"Our" responsibility as Americans

There's no meaningful difference between the two "realistic" choices of Demoblican and Republicrat; we are roundly condemned if we make a principled choice of a third-party candidate; and *whoever* gets in, we have no control over them for the next four years--and our cowardly, unprincipled (un)representatives in Congress refuse to exert control on our behalf. So what can we do?

Luckily, people in other countries seem to understand what it's like to live under a (frequently U.S.-imposed or -backed) government that is beyond the control of the population, so they cut us some slack even as they oppose our government's policy. Our responsibility to the world is not to feel guilty and apologize for the actions of our leaders and meekly retreat into silence, but to speak out and try to persuade and encourage others to speak out.