If Genesis is BS, what DID happen?

[Rokcet Scientist]

You make the same mistake e.g. Muslims make: "you don't understand us"

But we don't understand muslims

If you tell yourself that often enough it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Muslims are not boogeymen. They're people like you and me. Obviously with their own culture, as we have one. So the people are the same, but the culture is different. You can learn culture. You did your own. They did theirs. And if you put in even a little amount of effort you can learn to understand theirs too. How it works. Why it works. How it came to be like that. This is why I studied Islam and Buddhism for a few years (I already had a background in Xtianity). To try and understand what makes those people tick. And it worked too. I recommend it. A whole world will open up to you. It's not black magic. Or rocket science.

Americans are constantly told that they ARE special

So are Russians, Brits, French, Muslims, Jews, etc.
That 'telling them they are special' is in fact of course simply the promotion of nationalism. Nationalism borders on chauvinism, borders on fascism... It's what the 'Na' in 'Nazi' stood/stands for.
Currently, and not really surprisingly, perhaps the Germans and Japanese are the least afflicted. The humblest of peoples.
Obviously, as with evolution, it's the circumstances, conditions, and influences that determine how nationalism grows or wanes.

that fucking jesus loves them and that this is the land of the free and the home of the brave and this is the greatest nation on earth.

Same in Russia, United Kingdom, France, Muslim countries, Israel, etc. Only they may call it Russian pride and greatness, or British heritage and tradition, or French culture and finesse, or ﷲ, or יהוה... Bla-bla-bla, substitute with whatever is the fashionable dogma.

That's a mile high dam of shit to overcome before the waters of rationality can begin to flow

Absolutely! But hardly unique. Exactly the same applies for example to 4 dozen Muslim countries and Israel.

and for as long a I've known you, you have never understood the problem.

I could say the same, but that doesn't get us anywhere, so I won't.