Is 'American Exceptionalism' a virtuous State of mind ?

For example;
Is Human Freedom real ?

Can it be real ?     ....can Human Freedom be a real aspiration for   ALL   men and women ?

Or can that aspiration only be valid for a small minority of mankind ?


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IMAGE.....
https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/02/GettyImages-125966373.jpg

Is 'American Exceptionalism' a virtuous State of mind ?


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Quote:

Safeguarding American Exceptionalism Is The Way To A Better World By  Douglas Carswell Feb 1, 2021 ‘Freedom’, warned Ronald Reagan, ‘is never more than one generation away from extinction.’ Almost 32 years to the day after Reagan left the White House, it is clear what he meant. Today the ideas of liberty — which are the essence of American exceptionalism — are under attack. A radical New Left is in the ascendant. Today in Congress sit representatives intent on imposing ruinous tax rates on America. An administrative state has arisen that risks stifling innovation. On university campuses across the country, young Americans are taught to despise their country’s past, belittle her present and despair for her future. ...... Today in America the progressives want you to believe that there is something inevitable about the relentless growth of big government and the socialisation of the American way of life. ......

https://www.dailywire.com/news/safeguarding-american-exceptionalism-is-the-way-to-a-better-world

[the whole article is just a click away.]


Is Douglas Carswell too optimistic ?



My own opinion is that we can't free a people, any people, give them true liberty, by seeking to 'shoe-horn' them into a social society, where human equality is a function of a government law - and where government 'functionaries' [e.g. soviet style 'commissars'] have a higher 'station' [before the law] than any ordinary citizen [in a political state].

My own opinion is that    every social policy    within a collegial society, should seek to promote the social good of equal opportunity.

But we should NOT seek to write laws to try to enforce equal outcomes.


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Quote:

Or can that aspiration only be valid for a small minority of mankind ?

None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.
- Goethe


None can love freedom so heartily, but good men; the rest have not freedom, but licence.
- John Hamilton


Liberty has never come from Government.
Liberty has always come from the subjects of it.
The history of Liberty is a history of resistance.
The history of Liberty is a history of limitations of Governmental power, NOT the increase of it.
- Woodrow Wilson


Liberty means responsibility.
That is why most men dread it.
- George Bernard Shaw

oday the ideas of liberty — which are the essence of American exceptionalism — are under attack.



See the issue is I disagree with this statement.

Prime Minister for Canyons wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2021 at 8:42am:

Today the ideas of liberty — which are the essence of American exceptionalism — are under attack. See the issue is I disagree with this statement.

Because you only see what     the 'American experiment'    has achieved [and people like yourself think that you deserve/want 'a piece of that pie' too].

But you don't take the time, to comprehend what human values [and sacrifices] must be followed and encouraged,
to get to that place.    .....of peace and prosperity, in a society of men.


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Matthew 6:32
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.


Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Because you only see what     the 'American experiment'    has achieved [and people like yourself think that you deserve/want 'a piece of that pie' too].


Actually I don't really. The US seems like a bit of shithole.

Prime Minister for Canyons wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2021 at 11:34am:

Because you only see what     the 'American experiment'    has achieved [and people like yourself think that you deserve/want 'a piece of that pie' too]. Actually I don't really. The US seems like a bit of shithole.

Historically, the people of the U.S.A. [especially those who represented the American people, in government] mostly, held conservative, Christian values.

ARGUMENT;
The character of a nation, is [always] only a reflection of the character of the people of a nation.

But in recent decades WOKE, LEFTIST, PROGRESSIVES, have been pouring into the U.S., legally and illegally.

And, getting into positions of power-in-government, in order to change the character of the nation of the U.S., into that, of being a reflection of their own character.

WOKE, LEFTIST, PROGRESSIVES.

'The Squad', Kamala Harris, etc, as examples.

Persons who do NOT support conservative views - IN GOVERNMENT.


