WP: American exceptionalism: an old idea and a new political battle

[Burgold]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/28/AR2010112804139.html?hpid=topnews

By Karen Tumulty

Washington Post Staff Writer

Monday, November 29, 2010; 12:10 AM

Is this a great country or what?

"American exceptionalism" is a phrase that, until recently, was rarely heard outside the confines of think tanks, opinion journals and university history departments.

But with Republicans and tea party activists accusing President Obama and the Democrats of turning the country toward socialism, the idea that the United States is inherently superior to the world's other nations has become the battle cry from a new front in the ongoing culture wars. Lately, it seems to be on the lips of just about every Republican who is giving any thought to running for president in 2012.

"This reorientation away from a celebration of American exceptionalism is misguided and bankrupt," former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney writes in his campaign setup book, "No Apology: The Case For American Greatness."

On Monday, Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), who is also considering a White House bid, is scheduled to address the Detroit Economic Club on "Restoring American Exceptionalism: A Vision for Economic Growth and Prosperity."

For former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, the concept is a frequent theme in her speeches, Facebook postings, tweets and appearances on Fox News Channel. Her just-published book, "America by Heart," has a chapter titled "America the Exceptional."

Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, contends in his speeches that Obama's views on the subject are "truly alarming."

In an interview in August with Politico, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee went so far as to declare of Obama: "His worldview is dramatically different than any president, Republican or Democrat, we've had. . . . To deny American exceptionalism is in essence to deny the heart and soul of this nation."

And last week, Rick Santorum, the former senator from Pennsylvania, told a group of College Republicans at American University: "Don't kid yourself with the lie. America is exceptional, and Americans are concerned that there are a group of people in Washington who don't believe that any more."

* * *

I think I have a problem with this. I want the U.S. to be exceptional not for us to crow that we are. This seems like a call for ethnocentrism. I've always believed in show me versus tell me and trust the humble man more than the braggart.

[Burgold]

I don't think it's the best article, indeed, I think it's a little slanted, but it's a three pager and I think that the topic is worth considering and debating.

[SkinsHokieFan]

I read it last night. I think its a dangerous nationalistic concept.

Yes, this is the greatest country in the world, by far. But walking around talking about it is stupid

[twa]

Talking about what makes us great is a good idea though,of course I'm a Texan and bragging is de rigueur :pfft:

[AsburySkinsFan]

The idea that America is exceptional is IMO a dangerous one, from that mindset comes the idea that America and Americans are superior to the rest of the world, which is born of it's own form of arrogance. It leads to the idea that we no longer have to work with other nations, nor do we need to listen to the criticism from around the world. This brand of exceptionalism is what has cost us in our foreign relations and diplomacy, it lead to us ignoring the UN and the caution that was given to us prior to the Iraqi invasion and it leads to us abusing our allies and much worse to those we are not our allies. Arrogance is never a good thing, and the current attitude of American exceptionalism is just that pure and unrestrained arrogance.

[PeterMP]

To me this is clearly one of those times that if you have to say it/talk about it, it probably isn't true.

[Dan T.]

I like how one American patriot put it. It might have been Reagan who said this:

Or Barack Obama

Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy; our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over 200 years ago. 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.' That is the true genius of America."

[AsburySkinsFan]

I like how one American patriot put it. It might have been Reagan who said this:

Or Barack Obama

Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy; our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over 200 years ago. 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.' That is the true genius of America."

That doesn't quite get at it though, because we are not the only one with those things, so if that's what makes us exceptional then other nations must be exceptional as well.

[alexey]

Times change but the formula stays the same.

[Kilmer17]

I think it's far more dangerous to go around the world telling other nations how flawed we are as a nation.

[Burgold]

I know. Lord knows Republicans have been doing that nonstop since Obama was elected. It's pretty embarrassing.

[AsburySkinsFan]

I think it's far more dangerous to go around the world telling other nations how flawed we are as a nation.

So it's dangerous to admit we aren't better than everyone else?

[alexey]

I think it's far more dangerous to go around the world telling other nations how flawed we are as a nation.

Yes you don't want to focus too much on your problems. On the other hand, ignoring obvious problems is a sign of weakness while facing your problems is a sign of strength.

There needs to be a careful balancing act between these. imho Obama is much closer to the proper posture than any of this "exceptionalist" crap.

[AsburySkinsFan]

Yes you don't want to focus too much on your problems. On the other hand, ignoring obvious problems is a sign of weakness while facing your problems is a sign of strength.

There needs to be a careful balancing act between these. imho Obama is much closer to the proper posture than any of this "exceptionalist" crap.

"Arrogance and self awareness seldom go hand in hand".

