American Exceptionalism

In November 2008, the National Intelligence Council, an affiliate of the Central Intelligence Agency, has predicted that America's global preeminence would gradually disappear over the next 15 years.

I don't want a "uniquely American" solution to health care reform. Give me almost any of the solutions in Europe. I'd even take some of the health care systems in Asia. Happily.

Since the dawn of the Industrial Age, and even before, there has been a deep strain of exceptionalism in the American character.

How can this protectionist, elitist, and even racist declaration be in the best interests of America, which despite Mr. Gingrich's supremacist notion, is part of the global community?

In Strasbourg yesterday, the president was asked about American exceptionalism. "I believe in American exceptionalism," he began, "just as I suspect the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism." Leaving aside that we Greeks believe our exceptionalism to be exceptional and exceptionally old, the president's answer was masterful as he went on to talk about America's core set of values, quickly pivoting to the need to recognize "that we're not always going to be right" and "that other people may have good ideas." So basically, yes, we are exceptional -- when we live up to our exceptional values. It's going to take a while to repair America's reputation -- and thus its ability to lead in the world -- but in Europe this week, Obama made an exceptional start.

The choice America makes will be a world wide broadcast on whether it is content with mediocrity and the cancer of anti-intellectualism that began to spread this Election season.

The conception of America as the "city upon a hill" was not the handiwork of Ronald Reagan, or indeed of any other paladin of the Republican Party.

The Obama candidacy is not about an individual, but about reasserting the distinction of a nation, membership in which is not hereditary but elective.

Despite the swooning praises of Obama from the western European chattering classes, the reality is that someone in their own countries with Obama's political style would actually turn them off.