Exceptionalism but not Isolationism
Every once in awhile you read something that makes you laugh out loud. And usually it’s one of those embarrassing snorts because the humour catches you so unaware. Hence my embarrassment flying on Qantas guffawing to an essay in The Economist:
All countries are exceptional. But America likes to think of itself as exceptionally exceptional, different from other advanced industrial countries not just in its social arrangements but also in its underlying values. America has a smaller state than other comparable countries and a more unequal distribution of wealth. It is also more strongly committed to what Margaret Thatcher once called “Victorian values”—individualism, voluntarism, patriotism.
The rest of the article provides a ruthless, insightful commentary on the American psyche. But what is truly noteworthy is the conclusion, stating that the sense of “exceptionalism” is not at risk - but the American sense of triumphalism is under threat. Terrorism, recession, political in-fighting are all leaving the psyche damaged after “winning” the Cold War:
The main challenge facing the next president will not be to blunt American exceptionalism, but to make sure that American triumphalism is not replaced by a grumpy and irresponsible isolationism.
I agree with The Economist. If America picks up its toys and goes home, the world will be a lonelier and more dangerous place.
Thanks for visiting!
