I live in Canada, so I’m obviously biased in the sense that we’re one of the countries most affected by US politics, what with them being our largest trade partner and having a massive land border with them.
That being said, are you unaware of the global rise in right-wing extremism and fascism following the 2016 election? The US is the richest country in the world, with the largest military, and they also have a tremendous amount of soft power (at least in English-speaking countries) through their cultural influence in media exports.
I don’t understand what you gain by pretending the US isn’t a massive global power with huge influence over international relations.
I’d say French press ≈ Linux Mint.
Intuitive, easy to use and maintain, but despite the lack of fuss still delivers great results.