American exceptionalism....

Jarod

Jarod

Well-known member
Contributor
Really? Do you belive we are truely better than everyone else?

Why?

Where did that arrogance come from?
 
Jarod said:
Really? Do you belive we are truely better than everyone else?

Why?

Where did that arrogance come from?
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American exceptionalism is the theory that the United States occupies a special niche among the nations of the world in terms of its national credo, historical evolution, political and religious institutions and unique origins. The roots of the belief are attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville, 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.

That's what wiki says, and I think it is a good explanation of where the idea comes from. I can expound a little further on the basis for the idea...

Our nation is unique, or at least, the first of its kind. The Founding Fathers were faced with the challenge of forming a central government, which would provide a strong and stable foundational structure for society, but somehow limit the power (and corruption) which always seemed to be the problem. You see, men are inherently flawed, we are corruptible. But establishing a Theocratic government was also out, because theocracies are intolerant of religious freedoms.... so they contemplated an idea.... Establish a nation on the principle that we are, as humans, endowed by our Creator, certain rights. These are not alienable by man, they are manifest from a higher power, and therefore, can't be taken away by man. Given this is our basis and founding belief, by extension it is argued we have 'manifest destiny' as well. Our duty to Nature and Nature's God.
 
We took the best sorts from around the globe, and became a great republic. That's the general belief most hold about American Exceptionalism.

I place the blame on our republic being build upon Lockean Natural Rights.
 
Our nation is unique, or at least, the first of its kind.

On the contrary Dixie, America is a mish-mash of concepts already existing at the time of its founding.

Its concepts of individual freedom, capitalism and democracy came from Great Britain, who in turn developed them from earlier civilisations.

Even the names of its institutions are not original.

America is a great nation, however it isn't exceptional. In fact, it is yet to achieve a position of the greatest nations in history. It doesn't have the global supremacy that Helenistic Greece, Rome or Great Britain had, as America is yet to go head to head in a knockout war with its major competitors (Russia, China).

Its industrial achievements fade into comparison with the global upgrading created by Rome and Britain, and its academic acheivements fade in comparison to that of ancient Greece / europe.

America is a great nation, but it doesn't justify exceptionalism.
 
As far as achievements are concerned, I would say the development of the http is an exceptional achievement, and there have been many others.
 
The only reason we don't top rome and greece is because we don't occupy and rule like Britain did before we changed thier shitty diper in WWII.
 
As far as achievements are concerned, I would say the development of the http is an exceptional achievement, and there have been many others.

Sir Timothy John "Tim" Berners-Lee, OM, KBE, FRS, FREng, FRSA (born 8 June 1955[1]), is a British engineer and computer scientist and MIT professor credited with inventing the World Wide Web, making the first proposal for it in March 1989
 
The only reason we don't top rome and greece is because we don't occupy and rule like Britain did before we changed thier shitty diper in WWII.

And that is why you will not join the very top table. You will never have complete supremecy unless you square up to your significant competitors, risk everything in war and win.

Ref the shitty nappy thing... see my various posts about how the US didn't save Britian in WWII.
 
AnyOldIron said:
The only reason we don't top rome and greece is because we don't occupy and rule like Britain did before we changed thier shitty diper in WWII.

And that is why you will not join the very top table. You will never have complete supremecy unless you square up to your significant competitors, risk everything in war and win.

Ref the shitty nappy thing... see my various posts about how the US didn't save Britian in WWII.
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we occupy more than I'd like, and whatever on the not thanks for saving your ass. There is no doubt you made us the pre-eminent world industrial power just supplying your defense needs.
Take a look at the worlds top companies, that concerns me a lot more. America vs World we still dominate. what what!!!
 
AnyOldIron said:
The only reason we don't top rome and greece is because we don't occupy and rule like Britain did before we changed thier shitty diper in WWII.

And that is why you will not join the very top table. You will never have complete supremecy unless you square up to your significant competitors, risk everything in war and win.

Ref the shitty nappy thing... see my various posts about how the US didn't save Britian in WWII.
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how the US didn't save Britian in WWII. ???????????????????

Thats actually quite funny sonny....I say....tata, tallyho and all that rot....

Is that the 'new' re-writing of British history or is it just a lack of oxygen in your particualr lair.....?

Was it France that saved your asses? Maybe Ireland ? How about China ?

You certainly can't be fool enough to think you beat back the Nazis on you own, can you ?
 
we occupy more than I'd like, and whatever on the not thanks for saving your ass. There is no doubt you made us the pre-eminent world industrial power just supplying your defense needs.

You mean when you fleeced us as we were singlehandedly halting Nazi power?

No thanks needed. You didn't save us, we had already turned Hitler back. WWII was an equal joint effort of us, you and the Ruskies.

Take a look at the worlds top companies, that concerns me a lot more. America vs World we still dominate. what what!!!

You should look at the US firms in British hands...

'Despite the notoriety of Japanese investors, the British have the largest U.S. direct investment holding—with the Dutch not far behind—as has been the case since colonial times.'

http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc1/ForeignInvestmentintheUnitedStates.html

And US domination of global markets is small in comparison to British domination at the height of Empire.
 
bravo said:
how the US didn't save Britian in WWII. ???????????????????

Thats actually quite funny sonny....I say....tata, tallyho and all that rot....

Is that the 'new' re-writing of British history or is it just a lack of oxygen in your particualr lair.....?

Was it France that saved your asses? Maybe Ireland ? How about China ?

You certainly can't be fool enough to think you beat back the Nazis on you own, can you ?
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[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain"]Battle of Britain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
 
AnyOldIron said:
Battle of Britain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Oh, I get it...you think this one battle saved the Brits from the Nazis....(and even in this one battle, you got plenty of help from your allies)

Well, heres the reality ..... the US lost well over 120,000 on the battlefields of Europe, .....every Nazi killed by those soldiers saved your asses....every Nazi killed in Italy, France, and on the deserts of Africa and every other place, helped saved your asses....
and this doesn't even begin to put value on the material goods, food and war materials supplied to you from the US and others....
 
bravo said:
Oh, I get it...you think this one battle saved the Brits from the Nazis....(and even in this one battle, you got plenty of help from your allies)

Well, heres the reality ..... the US lost well over 120,000 on the battlefields of Europe, .....every Nazi killed by those soldiers saved your asses....every Nazi killed in Italy, France, and on the deserts of Africa and every other place, helped saved your asses....
and this doesn't even begin to put value on the material goods, food and war materials supplied to you from the US and others....
Click to expand...

Pull your ego out of your arse.

Britain turned the nazi war machine round in the battle of Britain, halted them in their tracks and sent them reeling into the Russian winter. As we did in North Africa at el alamein.

As for the value of material goods, they did put a price on it. An extortionate price. Whilst Britain was fighting the evils of Nazi Germany alone, and the US was sitting on the fence selling to the nazis as well, the US made a huge profit out of our struggle.

You shouldn't learn your history from 'band of brothers'.
 
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