The uniquely bizarre problem of “American Exceptionalism”

In 2009, a book entitled The Myth of American Exceptionalism was published. The book, written by Godfrey Hodgson, focused on the problems created by a historical drift of belief in the unique and religiously “exceptional” status of the United States of America. It was highly critical of American Exceptionalism, and discussed it in terms of what damage it has done to the United States and the world.

As it turns out, the book was prescient. The ascendancy of Donald Trump to the presidency, by whatever means you consider he was “elected,” very clearly demonstrates how “nativism,” “tribalism,” and religious fervor have had dire consequences for America and the world. American Exceptionalism, in its current form, arose from the Calvinist notion of “Manifest Destiny” that fueled the push westward in the United States relatively early in its history. In its simplest expression, it represents the idea that a group of people “chosen by God” have the divine right to certain privileges that others do not. Hence, the natives living in the western lands of the USA did not have the “rights” to those lands because “God” had already ordained that westward migrating white settlers should own them.

Over time, that same mentality was tacitly applied to all conquests for land, natural resources, or power undertaken by the United States. Various types of language have been used to justify American hegemony related to our conquests, but most distill down to the idea that “America was ordained by God to be the most powerful and prosperous nation on Earth.” This was not any designation voted on by body of nations of the world, but was a concept unilaterally imposed upon the world via policies imposed either economically or militarily by the United States. No global consensus was sought out by American leaders. The policies were imposed under threat of retaliation for non-compliance. And, oddly enough, those in the world that expressed disagreement of resentment were ultimately deemed “enemies” of “Freedom” by the USA.

In recent years, people like Sean Hannity of Fox News have vocally promoted their questionable understanding of universality of American Exceptionalism as part of a false populism. While the harshest interpretations of American Exceptionalism are fairly odious to most, the subtle “patriotism” that it engenders is widely accepted. It is similar to the idea of accepting the attractive idea of an “armed guard” constantly watching your front door without acknowledging that the “armed guard” is also a convicted thief and murderer, and has enough ammunition at his disposal to kill an entire neighborhood of people.

While few seem to grasp this inescapable reality, American Exceptionalism is a form of fascist thought that is every bit as odious as Nazism. As long as one sees themselves as “supreme” then all others are subordinated. That is not at all “noble,” nor is it even sane. Unless one simply accepts the religious implications, which include the notion that the United States is “exceptional” because of “God,” then there is no logical justification for any belief in American Exceptionalism. There is no logical argument to be made that doesn’t include some suggestion or version of “divine providence” as the core of the argument. Americans are not innately more “freedom loving” than any other group on Earth, and while those who wave the flag frenetically might disagree, they have no measurable way of confirming their assertion.

The fact that the United States is an insanely “anti-intellectual” nation doesn’t help the situation. Few Americans are very well versed in American history, let alone world history, and even fewer Americans understand how geopolitics work or have evolved over time. So, while Americans are very good at calling up uninformed outrage and mock bravado, most Americans cower at the prospect of being asked to participate in the pursuit of the “liberties” they profess to cherish and love, even when most of such “liberties” aren’t part of American life. As the Punk Rock band said of most western democracies to include the USA, “You have the right to free speech, as long as you’re not dumb enough to actually try it.”

American Exceptionalism has been equated with “patriotism” in ways that defy logic and ethics by the Trump administration. Trump and his supporters are clearly xenophobic fanatics whose sole offering to the world is hatred, divisiveness, subjugation, thievery, and overt fascism. It is the core of Trump’s attractiveness to his “base,” who are mostly poorly educated, low-wage, and largely religiously fundamentalist. They are immune to facts, reason, or positive engagement. Instead, they opt to turn all political interaction into a contest of wills, aggression, and violence. This is what American Exceptionalism has brought us a “reward” for its acceptance.