion is part of acceptance. After all, it’s not unsurprising (and not uncommendable) for the pursuit of an accepting, tolerant society to leave the people within it attuned to its flaws but ignorant of the strengths.

Let me finish by making something clear. I don’t believe America is special or that its citizens are exceptional. It just happens to be — by virtue of its wealth, its incredible beauty and its cultural diversity — the best place in the world to live.