There was a time where the stereotype of America was one of beauty and liberty. The "American Dream" sprung from old-school ideals of equality and acceptance, and aimed to show the world the power of a country founded upon immigration and religious freedom. Sure, we always had our enemies, but I truly believe that once upon a time the eyes of the world looked at America with respect.
In 2015, this is no longer the image I see. The culture we have cultivated does not deserve any respect from our neighbors. Everyone from our politicians to our religious leaders seem to be competing with each other, in some overarching rat race to earn the most twitter followers. Much like Tom, the modern American is less concerned with truth and more with the theatrics- they are more fascinated by the political drama than by the politics themselves.
In some ways, the modern America hearkens back to the classic idiom of "kill or be killed", but instead, it's "follow or be followed". The goal in a society such as ours is to be the Tom and not the Huck- to be the leader, and not trail in someone else's wake. The fact that Huck was a kinder and more mature soul than Tom didn't even make a difference in the end. And even today, what you say doesn't really matter as long as people are willing to listen.
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