- Joined
- Nov 8, 2006
- Messages
- 1,792
- Reaction score
- 1,475
- Location
- Hiding from the voices in my head.
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Libertarian - Right
At a point in our history, America was exceptional, but since WW1, many countries have become democracies and we lost that edge.
There are still things that make America exceptional. We are the great melting pot. And while we aren't always completely accepting of new immigrants (a constant from the Irish of the 19th century to the Mexicans of today), we tend to embrace their children and grandchildren readily. So many other countries are divided along ethnic or religious lines, but here, all you need to do is become a citizen and embrace the culture and you are an American. Even race, our biggest fault line, isn't nearly as deep and divisive as it once was.
And can you point to any Great Power or Super Power in history that has been as restrained and benevolent as America? In the past, any other nation with our wealth and power would be intent on carving out an empire. I'm not suggesting we act purely out of benevolence, nor do I think we should, but considering our relative power, we are a remarkably restrained nation on the world front.
I'm not suggesting that America doesn't have its faults and hypocrisies. We have engaged in imperialistic activities in the past. We embraced slavery for far too long. We committed genocide against the Indian nations. We persecuted and oppressed people for no better reason than the color of their skin. But we also have moved to correct those faults, on our own. Without outside pressure or prompting, and often at great cost.
I think both the extreme left and extreme right get it wrong when it comes to American exceptionalism. The radical left denies that we are special, focusing only on our mistakes and faults, while ignoring our efforts to right those wrongs. The radical right uses the cloak of patriotism and exceptionalism to deny there is or every was anything wrong with this nation. Neither point is true. We are both exceptional and flawed.