[Kilmer17]

Yes you don't want to focus too much on your problems. On the other hand, ignoring obvious problems is a sign of weakness while facing your problems is a sign of strength.

There needs to be a careful balancing act between these. imho Obama is much closer to the proper posture than any of this "exceptionalist" crap.

I completely disagree. He's weakened our standing in the world with his apologies and feckless attitude. Bush was almost the exact opposite. But Id rather have swagger than be seen as a pushover.

[alexey]

I completely disagree. He's weakened our standing in the world with his apologies and feckless attitude. Bush was almost the exact opposite. But Id rather have swagger than be seen as a pushover.

Insecure people worry too much about what other people think. Insecure swagger is laughable. I am in the "speak softly and carry a big stick" camp.

[bcl05]

Exceptionalism is something we earn, not something we declare. We've earned in the past, we have to work hard for it to continue.

[Kilmer17]

Insecure people worry too much about what other people think. Insecure swagger is laughable. I am in the "speak softly and carry a big stick" camp.

There was nothing insecure about it. And smart people DO worry about what other people think. Currently the nutjob in NK thinks that the US isnt going to do anything to stop him from killing more people. How is that helping?

Speaking softly and carrying a big stick isnt the same thing as speaking negatively about your country and letting the world know you have no stick.

[AsburySkinsFan]

I completely disagree. He's weakened our standing in the world with his apologies and feckless attitude. Bush was almost the exact opposite. But Id rather have swagger than be seen as a pushover.

You're kidding right...I know better. It was Bush's John Wayne swagger and arrogance of American exceptionalism that cost us our standing around the world. You don't get to act like you're better than everyone else in the world and still expect them to treat you like anything other than an arrogant bully.

[twa]

Insecure people worry too much about what other people think. Insecure swagger is laughable. I am in the "speak softly and carry a big stick" camp.

Rather difficult to do as a leader of the world image and perceptions matters

There is of course a difference between arrogance and faith in what got ya to this point..

[AsburySkinsFan]

Speaking softly and carrying a big stick isnt the same thing as speaking negatively about your country and letting the world know you have no stick.

First off we do still have a stick whether you want to admit it or not. Secondly acknowledging legitimate negative criticism is not the same thing as speaking negatively. Personally, I want honesty and a higher dose of humility from our nation's leaders especially in the realm of foreign policy, our arrogance has cost us far too much.

What's ironic is that Kim Jong Il is convinced of North Korean exceptionalism, and he's wrong too, and what's sad is that as you watch him act the way he does you see the farce of that professed exceptionalism. That's the same way we persent ourselves with our own perceptions of exceptionalism. Isn't it funny that we scoff at the exceptionalism presented by others and yet are so convinced by our own?

[Kilmer17]

What does NK do to help people around the world?

Comparing the actions of NK to Bush is beyond the normal contempt the left has for our nation.

[Kilmer17]

You're kidding right...I know better. It was Bush's John Wayne swagger and arrogance of American exceptionalism that cost us our standing around the world. You don't get to act like you're better than everyone else in the world and still expect them to treat you like anything other than an arrogant bully.

We ARE better. It's not a bad thing to admit that and remind people of it.

[thebluefood]

As is the case in most, if not all, things; the right answer is somewhere in the middle. We don't want to puff out our chests too terribly much and be obnoxious, but we also shouldn't focus too much on our flaws. I think it's best to acknowledge and learn from our past mistakes while still having a sense of national pride.

[DjTj]

I think Obama had it right. We are exceptional, but because of our ideals and our Constitution, not because of anything inherent about our people.

I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism. I'm enormously proud of my country and its role and history in the world. If you think about the site of this summit and what it means, I don't think America should be embarrassed to see evidence of the sacrifices of our troops, the enormous amount of resources that were put into Europe postwar, and our leadership in crafting an Alliance that ultimately led to the unification of Europe. We should take great pride in that.

And if you think of our current situation, the United States remains the largest economy in the world. We have unmatched military capability. And I think that we have a core set of values that are enshrined in our Constitution, in our body of law, in our democratic practices, in our belief in free speech and equality, that, though imperfect, are exceptional.

Now, the fact that I am very proud of my country and I think that we've got a whole lot to offer the world does not lessen my interest in recognizing the value and wonderful qualities of other countries, or recognizing that we're not always going to be right, or that other people may have good ideas, or that in order for us to work collectively, all parties have to compromise and that includes us.

And so I see no contradiction between believing that America has a continued extraordinary role in leading the world towards peace and prosperity and recognizing that that leadership is incumbent, depends on, our ability to create partnerships because we create partnerships because we can't solve these problems alone.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/11/the-rights-accuracy-problem.html