I have written a couple of pieces before about how annoying the idea of American Exceptionalism is to me. You see it takes all thought out of the equation, we’re America and we’re the best just because we’re America, circular bullshit reasoning with no critical analysis. There are things about America that make it an absolutely wonderful country and there are things about America that make it a shit country. This idea is not unique either, you could probably say the same thing about every country that has ever or will ever exist on Earth. Recognizing this fact does not make you un-American, un-Patriotic or someone who doesn’t appreciate our country, it makes you a rationale thinking human being who is willing to look at reality without blinding or deluding yourself through the prism of ideology, or the name of a political position or party. If your thoughts have to be filtered through your ideology or if you have to hate an idea because the other party came up with it, especially if you loved it five years ago when your party was in favor of it then you have blinders on, take them off, try to see the world the way it really is not how it was report on Fox News or MSNBC last.
A new show came on HBO Sunday night called the Newsroom and the opening scene did a better job of addressing the American Exceptionalism argument than I ever will, the link to the video is below. The character who makes the speech basically becomes a political pariah, why, because he spoke the truth, exactly what happens to anyone in our country who tries to do the same. Don’t buck the only political party we truly have, the re-election party, and don’t buck the people truly in charge of our country, the corporations. Unfortunately what is quickly becoming the best advice I can give anyone is keep your damn head down and try not to be noticed. That also seems to be advice that goes against everything America is supposed to represent or at least used to represent in the sanitized, virtualized and fantasized “old days.” Enjoy the video and throw the blinders in the trash.
America is not the greatest country in the world
