Asked, early in his presidency, whether he believed in American exceptionalism, Barack Obama gave a telling reply. “I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.”
The first part of that answer is fascinating (we’ll come back to the Greeks in a bit). Most Brits do indeed believe in British exceptionalism. But here’s the thing: They define it in almost exactly the same way that Americans do. British exceptionalism, like its American cousin, has traditionally been held to reside in a series of values and institutions: personal liberty, free contract, jury trials, uncensored newspapers, regular elections, habeas corpus, open competition, secure property, religious pluralism.
The conceit of our era is to assume that these ideals are somehow the natural condition of an advanced society–that all nations will get around to them once they become rich enough and educated enough. In fact, these ideals were developed overwhelmingly in the language in which you are reading these words. You don’t have to go back very far to find a time when freedom under the law was more or less confined to the Anglosphere: the community of English-speaking democracies.
h/t Derek
The United States is indeed exceptional. It is the first democratic country that was based the fundamentals of freedom and liberty.
It is the only country in the world that went from a colonial outpost to the most powerful country, both economically and politically in a span of a mere 150 years. No other country in the history of the world has achieved that.
And I suspect no other free, democratic country in the history of the world has so quickly, and with such eagerness and such fervor, embraced leaders and ideas that will bring about its demise.
The US will be considered exceptional for how quickly it rose to power, but also how quickly it committed unnecessary and unneeded suicide. The big downside to this rise and fall, apart from the obvious, is that other countries like China, India and Russia will likely conclude that democracy is not such a great idea after all.
When I hear idiots like Trudeau say he admires the communist government in China, it makes me realize that the suicide the US is committing will have many ramifications.
Ironic that it was destroyed by Socialism which has never had a successful span lasting more than 70 years and has been a abject failure world wide. Canada is following in the same footsteps. Exceptionalism has been replaced by conformity run by bureaucrats and self serving 3rd parties that have no idea they have destroyed the foundation the country was built on. Much like the EPA is oblivious to the destruction they cause in their quest to save everything from everyone. We were in great shape until the government and their bureaucrats decided to save us from ourselves. Sheep herding is much easier than controlling a country filled with individualism and empire building is much more difficult.
Following?
In most things I believe canaduh is 10 years behind,except solialism where we are 10 years ahead
“You don’t have to go back very far to find a time when freedom under the law was more or less confined to the Anglosphere: the community of English-speaking democracies.”
Yes. These:
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights
These principles, unalienable Rights, are but English Common Law.
Government codified these principles to limit them.
The reason for American exceptionalism is that it was a nation founded on freedom. But since we believe that everyone should be able to live under the same freedoms, the point of American exceptionalism is not that it should be maintained forever but that other nations should adopt the same attitude toward freedom thus making America not exceptional any longer. But that’s a far cry from what Ohbummer said, unfortunately.
Yes the US is exceptional. They went from the most free, wealthy and powerful nation to a banana republic in a mere five years. And if you don’t believe that’s an improvement, you’re a racist and you should just die.
Oprah believes people dislike Obama because they are racist, not because Obama is a rudderless half-wit. Doesn’t she remember how the lefties treated George W.? He was shat upon unlike anything Obama has had to endure.
The fact is these Ideals where only developed in the English speaking Countries. No where else. Even in History where Republics & Democracies still where slave states to most habitants.
The idea of universal suffrage of the People running a Government, just a philosophical day dream
We lose them from a failed school system, run by totalitarians, perverts. Soiled, spoiled academics, to Infiltration by authoritarian systems. They are gone for good. From the simple fact this Happy :Accident” of Individual freedom from the State has been an historical one off. Probably not to be seen again.
Most of human assistance has been with our backs to the whip hand of the Elite of any society.