American Exceptionalism

A couple of days ago I was flipping channels on the radio in the car when I landed on NPR and Tavis Smiley who was interviewing Noam Chomsky. They were discussing American Exceptionalism and confusing everything about the subject. 

Chomsky, not surprisingly, saw the idea of American Exceptionalism as an arrogant one. He described our abuse of other sovereign nations as being somehow guided by a vision of our own genetic greatness. Noam missed the point entirely, with Smiley as a willing accomplice. 

With the elections approaching we will no doubt be hearing the term more often. What is American Exceptionalism?

Let's start with what it is not. It is not racism or some claim of genetic superiority. We are not the only people in the world who work hard or love our children. In short, we are not special. 

We have some great natural resources, but so do lots of places. It is not our weather or beaches or mountains, which are awesome. It is not our military strength or the size of our economy or (certainly) the wisdom of our leaders. 

America has all of those things and more, but in the end America is not people or statistics. America is an IDEA.

It is the idea that we are all equal. We don't have equal wealth or looks or skills but in our society that does not matter. We have equal status under the law. 

It means we are all free. Free to pursue your dreams. Free to compete with others for business. Free to do the work you choose, to learn what you wish, open a business, buy and sell and earn as you please. We are free to speak and pray and associate as we wish. 

It means we can succeed. Hard work will result in proportional rewards. We are all rewarded by our contribution. We own property, as the result of our efforts. 

America is the original melting pot. It is the place where different people can live together and disagree in peace. What matters here is not your heritage but your competence. We reward quality. 

The real America is an ongoing struggle between competing interests to prevail in both business and in terms of ideas. What we call America is not the prevailing brand or artist or author or official of the moment but rather a description of the process. 

"In its classic forms, American exceptionalism refers to the special character of the United States as a uniquely free nation based on democratic ideals and personal liberty."

We are an idea. We are a set of values and a set of expectations. We are a beacon for human rights and transparency and open debate and democratic election of representatives. 

We are not perfect. We never have been. And it doesn't matter. America is an idea; a perfect idea. It is the vision we struggle toward, not the smug satisfaction of a sublime accomplishment. 

The American truth is ugly and raw and brutal and honest and real. 

And beautiful. It is the story of our struggle toward an ideal. The ideal that we call American Exceptionalism. It is a belief in the goodness of unfettered humanity, in all its diversity, to do the right thing. It is a vision of what should be. 

Despite Mr. Chomsky and Mr. Smiley I believe in American Exceptionalism. I believe in Equality and Freedom and Opportunity and Competition. And I am not the least bit embarrassed to say so.