As a non American who has visited the US,
It’s the creepiest thing when the anthem starts playing and everyone around you turns into zombies, all facing the same direction, all frozen in place. The first time it happened I felt like I was the only human left in an Invasion of the Body Snatchers situation.
Real brainwashed vibes.
There’s a great episode of Derren Brown with this scam, but related to horse race betting