I agree that oil is a key issue.
But the US identity thing applies nearly everywhere.
Think about the coup against the original Iranian democracy and the justification was about oil, plus the American (and British) sense of entitlement to it.
Think of the German position about TC and it seems to reduce to an issue about America's sense of itself in contrast to the way it is perceived by others.
Watch a Hollywood movie and notice the common theme of foreign baddies being marshalled by American heroes who operate outside the restraints of the law.
Follow US politics and witness the frequency of statements that America is the greatest country on earth.
Think of healthcare provision in the US and the assumption that the American way is the best way, regardless of the measures which tend to argue otherwise.
Remember the statistic that amongst global students, US students come top in one area: the confidence that they are the best.
This idea of American exceptionalism is embedded. The culture depends upon it. And, in alliance with tremendous power, it is ripe for corruption.
This isn't a new problem. The top dog country usually has this vulnerability. Which is why such countries usually need reminding of it. And others have to shepherd them away from exercising their power in too self-interested a form.
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