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Bojack,

If it is true what your say,      that "The US seems like a bit of shithole."
.....why are so many people still seeking to cross over the border, into the U.S., legally and illegally ?

To what purpose ?

If the 'shithole' U.S.,    is no better than their homelands ?

But i concede, that the U.S. is rapidly morphing into a true reflection of the character of the majority of the people who are alive in the U.S. today.

Many of whom, are WOKE, LEFTIST, PROGRESSIVES.

What does US exceptionalism mean when it only ranks 15th in the 2019 freedom index of the Cato index behind:
New Zealand, Switzerland, Hong Kong (guess that can do with revising), Canada, Australia, Denmark and Luxembourg (tied in 6th place), Finland and Germany (tied in 8th place), and Ireland. Selected countries rank as follows: Sweden (11) and the United Kingdom (14)?

Reporters without Borders ranks the US at 45th in 2019.

The US is also defined as a 'flawed democracy'.

Nothing exceptional about the US in terms of freedoms - Lucky if it ranks as average in the west.

Yadda wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2021 at 12:01pm:

Prime Minister for Canyons wrote on Feb 3rd, 2021 at 11:34am: Because you only see what     the 'American experiment'    has achieved [and people like yourself think that you deserve/want 'a piece of that pie' too]. Actually I don't really. The US seems like a bit of shithole. Historically, the people of the U.S.A. [especially those who represented the American people, in government] mostly, held conservative, Christian values. ARGUMENT; The character of a nation, is [always] only a reflection of the character of the people of a nation. But in recent decades WOKE, LEFTIST, PROGRESSIVES, have been pouring into the U.S., legally and illegally. And, getting into positions of power-in-government, in order to change the character of the nation of the U.S., into that, of being a reflection of their own character. WOKE, LEFTIST, PROGRESSIVES. 'The Squad', Kamala Harris, etc, as examples. Persons who do NOT support conservative views - IN GOVERNMENT. . Bojack, If it is true what your say,      that "The US seems like a bit of shithole." .....why are so many people still seeking to cross over the border, into the U.S., legally and illegally ? To what purpose ? If the 'shithole' U.S.,    is no better than their homelands ? But i concede, that the U.S. is rapidly morphing into a true reflection of the character of the majority of the people who are alive in the U.S. today. Many of whom, are WOKE, LEFTIST, PROGRESSIVES.

IN comparison to some places probably better, greatest country on the earth? not a chance

Prime Minister for Canyons wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2021 at 11:34am:

The US seems like a bit of shithole.

Well Pastafarian, since Dopey Joe took the 'pilot's seat' I suppose you're correct.............for once.

Fuzzball wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2021 at 12:13pm:

Prime Minister for Canyons wrote on Feb 3rd, 2021 at 11:34am: The US seems like a bit of shithole. Well Pastafarian, since Dopey Joe took the 'pilot's seat' I suppose you're correct.............for once.

Thanks Nerf Sniper.

What is 'American exceptionalism'?  Seems to me that  this is a flawed belief in their own superiority held by some Americans based on their ideas of personal freedom that they feel are unmatched by any other nation, coupled with a belief that military power and worldwide cultural influence are natural consequences of this superiority.    

This has never actually been the case, as recent events in the US have shown us. In fact the US is outside the top ten in every indicator of human freedom https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/freedom-index-by-country

Belgarion wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2021 at 12:31pm:

What is 'American exceptionalism'? Seems to me that this is a flawed belief in their own superiority.....

