It shows what PART of America can do - there's another and sizeable part of America who couldn't care less about the Saddam's of the world unless they somehow interfere with immediate gratifications.
The same held for Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan prior to Pearl Harbor and World War II.
It's worse now because there are multiple of multiple routes/channels to the most extremes of self-gratification and the ignoring of reality, even when it is life threatening.
BTW...here's a video that shows the drop...
http://www.livevideo.com/video/DE7A396FC77A4094A98B3E14554F37E7/saddam-hussein-hanging-video.aspx