[Sharon and Louis arguing, interrupting each other; Will's mind is clearly in another place, other voices are fading in and out.]

[Will spots a woman in the audience]

[Sharon and Louis arguing returns.] Sharon: ...is code for New York, Jewish, perverted, and gay.

Host: Will?

Will: Yes, sir.

Host: [Laughing] Anything to add?

Will: I think we need a more precise definition of perverted.

[Audience laughter]

Host: [Chuckling] Ok, we'll go on to the next question then. You, sir. [Points to student at microphone]

Student: Hi, my name is Steven, I'm a junior, and my question is for Will McAvoy. Do you consider yourself a democrat, republican, or independent?

Will: I consider myself a New York Jets fan, Steven.

[Audience laughter]

Host: Since it's been brought up, you've almost religiously avoided stating, or even implying...

...a political allegiance. Is that because, as a news anchor, you feel the integrity of your broadcast would be compromised?

Will: That sounds like a good answer, I'll take it.

[Audience laughter]

Host: There was a short piece on Vanity Fair's website by Marshall Westbrook...

...you probably saw it, where he calls you the "Jay Leno of news anchors." You're popular because you don't bother anyone.

Will: Yeah.

Host: How...how do you feel about that?

Will: [Thinking for a moment] Jealous of the size of Jay's audience.

Host: Are you willing to say, here tonight, whether you lean right or left?

Will: I've voted for candidates run by both major parties.

Host: Let's move on to the next question. Go ahead...

Student: Hi. My name is Jenny, I'm a sophomore, and this is for all three of you:

Can you say in one sentence or less...

[Audience laughing]

Student: Um, you know what I mean. Can you say why America is the greatest country in the world?

Sharon: Diversity and opportunity.

Host: Louis?

Louis: Um, freedom... and freedom. So let's keep it that way.

[Scattered audience applause]

Host: Will?

Will: The New York Jets.

[Chuckling from the audience]

Host: No. I'm going to hold you to an answer on that.

What makes America the greatest country in the world?

Will: [Sighs] Well, Louis and Sharon said it. Diversity and opportunity, and freedom and freedom.

[Woman in the audience holding up signs on a pad of paper]

Sign: IT'S NOT

Sign: BUT IT CAN BE

Host: I'm not letting you go back to the airport without answering the question.

Will: Well, our Constitution is a masterpiece, James Madison was a genius,

The Declaration of Independence is, for me, the single greatest piece of American writing.

Will: [Visibly annoyed] You don't look satisfied.

Host: One's a set of laws; the other is a declaration of war. I want a human moment from you.

Woman's Sign: IT'S NOT

Host: What about the people?

Why is America the gr-

Will: [Interrupting, impatient] It's not the greatest country in the world, Professor. That's my answer

[Audience is silent, visibly in shock]

Host: You're saying...

Will: [Interrupting, again] Yes.

Host: Let's talk about-

Will: [Interrupting] Fine. Sharon, the NEA is a loser. Yeah, it accounts for a penny out of our paycheck,

but he gets to hit you with it any time he wants. It doesn't cost money, it costs votes, it costs airtime,

and column inches. You know why people don't like liberals? Because they lose. If liberals are so

fuckin' smart how come they lose so goddamn always?

Sharon: Hey!

Will: [ turns to Louis, talking over Sharon] And with a straight face, you're going to tell students that America

is so star-spangled awesome that we're the only ones in the world who have freedom?

Canada has freedom. Japan has freedom. The U.K., France, Italy Germany, Spain, Australia, Belgium

has freedom! Some 207 sovereign states in the world; like 180 of them have freedom.

Host: Alright-

Will: [Interrupting the host] And yeah you. Sorority girl. Just in case you accidentally wander into a voting booth

one day, there's some things you should know, and one of them is: there is absolutely no evidence to support

the statement that we're the greatest country in the world.

We're 7th in literacy, 27th in math, 22nd in science, 49th in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality,

3rd in median household income, number four in labor force, and number four in exports.

We lead the world in only three categories: number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults

who believe angels are real, and defense spending, where we spend more than the next 26 countries

combined, 25 of whom are allies. Now, none of this is the fault of a - a 20-year-old college student,

but you, nonetheless, are without a doubt a member of the worst, period. Generation, period.

Ever, period. So when you ask, "what makes us the greatest country in the world?"

I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.

Yosemite?

[Silence, audience clearly in disbelief]

Will: We sure used to be...

We stood up for what was right.

We fought for moral reasons, we passed laws, struck down laws for moral reasons,

we waged wars on poverty, not poor people.

We sacrificed, we cared about our neighbors, we put our money where our mouths were,

and we never beat our chest.

We built great, big things. Made ungodly technological advances. Explored the universe.

Cured diseases, and we cultivated the world's greatest artists and the worlds greatest economy.

We reached for the stars.

Acted like men. We aspired to intelligence, we didn't belittle it, it didn't make us feel inferior.

We didn't identify ourselves by who we voted for in the last election, and we didn't -- we didn't scare so easy.

[Will chuckles]

[Clears his throat] We were able to be all these things and do all these things because we were informed.

By great men, men who were revered.

The first step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one.

America is not the greatest country in the world anymore.

Will: [Turning to host, smugly] Enough?