The End of American Exceptionalism

[xchrom]

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/02/the-end-of-american-exceptionalism/283540/



From the moment Barack Obama appeared on the national stage, conservatives have been searching for the best way to describe the danger he poses to America's traditional way of life. Secularism? Check. Socialism? Sure. A tendency to apologize for America's greatness overseas? That, too. But how to tie them all together?

Gradually, a unifying theme took hold. "At the heart of the debate over Obama's program," declared Rich Lowry and Ramesh Ponnuru in an influential 2010 National Review cover story, is "the survival of American exceptionalism." Finally, a term broad and historically resonant enough to capture the magnitude of the threat. A year later, Newt Gingrich published A Nation Like No Other: Why American Exceptionalism Matters, in which he warned that "our government has strayed alarmingly" from the principles that made America special. Mitt Romney deployed the phrase frequently in his 2012 campaign, asserting that President Obama "doesn't have the same feelings about American exceptionalism that we do." The term, which according to Factiva appeared in global English-language publications fewer than 3,000 times during the Bush Administration, has already appeared more than 10,000 times since Obama became president.

To liberals, the charge that Obama threatens American exceptionalism is daft. He is, after all, fond of declaring, "In no other country on Earth is my story even possible." For some progressive pundits, things hit rock bottom when conservative Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker flayed Obama for not using the words "American exceptionalism" in his 2011 State of the Union speech, even though he had called America a "light to the world" and "the greatest nation on Earth." The entire discussion, declared liberal Post blogger Greg Sargent, had become "absurd," "self-parodic," and an exercise in "nonstop idiocy."

But that's not quite right. When conservatives say American exceptionalism is imperiled, they're onto something. In fundamental ways, America is becoming less exceptional. Where Gingrich and company go wrong is in claiming that the Obama presidency is the cause of this decline. It's actually the result. Ironically, the people most responsible for eroding American exceptionalism are the very conservatives who most fear its demise.

[NuclearDem]

1. AE was a nationalistic myth from the beginning.

All it ever did was allow powerful people to get away with despicable acts by constantly asserting that we're inherently different from the rest of the world.

It can happen here, and it is happening here.

[djean111]

2. "For some progressive pundits, things hit rock bottom when conservative Washington Post columnist

Kathleen Parker flayed Obama for not using the words "American exceptionalism" in his 2011 State of the Union speech, even though he had called America a "light to the world" and "the greatest nation on Earth."
Ah, yes, that little lame attempt at deflection is not just a conservative trick.
"When did Obama say the EXACT words "Fast Track" in the SOTU???!!!! Bwahahaha!

[Spider Jerusalem]

3. Let's hope so

"American exceptionalism" is a dangerous and corrosive thing. The "light unto nations", "shining city on a hill" attitude? That's one of the major causes of anti-American sentiment. The frankly absurd idea of America as somehow uniquely virtuous among nations, the zealous certainty that the USA is Right, no matter what. As is the idea that the American experience is somehow normative and represents an ideal to be emulated.

[el_bryanto]

4. What would be a proper attitude of an American for the United States?

While I agree that the idea of American Exceptionalism and a special mission for our nation has lead to some really bad consequences, it also gave us the Peace Corp and the Apollo program - i certainly see some value in feeling like we have something to live up to - something to strive for.

I don't know how you have that though, and not also have that desire to be special be exploited.

Bryant

[starroute]

7. Exceptionalism did *not* give us the Peace Corps and the space program

Exceptionalism is the belief that America is innately superior, no matter what we do or fail to do. The programs of the Kennedy era were motivated by a belief that we had to live up to our own ideals or they were worthless. There's no comparison.

[pampango]

5. AE attributes: belief in organized religion, special freedom mission, classless society. All fading.

As America and Europe have changed over time, so have the attributes that exceptionalists claim distinguish us from them. But for the contemporary right, there are basically three: our belief in organized religion; our belief that America has a special mission to spread freedom in the world; and our belief that we are a classless society where, through limited government and free enterprise, anyone can get ahead. Unfortunately for conservatives, each of these beliefs is declining fast.

[Scuba]

6. If Republicans believed in "American exceptionalism" they'd fully fund the patent office.

[FarCenter]

8. America was exceptional in 1914 -- By 1990, not so much.

In 1914 most of the world was under the political control of the British Empire, the French Empire, the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Japanese Empire. The exception was the United States and Latin America, due to the Monroe Doctrine.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the UN had grown to 184 members by 1993. Economic control, based on American financial principles, had replaced imperial political control. The empires were gone, replaced by political and economic systems more or less modeled on American types. Or dictated by Americans, depending on your point of view.

At any rate, the developments of the 20th Century mean that America is no longer Exceptional.

[rustbeltvoice]

9. it is merely a new name for jingoistic calvinism

Consider the world made up of Americans and non-Americans. Replace nationalism for religion. The Americans are the elect, the saved, the predestined for glory, u.s.w.

TULIP the five ideas of classical Calvinism.

T -- total depravity of humanity because of sin, and the Fall of Adam.
U -- unconditional election by God.
L -- limited atonement. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross was for the saving the elect only.
I -- irresistible grace to those chosen by God.
P -- perseverence of the saints. Those chosen cannot lose their salvation.

Once the historical phrase was 'manifest destiny', now it is 'American exceptionalism'. Now, some people are saying Barack Obama does not look like an exceptional American.