I'm glad you liked it - it's still making sense to me. I don't know much about the US, but the impression I get from the Snape boards and elsewhere is that there is much more of a sense that personal ambition is a good thing, and not at all incompatible with wanting to put something back into society or to help others - whereas in Britain there is felt to be much more of a split between selflessly working for the common good, and looking after number one.

And I'll have to look up Twain on Cooper some time! He had a go at Scott as well, although mostly for romanticising warfare I think - I believe he thought his works helped lead the South into the civil war.