** = = What have the Americans [has American civilisation] ever done for us !!!!



Quote:

** Despite today accounting for a mere 4 percent of the global population, the US economy is the world’s largest and most innovative. ** America leads the way in everything from developing vaccines against Covid to the science of super computing and space travel. Over and above such material accomplishment, are America’s moral achievements. American exceptionalism has not only elevated the United States. By extension it has helped lift the cause of humankind. ** Twice in the past century, America intervened to help save the world from militarism and Nazism. ** It was American resolve during the Cold War that overcame the threat of Communism. Can you imagine what the world might look like today if on any of those occasions the anti-American side had prevailed? ** Following the defeat of Soviet communism, the past thirty years has witnessed the greatest increase in global prosperity in any period in human history. ** This global progress is underwritten by American leadership. ** As you read this, millions of people around the world are benefiting from a GPS navigation system developed by the US — and offered to the rest of the world at no cost. ** Technology developed by Apple and others right here in the United States has put into the pockets of millions of people across the planet more computing power than NASA had the day they landed a man on the moon. ** Bill Gates has ploughed billions into eradicating malaria in Africa, doing more than any government ever managed to improve the lives of Africans. The one thing that most surprises me about American exceptionalism is the refusal of America’s elites to see it. Instead of taking pride in America’s past, millions of Americans have been taught to despise their own country. To be sure, America has not always lived up to the founding ideals of liberty. But that is no reason to reject the founding principles as the ‘woke’ left insist. ......

https://www.conservativenewsdaily.net/breaking-news/safeguarding-american-exceptionalism-is-the-way-to-a-better-world/

And while America gave the world all of those things, listed   ---- > Reply #10


ISLAM, has given the world the peace of ISLAM.     !!!

/sarc off

Belgarion wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2021 at 12:31pm:

What is 'American exceptionalism'?  Seems to me that  this is a flawed belief in their own superiority held by some Americans based on their ideas of personal freedom that they feel are unmatched by any other nation, coupled with a belief that military power and worldwide cultural influence are natural consequences of this superiority.     This has never actually been the case, as recent events in the US have shown us. In fact the US is outside the top ten in every indicator of human freedom https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/freedom-index-by-country

However, of course, we and the rest of the west humour and indulge them with perpetuating their myth because of their collective power and the security they provide.

Yadda wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2021 at 12:48pm:

The one thing that most surprises me about American exceptionalism is the refusal of America’s elites to see it. Instead of taking pride in America’s past, millions of Americans have been taught to despise their own country.

Oh, the elites see it alright.

They're not taught to despise their country... They're barely taught about their country, it seems.

The events of 6/1 raised the issue of whether similar things had happened in the US before... Most Americans, apparently, didn't know it had... In South Carolina (the civil disturbances of 1876), where 'too many darkees' exercised their right to vote.

Lindsey Graham alluded to it in the Senate after the riots.

As for the peaceful transfer of power never having been breached before...

That depends on whether you think the peace is broken when a bomb goes off, or whether it is broken when the fuse is lit.

the original constitution is an impressive document.

the USA was set up as a republic, not as a democracy.

the idea of the constitution was to "limit the power of the government over the people"

that worked incredibly well and really created the american miracle.

hollywood, the auto revolution, the tech revolution, the space revolution

america was a shining light on the hill, precisely because people had so much freedom.

people were SO SELF RELIANT that the government , originally, could not even collect income taxes.
there was no provision in the constitution to take money from the people and give it to someone else.
they had to change the constitution to enable this.

there was no possibility of government borrowing money either.
they had to change the constitution to do that.

but america stopped being exceptional when , slowly but surely, politicians realised that , in a toxic symbiotic way, they could construct bigger and bigger government and people could have more and more of their problems "looked after" by an authority figure.

thats just human nature.

standing on your own two feet, is always tough.

and people dont want to do tough things.

having governments give you things is nice.
who doesnt want that.

the problem is that people end up "getting what they want"
they dont end up "getting what is good for them".

for america to be great again, they need to massively shrink government.
the chances of that happening, however are zero.

for every exceptional elon musk , you have a thousand chodes .
and they all get the same power at the ballot box

The US is now a corporation.

aquascoot wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2021 at 3:26pm:

the original constitution is an impressive document. the USA was set up as a republic, not as a democracy. the idea of the constitution was to "limit the power of the government over the people" that worked incredibly well and really created the american miracle.

