U.S. Exceptionalism

The U.S. Exceptional?  Yes!

A friend sent this to me today.  I thought it was worth sharing...

I heard this yesterday and found it today.  Bill Bennet is talking about Virginia Tech specifically but it's not just about VT.  It's about what we as a country are.  Here is how Bennet captures the American spirit.

Here's what Ronald Reagan said at that time, and think about this in regard to what some people are going to pronounce over the next days and weeks. Ronald Reagan said this, "We are not a sick society. A sick society could not produce the men who set foot on the Moon, or who are now circling the Earth above us in the Skylab. A sick society, bereft of morality and courage, did not produce the men who went through these years of torture and captivity in Vietnam. Where do we find such men? They are typical of this country. They are typical of this land as the founding fathers were. We find them in our streets and our offices and our shops, and the working places of our country, and our farms." And I might add, in our military.  We cannot escape our destiny, nor should we try to do so. The leadership of the free world was thrust upon us two centuries ago in that little hall of Philadelphia. In the days following World War II, when the economic strength and power of America was all that stood between the world and the return to the Dark Ages, Pope Pius XII said, "The American people have a great genius for splendid and unselfish actions. Into the hands of America, God has placed the destinies of an afflicted mankind." We are indeed, and we are today, the last best hope of man on Earth.

And then I end the book. So, so there. That's all I have to say about that. Liviu Librescu, a professor at Virginia Tech, was such an American, by adoption. He adopted this country, taught aeronautical engineering, and yesterday, saved young Americans. Eisenhower and the American military liberated the death camps, saved people like Librescu. Yesterday, he returned the favor, and stood in the doorway while students were able to escape. He survived the Holocaust and Hitler to do this. So the message, the story, it's said on this show, the beat goes on."

I believe Bennett and Reagan are correct.   No country has spilled more blood and spent more treasure to free OTHER people than America. This doesn't make us perfect or the best on a human level - Americans aren't better people than French people, to the extent that Bennett's comments may imply that (I don't think he means to say this however) I disagree.  But it does make us exceptional and we jettison that reality at our own and the world's peril.  (It is more accurate to say that all of this "shows" that we are exceptional, what makes us exceptional are our ideals as outlined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution...as well as two ocean buffers and a bread basket in the midwest etc...)

The best case for regaining our hold on our story - American Exceptionalism, is:

1. It is historically accurate.  There is no other country with our unique history and our current situation in the world. To whom much is given, much is expected.  With great blessing ("fortune" whatever you want to call it) comes a mantle of responsibility.  Thus...
2. It RAISES the bar for what it means to be an American in America and an American in the world.

Consequently if we teach our kids that America is no different, not unique in the family of nations, in order to keep them humble we:

1. lie (it is historically inaccurate);
2. lower the bar for what is expected of them and us, and
3. we mistake humiliation for humility - they are not the same.

Humiliation is the proud man's short cut to humility. Humility is not thinking lowly of yourself, it is not thinking of yourself at all.  Humiliated people hold themselves at the very center of their own universe (pride), humble people do not. A humiliated player won't get off the bench (afraid of how bad they are), a humble player participates and passes (and shoots) when appropriate (convinced they can help others).  We can do better than America bashing to counter "America-first-ism."  If the U.S. loses its sense of itself, its place in the world, if we take our ball and go home - game over.

Please don't misunderstand me, I believe Jesus, not the United States, is the last best hope, actually the only hope of man, on earth, but I also believe that as Americans, collectively as a nation we have an important part to play in making the world a better place.

Be His,

Didymus

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Comments

[Philomena]

Thanks for this, Didymus. Great stuff. I was just wondering yesterday about how many of us (myself included) are under-performing because we don't appreciate our capabilities and our responsibility to use them. We are so obsessed with our failures and appearing humble. But, you are right, what appears to be humility is often low self esteem, which is actually a self-absorbed state to be in.
Let's be inspired to get over ourselves and get on with leading!!

[Didymus]

If you will please forgive my unsolicited comment on my own post. I thought this was an interesting factlet. Not sure it "proves" anything.

In WW2 one could assume that all the involved parties brought all of their considerable wealth, talent and sweat to bear to win.

Economically, Germany and Russia doubled their production during the war. England tripled and Japan quadrupled their's. The United States? Drum roll please...how about 25 times! Now maybe that says more about the state we were in before the war - but remember the depression was world wide AND the European countries at least, were fighting for their survival - this was an arguable point on our end.

25 times! What an "exceptional" number. (credit again to Bill Bennett).

Didymus

[Lucy]

Thank you, Didymus. Excellent point and beautifully written. I was at Mount Vernon today reflecting on our nation's first President and all he did to set the bar high for us. In the new film recently unveiled at Mount Vernon, Gen. Washington inspires his reluctant men to make the surprise attack on the Hessians on Christmas night. He says with passion, "We fight to be free." That same passion that defined our nation then drives us now to free others. What a high calling.
Thanks,
Lucy