I don't understand this term "American exceptionalism." What the

[Skidmore]

heck does it mean? My guess is that it was coined to underscore how special we think we are. Everytime I hear it I think that it means we are somehow giving ourselves permission not to follow international law--that we are a world citizen only when we want to be and only on our terms. It is used to fan the flames of war and political resentment as far as I can tell--arrogant and obnoxious.


That term is right up there with "homeland security" as political claptrap of the most irksome type for me.

[FBaggins]

1. It's the marketable version of jingoism. n/t

:)

[Captain Hilts]

16. No, not necessarily. nt

[Echo In Light]

34. "The enormous gap between what US leaders do in the world and what Americans think their leaders are

... doing is one of the great propaganda accomplishments of the dominant political mythology." ~ Michael Parenti

[elleng]

2. American exceptionalism

(def. "exceptionalism") refers to the theory that the United States occupies a special niche among the nations of the world<1> in terms of its national credo, historical evolution, political and religious institutions and unique origins. The roots of the term are attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville,<2> who claimed that the then-50-year-old United States held a special place among nations, because it was a country of immigrants and the first modern democracy. The term itself did not emerge until after World War II<3> when it was embraced by neoconservative<4> pundits in what was described in the International Herald Tribune as "an ugly twist of late".<5>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_exceptionalism

[tmyers09]

3. It's what is behind the conservative beliefs that:

- America need not apologize for anything done to other countries.

- We have "The Best Health Care System in the World".

- America follows the beat of its own drum, international laws and treaties mean shit.

- It is impossible that any other country has innovated; anything worthwhile starts right here in the USA!

[mwb970]

4. Haven't you heard? We are the Chosen People.

Just like so many other groups and nations (and individuals) will tell you about themselves, we have been chosen by God for special privileges and favors. As a result, we (like all the other self-appointed Chosen People) can do whatever the hell we want, knowing God is on our side and will back us up when push comes to shove.

We're "special", you see.

[chimpymustgo]

17. And we are free to protect (kill for) "American interests" (oil, natural resources) wherever

they are.

[old mark]

5. RWers believe all this and more, that the US is designated by god

as the new holy land, the fundamentalists (only-not all christians) are the new chosen people of god, and that the US stands against the devil here on earth.
Their god hates minorities and liberals and seems to want the US to help the end of the world along through any means we can including war with the unbelievers and pollution.
Some of them believe Sarah Palin is divinely inspired and chosen to lead us toward heaven.

Seriously!

mark

[dmallind]

6. You pretty much got it. It's a useful term really

Remember it's describing a belief (ism) not a phenomenon or even a theory that we actuially ARE exceptional.

American exceptionalism does indeed fan the flames of resentment - but it's the belief that does it, not the words that describe the belief.

I'm not exactly a social historian but it strikes me this came about in large part because we became a world power only a few decades after independence, and became a pre-eminent world power barely a century after. Other leading nations of the time could point to long histories of dynastic monarchies who built up their national glory over the centuries. England, Germany, Russia and so on had deep histories to swell national pride and allegiance. The US had its share of heroes of course, but these were more recent and less easily lionized and exalted due to their "common" origins. Dynasties and Royalty may not be a good way to govern, but they are a great way to build up a national mythos of heroes. So in order to explain to ourselves and demonstrate to the world that we had a "right" to be just as powerful as they were if not moreso, Americans built up this silly idea that we are somehow specially blessed by God or Providence, or for the secular folks, that we have a special nature as a nation that makes us more devoted to freedom and democracy than anyone else.

You see that today even amongst not just teabaggers but kneejerk patriots anywhere on the political spectrum. Even on DU claims have been made that we are more "free" than other countries, even though there are plenty of places where people are every bit as liberated.

[The_Commonist]

7. Yeah, I think you got it right.

We have permission to be bullies, because we are enlightened bullies.

[tanyev]

8. "We're better than you are, neener, neener, neener"

[tularetom]

9. It's our own Get Out of Jail Free Card

We don't need to follow no steenking laws or treaties because we are Amurka.

International accords are for wimpy Yurpeans and dumb lazy dark skinned people.

Gawd put us in charge. Says so in the bible.

[MyNameGoesHere]

10. it's code speak

means if you don't bow to the america first thinking you're "not one of us". along the lines of deutschland uber alles. same nationalistic bs for the "right americancs"

[eShirl]

11. It's the international extension of "It's OK If You're A Republican." n/t

[TexasObserver]

12. Recommend

[patrice]

13. I think it has religious roots in the notion of being anointed by "God" to do whatever you want

It's a religious scam.

[emulatorloo]

23. No. A description by the French who were inspired by US for being the 1st democracy

in the world.

