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To be fair, a lot of that was kinda shoehorned in during WWII to sell war bonds. He was never an uber-patriotic character before that. Then the live-action George Reeves show popularized it but I'd argue that it's not the be-all end-all. "The American Way" is a very vague term, anyway. I know what it's supposed to mean in relationship to Superman, but to be fair it's undeniable that a lot of people have very conflicting opinions about what "The American Way" really means.
I get that it's his catchphrase by default, but... he's always stood For Everyone and he's not beholden to a flag. I'm fine with the phrase being used but I don't really complain if it's missing, either.
Come to think about it... it was always a bit problematic of a phrase, even in its inception. I mean, if we're being completely honest, back in WWII it could be argued that "The American Way" meant "Ignore atrocities on a global scale until they affect you personally, at which point you do get involved but in victory you take all the credit despite the fact you had lots of help." And that's when the phrase first became linked with Superman. So yeah, always something of a questionable message from the beginning.
I'm fairly patriotic so I don't take any specific issue with the phrase, but playing Devil's Advocate I can see why it would annoy or upset some people. Ultimately, the ideals Superman represents are greater than the shifting morality of any one country anyway.
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