Following this metaphor, I see it as: US Left: car's in neutral on a steep incline, foot is off the brake and they aren't sure if they're moving backwards or everyone outside is moving forward. Regardless they think they're doing a great job.
Center: same as above but they're complaining that everyone outside is going too fast that they may have even gone past their destination.
Right: same car, same place, but the car's in reverse and the foot is on full throttle. The center is still complaining about the speed but they're enjoying the view. The US Left is now fully aware of the backwards movement but it doesn't want to take the seatbelt off for the sake of self preservation at the cost of everyone else outside. The rest of the world is either steering clear or has been reversed in to like in one of rear-end insurance scams.
Driver changes every 4 years.