Is the Thought of "American Exceptionalism" A Trap?

American Exceptionalism

      By now I am sure that everyone has heard the epression "American exceptionalism" and I am equally sure that ir sounds beautiful rolling off the tip of your tongue. But does the term really carry the meaning you think it does? Well, let's examine it. First, just the core word "exception" should give us pause to think about the meaning of this well sounding phrase. To be an exception means to be outside the regular rules of order. It suggest that those who apply this phrase to themselves feel that they are an "exception" to the rules. So for America to be exceptional means that we have the right to violate the laws we expect the rest of the civilized world to follow. We can do whatever we want, without impunity. If you think I've got it wrong, just look at the interview of one of those who believe in "American exceptionalism". On Meet the Press, New year's Day, this past Sunday former senator Rick Santorum's rantings tells you that if by any stretch of the imagination he becomes president, we will be in perpetual war from now until eternity because any country that we feel the least bit threatened by, we have the right to bomb them, as is the case with Iraq and Iran, Syria, and Libya. Is that what we think of our country? They try to fill us with fear saying that if Iran is successful in obtaining the bomb that they would be foolish enough to use it. Do you really believe that? I would make the case that throughout the GWB and Cheney administration this was definitely the mindset when you look at how they tried to bully the U. N. to go along with them to war in Iraq. Remember 'freedom fries' and Americans should no longer buy French wines? When they couldn't coerce any other nations to go along with them they began to call the U. N. obsolete. But it was just they who felt that way about the U. N. The majority of the American public still believed in the U. N.'s role in the world and still do today. So they put together a small group of almost nonexistent nations and went to war even though the whole world was against it. Now that's excetionalism with a capital "E". With America doing 99% of the heavylifting in this so-called "coalition of the willing", we spent nearly ten years in that country with no visible results except destablizing what little stability they had.
      And now under President Obama this same thing is beginning to happen in Syria and Libya (destabilization) now that khadaffy is gone and they are pushing for the removal of Mr. Bashir in Syria. The leaders of Pakistan are beginning to distance themselves from the U. S. because of the problems our drone attacks have caused between them and their citizens. Even Russia is becoming destabilized because of our covert efforts in that country. It almost seems that only the countries who have refused any assistance from us are still relatively at peace. Is that what we want from our American "exceptionalism"? When you look it from this standpoint it seems like "American arrogance", "Nationalism".
      Uh Oh! I know, I really did it now!! I'm unpatriotic!! Well that is not my intention. I'm just pointing what seems to be right in front of our faces. Here's a good example. In Germany during the Nazi years, Hitler raised the German people to fever pitch with his talk about "German superiorty". Remember how they were humbled when a lone black man, a man that he considered less than a man, won four gold Medals at the Munich Olympics in 1936 and Joe Lewis defeated Max Smelling for the World Heavyweight Boxing Title? Hitler deceived the German people into thinking they were so (exceptional)superior to everybody else, much like many in this country are doing today. Telling them that they could conquer the world and that the "Third Reich" would last for a thousand years. Kinda sounds like former republican representative Tom Delay who claimed to be securing a permanent republican majority in congress before he was expelled for ehtics violations. Remember that?!
      You probably noticed I used quite a few synonyms for the word exceptionalism; arrogance, nationalism, superiority. That's because those words could be inserted in place of that word if we in America are not careful. Thinking that we are exempt from the rules that everyone else has to follow, can and will, over time cause us to become arrogant just like those example of the past. There are many more such examples throughout history, and if we don't heed history we will repeat the same mistakes.
      Empires come and go and it will be true of our too, someday. The the question is how will America's greatness be remembered? Will our siciety be remembered as a rennaisance society or a war mongering nation that went the way of all the other unjust, arrogant nations that fell violently. Remember, China is growing at an incredible pace and her population is aout four times the size of ours. Will we try and bully that country until we have provoked her into a war that we surely won't win?!! I sure as hell hope not!!