Is America exceptional? By this I mean, different from the rest of the world... better than the rest of the world. Is it? Our ability to answer this question may be the most telling indication of the future viability of the United States of America. My answer is "yes", without reservation or hesitation. Now let me be clear. It is not that we are better people than those who live in other countries. There are many Americans who are dispicable and MANY good and amazing people in other countries. In fact I wish American's as a whole had many of the qualities exhibited by those living in countries with far fewer freedoms, wealth and opportunty than we do. America is great because of the values it maintains: freedom, individual responsibility, equality, committment to the rule of law, no kings or aristocracy. In short because of three great principles:
1. an ingenius political heritage that is largely founded on these words, "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, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."
2. principles of capitalism including private ownership or property, limited government involvement in the commercial sphere, and the promise that bad ideas, inferior products and malicious companies will die because the public will not support them.
3. the Judeo-Christian value system (which includes specific cultural concepts like the Protestant work ethic, etc.).
The US became the leading world power -defending this planet multiple times from tyrants and oppressive systems- BECAUSE of these principles. This is why America is exceptional, better than any other country on the face of the planet. Is America perfect? No. Have there been blemishes in her past? Yes. But practices and beliefs like slavery, racism, poverty and isolated travesties (like the WWII Japanese camps, like the Trail of Tears, like Jim Crow, like the Extermination Order... yes, I recognize that these took place while our great country went through some growing pains) do not negate that exceptionalism. The fact that these wrongs have largely been righted (and yes, we are still a work in progress) is a testament that this country is exceptional.
There is, however, a concerted effort to say we are no different than anyone else. There is also a concurrent effort to transform us into a country following a European or global citizen model. In this effort we are to abandon things American and adopt other foundations including financial, legal and cultural systems from other countries. Global legal theory are challenging Constitutional principles. A large government welfare state is being posited as an attractive alternative to personal responsibility and local decision making. Many of these changes are promoted in the name of "good intentions" or "inclusivity and tolerance". Entire books exist that illustrate this transformation much better than I can. Here, however, is a link to a speech that is well worth the time and consideration of anyone who thinks the United States should be, is or was exceptional:
Click Here