[Captain Hilts]

33. The exact opposite. nt

[salguine]

14. It's the notion that America, and Americans, are inherently better than

anyplace/anyone else simply by virtue of being America and Americans.

[Captain Hilts]

15. The US exists under unique circumstances that are a product of history and geography and culture. nt

[earthside]

19. And what country doesn't believe that about itself?

The irony of the neocon's notion of American exceptionalism is that what makes us historically 'exceptional' --as articulated in the Declaration of Independence -- is that we believe that no country is exceptional. In other words that the rule of law should prevail, that all humans are created equal, that countries have a right to self-determination.

Neocons, like Cheney, actually want exceptionalism defined as what every old world country used to think of itself: that god had a special purpose for them and that, therefore, any action they decided to take was moral and necessary because "Gott Mit Uns." Right-wing American exceptionalism is a throwback to exactly what the founders of the republic revolted against.

What does makes us exceptional (though I hate that word and think it is inaccurate, 'special' is better; but everyone is entitled to think their homeland is special if they want to), is that we do indeed put crumbs like KSM on trial because we believe in trial by jury; we don't do torture because it is just as immoral for others as it is for us; so on and so forth.

This exceptionalism issue really is the dividing line between real, patriotic Americans who know and understand what this nation was founded upon -- and those who just want power, dominance, uniformity and uber-nationalism.

[salguine]

20. Except, unlike most countries, we have the

muscle to shove our exceptionalism down everyone else's throats.

[Captain Hilts]

29. True. But immigration suggests a lot of folks are buying into it. It's weird. nt

[emulatorloo]

24. Like everything else, neocons pervert everything that is good

Thanks for your post,

[Captain Hilts]

28. Yes, many do. The US is the only 'superpower' without hostile borders, for one.

Russia has China and others.
China has Russia and Vietnam.
India, Brazil all have neighbors with whom they do not get along.

It's a geo-political thing.

And, yes, I get tired of hearing it too.

[Liberal In Texas]

18. The new "Manifest Destiny".

Manifest Destiny is a term that was used in the 19th century to designate the belief that the United States was destined, even divinely ordained, to expand across the North American continent, from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes Manifest Destiny was interpreted so broadly as to include the eventual absorption of all North America: Canada, Mexico, Cuba and Central America. Advocates of Manifest Destiny believed that expansion was not only ethical but that it was readily apparent ("manifest") and inexorable ("destiny"). Although initially used as a catch phrase to inspire the United States' expansion across the North American continent, the 19th century phrase eventually became a standard historical term.

The term, which first appeared in print in 1839, was used in 1845 by a New York journalist, John L. O'Sullivan, to call for the annexation of Texas. Thereafter, it was used to encourage American settlement of European colonial and Indian lands in the Great Plains and the west. It was revived in the 1890s, this time with Republican supporters, as a theoretical justification for U.S. expansion outside of North America. The term fell out of usage by U.S. policy makers early in the 20th century, but some commentators believe that aspects of Manifest Destiny, particularly the belief in an American "mission" to promote and defend democracy throughout the world, continues to have an influence on American political ideology. -Wiki

It seems to me American Exceptionalism is a term used to justify our excursions into other countries business. It's another way to say we're imperialists.

edit to add: The RW is very clever in how they craft words and catch-phrases to further their agenda. We need to catch up with them in that respect.

[baldguy]

21. Americans are created by God to be better & more virtuous than everyone else.

And if anyone disagrees, we'll bomb them & steal all their stuff.

[emulatorloo]

22. Alexis de Tocqueville came up with the term; US special: a nation of immigrants & the 1st democracy

Not everything is as "sinister" as DU wants it to be.

The term is aspirational too, that we should strive to inspire the rest of the world. -- that US is "city on the hill", a "beacon of Democracy"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_exceptionalism

American exceptionalism (def. "exceptionalism") refers to the theory that the United States occupies a special niche among the nations of the world<1> in terms of its national credo, historical evolution, political and religious institutions and unique origins. The roots of the term are attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville,<2> who claimed that the then-50-year-old United States held a special place among nations, because it was a country of immigrants and the first modern democracy. The term itself did not emerge until after World War II<3> when it was embraced by neoconservative<4> pundits in what was described in the International Herald Tribune as "an ugly twist of late".<5>

[Captain Hilts]

30. Yes, thanks. nt

[CoffinEd]

25. American Exceptionalism

Means never having to bow in public. American exceptionalism.

[Captain Hilts]

32. We don't bow to Liz on our soil and didn't dip our flag to Hitler. I'm okay with that. nt

[elmerdem]

26. America

doesn't feel so 'exceptional' right now.

[undeterred]

27. Everyone has to follow the international laws "except" the US.

[Captain Hilts]

31. Or Russia. Or China. Or France. Or Britain. Or Israel. Or Brazil. Or Japan...nt