Comments on: A Problem with Elephants: American Exeptionalism and the Political Right

By: Freedom Warrior

Freedom Warrior — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:22:10 +0000

Xacobeo, I can only speak from my own experiences… I have personally visited 23 countries throughout the world. With the exception of Moldova, I was treated well as an American. I take exception to the implication that we have “Conquered” any nation. We have always left the countries better than we found them and have never “claimed” any land. However, we have asked for sacred ground to bury our dead. Those nations that are antagonized by our ethic, are driven by their religious beliefs and would be regardless of our activities, good or bad. I do not share your belief that we are participating in an unconstitutional war, but we can agree to disagree. You asked me what we can do? We can start by doing the only thing that we can do as citizens… hold every politician accountable and vote them out if they are unwilling to represent “We The People”. We all seem to inherently know what the problems (and solutions) are… because of our “Ethics”, we know what is right and what is wrong… we just have to not be afraid to speak up and act boldly! (more neo-con talk radio suggestions). As for Mr. Hailstones context – I do not believe we are necessarily exercising exceptionalism as a nation just because their are those that resent what we have and what we are able to do. (I never hear of other nations complaining about illegal aliens crashing their borders dying to get in.) If we are so bad why don’t they stay home and why don’t those that are here go back???? We cannot make everyone the same… there will always be those that are exceptional and those that are jealous of them… I hope we are always the former. As for me and what I am doing, I am using every resource available to research and support those that are willing to go to Washington and risk losing their souls to rescue our republic from those that are hell-bent on destroying it. Until Washington is fixed, we cannot even begin to hope that we can fix the rest of the world… because that is from where the resources flow… like it or not.

By: Xacobeo

Xacobeo — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:13:53 +0000

Wow Freedom Warrior… That was a nice regurgitation of platitudes that we all probably agree with. Now what do we do? Actually do? That is the point of the article. How about a course of action that does not solidify the World powers you mentioned. American exceptionalism DOES solidify the one world domination we fear: through manufacturing of prescribed enemies, Creating world wide antagonism to our supposed “judeo Christian ethic”, and spreading our unsolicited police actions across the world has only created more “Constitutions” that allow for the world dominating powers (UN, WMF, NATO etc) to hold austerity over the sovereignty of the nations we conquer. Unconstitutional wars do not spread the freedom of our constitutional theories. “Whim” is what they call it. Are we so “exceptional” that we should subject the whole of our world to the whims of our electies– ?

We know the principles you are deliberating and they are good. (beyond the repeating of neo-con talk radio.) We all admire your enthusiasm, but it put you out of context with the article. Mr Hailstone was speaking of the “ism”. He was not implying that America has no exceptional qualities. so Now what?

By: Freedom Warrior

Freedom Warrior — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:13:50 +0000

Wake up people. This IS the greatest nation on earth and has been for a long time (it was blessed by God to be such as long as we are a covenant people). Our Founding Fathers established this republic experiment through inspiration and it has proved to be the most successful experiment in history. However, it is floundering due to the Progressive movement that began in this country at the turn of the last century. It is not the D’s or the R’s, though the Progressives have found the most succes with the D’s… until last night when Scott Brown upset the Progressives plans to be able to go forward with their Globalist plans… healthcare, world banking, global environment control, global gun control, etc., which are all threats to the American principles and ideals that are America. You will see that now the Progressives will move to the R’s and try to force them to come to the dark side in order to pass their world centric agenda. America is the greatest nation in the world and the system that made us great is free to copy at any time. This nation has done more good for more people world-wide than any other nation in history… sometimes at the ultimate price of our citizens blood. Don’t believe the hype that our Constituion is a living evolving document and that it needs to conform to European ideals or any other nations system of government… we figured that one out in the 1770′s folks. It is true our republic is sick because we have allowed elitists in Washington to corrupt it, but those days are over… they have shaken the soul of “We The People” and the freedom express is rolling! Fix what is broken, return to the founding ideals and principles and this great nation will become that shining city on the hill and the rest of the world will look to us once again as that beacon of freedom that God promised. One World Order or Globalism is nothing more than a power grab by dictators, tyrants, and terrorists in order to control those that they despise the most… We The People. If you really want to know about the Constitution, start with The 5000 Year Leap” by Cleon Skousen. I for one am an American and am blessed to have been born here. I will do everything possible to keep this country free so that others around the world will have an example to follow and a friend in times of need. While the Global-Centrist idea sounds all warm and fuzzy on the outside… it will never sway the Stalin’s, Hussein’s, Mao’s, Chavez’s, (insert your own favorite dictator) of the world in a thousand lifetimes. Those who think it can have not studied the history of the world and are doomed to repeat it. Good luck with that!

By: Gary A

Gary A — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:04:45 +0000

Thanks Adam!

