Simon Winchester : America 's military patrols the frontier , unlike that of any other nation . He says the belief in American nationalism goes back to the frontier days . ( CNN ) -- Americans saw themselves as tamers of an uncharted , untamed wilderness , he says . Putin : Vladimir Putin would learn a lot about America if he studied U.S. history .
Simon Winchester : America 's military patrols the frontier , unlike that of any other nation . He says the belief in American nationalism goes back to the frontier days . Americans saw themselves as tamers of an uncharted , untamed wilderness , he says . Putin : Vladimir Putin would learn a lot about America if he studied U.S. history .