American Exceptionalism is dangerous

[bluestateguy]

What is dangerous is the ideology of American exceptionalism that is a cornerstone of neoconservative thought. This notion that America is somehow "special", or that God chose America to advance human civilization and better mankind, that America has something to teach the rest of the world. That ideology is dangerous. In fact it's dangerous for any nation to espouse such ideas.

Loving your country is fine, but that need not require one to believe that your country has a divine mission and an inherent superiority over every other nation-state.

[AX10]

1. I agree.

[Jed Dilligan]

2. It's important to record it

It will someday be added to the great historical database of exceptionalists whose empires have fallen and died.

[H2O Man]

3. Indeed ....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2105414

[mother earth]

4. It is just what Hitler thought about Germany, wasn't it?

It's amusing that this admin. is using Germany's fascism as a comparison, likening them to today's terrorism threat. They simply miss the irony in that Hitler's Germany is exactly their model.

[treestar]

5. Agree. It's egotistical and absurd, because the rest of the world

is not going to go along with that, and when they resist, acting "entitled" to deference looks even more ridiculous.

[niallmac]

6. "Exceptionalism" read: Racism.

PC strikes again. We don't kill innocents anymore. We experience collateral damage.
We don't suck the material and human life out of third world countries. We
exercise our exceptional status on earth as Gods Chosen Consumers.

It would be a different world if the 'average American' were allowed to vote
on the decisions that international corporations and our State Dept make
in the area of foreign policy alone.

Dear Voter, Nestle wants to sell baby formula to countries where it will be mixed with polluted water.
OK with you?

Dear Voter, Tobacco giants want to sell their U.S. banned more addictive cigs in foreign countries to unsuspecting souls.
...OK with you?

[The2ndWheel]

7. Cornerstone of neoconservative thought?

It's been the cornerstone of thought in this ever expanding nation-state far longer than that. There wouldn't be an America without it.

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

8. Add to that the "1% doctrine" and you really have a mess!

Ron Suskind's "The One Percent Doctrine" really spells out the M.O. for Cheney et al after Sept 11.

If there is even a 1% probability that someone is even thinking that they WANT to develop weapons of mass destruction, then we must act, according to the 1% doctrine.

There aren't too many things that don't have at least a 1% probability of happening.

Imagine if we all applied this in daily life. Do you know someone who doesn't like your politics? Do you think there is a 1% or more probability this individual ever thinks about doing harm to you in some way? If so then it is ACTION TIME, according to the 1% doctrine.