"The Problem With American Exceptionalism"

[applegrove]

The Problem With American Exceptionalism

by RODOLFO ACUÑA at Counter Punch

http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/09/13/the-problem-with-american-exceptionalism/

"SNIP..............................


It is tragic because the Kochs and their gaggle of billionaires are getting tax deductions for making society more unequal. The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer in a profile of Kochs details how the brothers are “waging war against Obama,” adding “The Kochs are longtime libertarians who believe in drastically lower personal and corporate taxes, minimal social services for the needy, and much less oversight of industry — especially environmental regulation. These views dovetail with the brothers’ corporate interests.”

I don’t want to sound like an alarmist but we are in trouble. Without a doubt these disciples of American exceptionalism will float an initiative in California, and will so confuse the truth that many Californians will vote for the initiative without considering the consequences.

I am certain that my friends will wake up at the last minute and fight back. After all they picketed Walmart and Whole Foods and marched for immigrant rights. But let’s face it; it may be too late just as in the case of the escalating tuition at public universities that has killed educational opportunity for many students.

If we truly want to become an exceptional people let’s fight back and defend the defenseless and boycott the economic imperialists within our society. Only if we promote the common good of everyone can we hope to be exceptional. Only if we don’t consider ourselves better than others will we be exceptional human-beings.

..............................SNIP"

[orpupilofnature57]

1. Edison, Einstein, and Oppenheimer all

humble .

[applegrove]

2. I think the first two were dyslexic too and in that exceptional in the bullshit they didn't accept

because dyslexics minds don't work that way. Though people like the Koch's wouldn't want kids with dyslexia to get special education...and that would sink people like Einstein (who didn't talk for his first half of school) and Edison (whose mother home schooled him). Look at who is exceptional in your example.... kids who were different. It is the variety of people that made the USA exceptionally happy and wealthy to start with.

[orpupilofnature57]

3. +1000 !!!!

[tech3149]

4. No need to snip

We all know that the solution is to look at our neighbors and those who don't have what we have as not being "less than us" but equals who haven't had the same opportunities.
If we truly want to be exceptional in the word we must stop exploiting the resources of those that don't have the strength to defend them.
If there is one aspect in which we are exceptional it is that ability to exploit the resources of others.