We’re Americans- proud to be forever on the cutting edge; always leading the world in new directions; revolutionary, innovative, and progressive – or are we?

Take Liberia, a nation still strewn with the remnants of a civil war and reeling from economic collapse, with a literacy rate of only 57%. Yet Liberians just elected Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the “Iron Lady,” as their first female head of state. Or look at Germany- where voters elected their first female chancellor, Angela Merkel, last September. Remember last month, when Finnish voters reelected their female president, Tarja Halonen? Even conservative Chileans elected a woman in January, Michele Bachelet. Furthermore, women currently hold the reins of power in Ireland, Latvia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, and the Philippines. Yet here at home, only 15% of our Senators and House Representatives are women. The U.S. has never had a female president or vice-president, and we have had only two women in the U.S. cabinet, ever.

Excuse me – Americans are progressive, revolutionary – what were you saying?

Well, perhaps we can show the world we’re still running with the pack and we haven’t dropped behind after all. Both the Democratic and Republican parties have been tossing about female names for 2008 presidential candidates- Hillary Clinton and Condi Rice, for example. Clinton could survive the primaries as the Democratic candidate, if the party can wash away the left-wing extremist label that Republicans have stuck her with; and Conservatives have been drooling over the prospect of nominating a competent black female with high approval ratings. However, Clinton refuses to reveal her 2008 ambitions, and Rice has flatly stated that she has no interest in taking over the White House.

Of course, just because Chile, Finland, Germany, and Liberia have taken huge steps toward equality in the past six months, doesn’t really mean that the U.S. has to jump on our donkeys and elephants and ride out of the 18th century. In fact, a female running for our highest elected office might have a better chance in 2012 or 2016, after TV shows like ABC’s “Commander-in-Chief” have helped Americans get a little more comfortable with the prospect of a First Gentleman.

However, if we are going to continue flapping our mouths about our revolutionary ways, our gender equality, and winning freedom for women in the Middle East, Americans need to turn empty words into votes.