American Exceptionalism Revisited

The U.S. can boast of having the most expensive military in the world because we allocate almost as much as the rest of the world combined.

(APTOS, Calif.) - A plethora of wantabe presidential candidates is on the road again, beating the drum for American exceptionalism, a warmed-over rehash of bravado, jingoism, and chauvinism.

This latest superpatriotic call attempts to revive a concept resurrected from the dustbin of history by George W. Bush.

Bush resurrected American exceptionalism as an excuse for the "shock and awe" invasion of Iraq, and the unilateral disregard for the rest of the world. Under Bush, the U.S. overturned international treaties, denounced the U.N. and international cooperation-except when to America's advantage-and rejected legal views routinely accepted around the world. Bush and the neocons claimed that the U.S. has its own set of rules, judgments, and special treatment in every field, based on national advantage. Many of today's politicians, urged on by Fox News, are replaying these old arguments.

Exceptionalism reaches back to historical national decisions that were similar to the invasion of Iraq: dropping the atomic bomb on Japan; clearing out indigenous people to make room for white settlers; and enslaving Africans to build and run plantations. Those in favor of such moves claimed God gave America a unique right to rule, and ignore the rest of the world, because we are special.

In one way, exceptionalism is merely another weapon now being used to undermine President Obama and pave the way for the GOP to capture the presidency in 2012. The term also justifies conservative policies, such as limited government, abolishing taxes, and imposing Christianity on the nation's political life.

Let's examine the concept. A 2008 Brookings Institute conference on American Exceptionalism outlined the ways Americans diverge from worldwide opinion. Some 75 percent of Americans are proud of their country, while only a third of Germans and Japanese are. Half of Americans consider a public safety net important while 75 percent of Europeans do. Two-thirds of Americans believe success comes from individual effort, while the same proportion of Europeans believes success is the result of forces beyond their control.

Above all, America is deeply rooted in religious belief. Half of Americans believe God is essential to morality, while only a third of Europeans do. Forty percent of Americans go to church once a week, while less than 10 percent attend in Europe. Do these characteristics justifying America imposing its will on the rest of the world?

The notion of exceptionalism includes the boast that America is the greatest nation on earth. Perhaps because few Americans read newspapers or travel abroad, they cannot adequately judge the truth of this claim.

Corporate controlled politicans claim America has "the greatest healthcare system in the world," only to reveal their ignorance. The World Health Organization ranked the U.S. 37th among nations in healthcare performance in 2000, although we pay more for fewer services. Numerous studies reveal that the U.S. is mediocre in treating illness. For example, compared to the G8, the U.S. has the highest infant mortality, the most mothers who die during childbirth, the most lives lost that could have been saved, and the worst in the cancer treatment. The U.N. rates the U.S. even worse, 74th in healthcare performance. And in 2009, the C.I.A. ranked the U.S. 49th in life expectancy in the world.

Nor is the U.S. "the greatest" in other desirable categories. The U.S. is second after the European Union in GDP, 41st out of 130 in public debt, has the worst balance of trade of any country, and is 32nd in student math, reading and scientific performance. We do have the greatest wealth disparity in the world. In 2007, the top ten percent controlled 72 percent of the wealth and the bottom 50 percent controlled 2.5 percent. The poverty rate increased from 12 to 14 percent since 2004, and the current recession has left over a quarter of the working population under-or un-employed.

The U.S. can boast of having the most expensive military in the world because we allocate almost as much as the rest of the world combined. We also spend more for our for-profit medical system-two and-a-half times more than the world average.

Pointing out differences in the historic development of exceptionalism in the U.S. is an anomaly, but using it as government policy led to disastrous failures in Iraq and Afghanistan, the meltdown of the world economy, and helped boost Iran and China onto the international scene.

Flag-waving politicians like Sarah Palin, Mark Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Mike Pence, and Newt Gingrich use the concept of "exceptionalism" to prove how much they love America. Such hyper-nationalism, usually tied to their Christian God, denies a common humanity with the rest of the world, undercuts cooperation, and promotes an arrogant disregard for international opinion.

Only by recognizing that the U.S. shares power, prestige, and industriousness with the rest of the world, can the U.S. gain respect. No man is an island and no nation is an island: Each exists with the cooperation and assistance of others. After we as a nation recognize that our arrogance is unwarranted, we can collaborate with the rest of the world and achieve a healthier world for all.