For another take on American Exceptionalism see http://www.pjtv.com/video/Afterburner_with_Bill_Whittle/Bill_Maher%2C_Barack_Obama_and_the_Truth_About_American_Exceptionalism/2378/

By: Xacobeo

Xacobeo — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:36:59 +0000

That is a tall Order Adam… Though I think that if there is a worthy pursuit in today’s politics, it is that very one. My hope therein is dim however. I have had a day to think it over (or a life time) And I can’t stop going back to the idea that no matter how one defines freedom, or quantifies liberty, it will cyclically fail when the social bonds of Stoicism-Judeo-Christian-Patriarchal ethic is set at naught by secularists. Ron Paul will not save America because he wont save us from our pathetic addiction to media entertainment or our status insecurities, just as Harry Reid will not save us from our “incapacity to be a benevolent populous” (liberally speaking) … I fear that the language that has the power to be universally cohesive is just as universally condemning, -or- it is too vague and rhetorical to be of great worth in a practical application.
I’m sure you have experienced a similar dilemma.
In fact, I think that was the quandary you meant to examine in the first place… sorry for being redundant.

I wont give up on the idea of finding an avenue for philosophical/social cohesion, but… my ideas are only plausible after a crisis; not directly preceding one. and Patriarchy was not my idea.

next thought— you can take a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink… but you can salt his hay…

how do we do it? can we access the “nation” at all? has the day of the essay died -or- will the federalists papers be reborn? will the poet or the linguist or the Rock Star be the force of national freedom? Could a president stand and say “We have called by different names, men of the same cause. We are all “Democrats” we are all “Republicans”" …(not blooty likely)…?
does Bipartisanship only mean illegal bailouts?

How about a load of really nasty rhetoric!

keep up the good work Adam.

By: adamthailstone

adamthailstone — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 04:14:13 +0000

Xacobeo,
Right on man! In the name of nomadic tendencies, I wonder if we can describe a free world view in a language that satisfies the dichotomies that the Baby Boomers have left us; namely secular-humanism, capitalism, fundamentalists, while not degenerating into a type of individualism that rips apart the human bonds of family, community and beliefs.
It is easy to describe what is wrong with the world and simply find with the middle, but if we are to lead out to a new foundation, we need to find the language of real freedom that can satisfy the secular-humanists, capitalists and fundamentalists.
Anyway, thoughts?

By: Xacobeo

Xacobeo — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 01:27:39 +0000

Joining the discussion late. been on vaca… First of all, Thank you for making the effort to put this group together and for distributing your article.

It is almost comical how well this argument fits into the kondratiev cycle. You are such a nomad: seeking to find the middle (or central) answers to the ferocious dichotomies that the Baby boomers left us. And, as a nomad myself, I cannot but acquiesce to your conclusions within the sphere of the arguement itself. (especially your calling the Noe-commies out on their hypocrisies)… I guess we could explore some larger, or smaller, or more specific spheres that would incorporate all avenues of diplomacy, patriotic value, and human rights, but in short, I believe it is true that America is doing a lot of damage cruising the world while pressing its dissimulated advantage under the guise of a destructive democratic principle, while the homeland is suffering from the deliberate sabotage (and apathetic remission) of the very thing we think to spread. Freedom

By: Scott Jensen

Scott Jensen — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:38:16 +0000

Adam,

Your article is thought provoking and it has caused me to think through some of my recent positions on U.S. foreign policy. What probably struck me most were your comments about the perceptions of Generations X and Y, regarding American conservatism—to the degree that the Republican Party can be called conservative. My belief in American exceptionalism, or it’s uniqueness in world history, comes from the principles on which it was originally founded—ideas such as “all men are created equal” or that they “are endowed … with… unalienable Rights” which include “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”, or that governments derive “their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed—not on what America is today, and certainly not on any notion of the special virtues of the American people. If the older generation of conservative Americans fail to win over the younger generation, because they (the older generation) seems arrogant, then we have a serious problem in preserving what truly makes us exceptional; our liberty. If this is what’s happening, then leading conservatives and “neo-cons” definitely need to pay attention to what younger Americans are thinking and what young conservatives like you are saying. The preservation of our liberty requires that the foundational principles of liberty’s preservation be fully embraced by each new generation. If we older conservatives loose the hearts of the rising generation, then we can never hope to win their minds.

By: GW

GW — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:42:24 +0000

I have been to many counties in the world and I haven’t experienced the “distrust” or hate that we so often hear about. Adam, where have you been that they hate or distrust America/Americans? Most all the citznes of other nations I have dealt with have positive feelings about America and Americans, even in Iraq and Iran. As declared at the inception of this country, ALL men are created equal, it doesn’t say all Amercans are created equal.

By: Aharon Smith

Aharon Smith — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:02:09 +0000

Good article. I think that America is exceptional in the idea of unalienable rights and founding of the constitution.

But what makes America exceptional is the fact that we dare to believe that all men are created equal, that we all have a right to life, liberty and to pursue after happiness, despite what world history showed in the past.

But however, this type of exceptional ism requires that we don’t put ourselves above any other group or people or conquer another. By saying we are better, the whole philosophy of equality is lost, and we are touting the same idea of despotism that the idea of liberty is against.

America’s ideals are great, but they require tolerant, respectful and a humble people for them to work.