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American Exceptionalism
While some believe that America is truly exceptional, others believe that it is just another country in history that has many of the same problems that other countries have. Furthermore, some people even go further towards the opposite end of the spectrum, against the idea of the U.S. being exceptional in any way, and believe that its actions and its presence are largely counterproductive among world affairs. For example, in one international Gallop poll, individuals were surveyed with a few questions about world peace and what they believed were the greatest threats to peace. Within the United States, the majority of people felt that Iran was the world's biggest threat to world peace. However, individuals living outside the U.S. that were surveyed believed that the United States was the greatest threat to world peace by an overwhelming margin. However, despite the individual perspective, it is hard to argue that the U.S. has not produced major achievements both internationally and domestically. Therefore, I believe it is accurate to state that America is ONE of the greatest countries in the world.
There are many demographics that are also likely to believe in American exceptionalism. The United States has the largest Christian population in the world and many people who follow this faith believe that America is exceptional based on their religious beliefs. Such beliefs go beyond secular beliefs that America is a great nation, and believe that there religion has actually somehow been advantaged or blessed by their God. Other justifications for the belief...
For example, some people who believe in Democracy or the power of free markets can also hold a belief about the United States that has something of a supernatural component. However, I do not believe that the United States has any form of exceptionalism bestowed upon it from a religious or ideological perspective -- I believe it is just another country that has a mix of positive and negative characteristics that can be associated with it. For example, many people believe the Founding Fathers were geniuses, divinely inspired, or something to the effect. However, if you were to question their slaves about the issue they would likely not agree (assuming they could speak freely). While the United States has made many positive contributions to art and culture, it also has had more than its fair share of citizens that have acted immorally. The idea that the country is uniquely exceptional is not supported by the evidence and is not shared by the majority of the world. I tend to lean towards Zinn's perspective as well.
American exceptionalism is the belief that the United States is exceptional among all countries and nation states that both exist now, and have existed in historical times. This concept, for better or worse, conflates the perception of America, with several different ideological values such as freedom, justice, and democracy among others. They believe that the United States is the most perfect union that has ever existed and that this existence is synonymous with the ideals that it…
" This view appears to be excessively negative, not least because of its lack of balance. It fails to acknowledge balance and uses all arguments to the contrary to perpetuate itself. Neither the view of American exceptionalism being wholly good or wholly bad is therefore entirely realistic. Much more realistic is perhaps Koh's view, although it still tends towards the somewhat negative side. I do agree with this author in terms
This will continue to be the case for the foreseeable decades as the United States fights wars that are so far not yet even imagined. If these wars have been fought (as many have suggested) over the presence of the scarce resource of oil, the next wars may be fought over the even more precious resource of water. Looking not too far into the future, the next wars may be
European Security and Defense Policy: Development and Prospects United States Attitudes toward European Defense The Background to the Dilemma: In December of 1991, the Soviet Union - Ronald Reagan's "Evil Empire" - ceased to exist. Communism was dead. The Cold War over. Long live freedom and democracy! The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was replaced by a weak and impoverished federation of fifteen republics. America stood alone. She had become - in
Corporate Mergers and the Public Good The United States of America, during the last years of the Nineteenth Century, witnessed a rash of corporate mergers. The Industrial Revolution had taken firm hold, and the nation was changing rapidly. Millions of Americans who had once been independent farmers or tradesmen now found themselves in the position of what some termed "wage slaves." At the mercy of their corporate employers, they worked long
George W. Bush's Arms Control Policies Following the end of the Cold War, the United States found itself the sole remaining superpower with an arms control policy geared largely towards winning a race that was already over. George W. Bush's arms control policies were an attempt to make a clean break from the past, reasserting and verifying American military power and projection through a new set of policies designed to maintain
Washington Rules: America's Path To Permanent War Written by a former Army Colonel, Washington rules: America's path to permanent war (Bacevich, 2010) is a striking analysis of America's pro-military psyche and determination to "to lead, save, liberate, and ultimately transform the world" (Bacevich, 2010, p. 12) through worldwide militarism. Commencing post-World War II, the global military presence that has become a fact of American life has been supported by Democrats and