Yes, but it was written for educated enlightenment elites.

Also, something that Shashi Tharoor went into in his book 'Inglorious Empire - what the British Did To India' was the intent of the East India company in the mid 18th century when India had been raped of its easily stolen wealth and profiteering off Indians was starting to slow. The East India Co. had its eyes on the American colonies as the next best thing if and when India's wealth was all gone.

The founding fathers knew this and also knew that the British Parliament would likely give the company a free hand in pillaging the colonies.

T**** has shown just how far away from the idea of American Exceptionalism the country and the people really are.

Americans won't ever accept it, but it's been exposed for all to see.

Nothing is sacred anymore.

No human is ever free.
You're born into a world of forced law.
You don't sign up for it... it is forced on you.
Don't comply and you will pay, literally.

No one will ever be free......ever.

Captain Caveman wrote on Feb 4^th, 2021 at 8:22am:

No human is ever free. You're born into a world of forced law. You don't sign up for it... it is forced on you. Don't comply and you will pay, literally. No one will ever be free......ever.

I do not agree.

Personal freedom, must spring from our own embrace, of accepting personal responsibility.

i.e.
Our coming to understand, that all of our choices [in this life], will have some consequence for ourselves, or, have a consequence for ourselves AND those around us.



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Yadda said....

Quote:

A simple definition of SANITY/INSANITY. Typically, an unrestrained sane person will act in ways which are harmless to others, and in ways which are creative, and productive [for himself, others, and society]. And typically, and conversely, an unrestrained INSANE person will act in ways which are harmful and destructive to himself, and, or, others around him.

SadKangaroo wrote on Feb 4^th, 2021 at 6:49am:

T**** has shown just how far away from the idea of American Exceptionalism the country and the people really are. Americans won't ever accept it, but it's been exposed for all to see. Nothing is sacred anymore.

Not so.

Our own personal choices [every day ! ] are able to determine if we will be, in the presence of that which is sacred, or, in the presence of that which is vile.

SATAN is waiting around every corner.

But our conscience, will tell us which path we ought NOT to walk down.


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To ignore evil is to become an accomplice to it.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.


"And what is good, Phaedrus?
And what is not good?
Need we ask anyone to tell us these things?
- Plato


Jeremiah 15:19
Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.


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Every one of us has a 'still, small voice', in our heart.

Do we hear that 'still, small voice', or, do we only see this world in front of our eyes ?



John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.


Zechariah 1:3
....Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.


Malachi 3:7
Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.....


James 4:8
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you....



The most important things in life
https://solitaryroad.com/a398.html

Yadda wrote on Feb 4^th, 2021 at 9:05am:

Captain Caveman wrote on Feb 4th, 2021 at 8:22am: No human is ever free. You're born into a world of forced law. You don't sign up for it... it is forced on you. Don't comply and you will pay, literally. No one will ever be free......ever. I do not agree. Personal freedom, must spring from our own embrace, of accepting personal responsibility. i.e. Our coming to understand, that all of our choices [in this life], will have some consequence for ourselves, or, have a consequence for ourselves AND those around us. . Yadda said.... Quote: A simple definition of SANITY/INSANITY. Typically, an unrestrained sane person will act in ways which are harmless to others, and in ways which are creative, and productive [for himself, others, and society]. And typically, and conversely, an unrestrained INSANE person will act in ways which are harmful and destructive to himself, and, or, others around him.

An established society with laws is not true freedom.

Insanity is not behaving the way society tells you to behave.

Every declining hegemonic nation goes through this "(Insert the name of the nation State; eg American) Exceptionalism" BS. Its a way of coping with their realised mediocrity. Egypt, Greece, Rome, India, China, Spain, UK and now the US, they've all gone through it. Sure they did some great things in their day but we humans are great copiers. We see what others do better and we copy them until we're just as good as them and inevitably as they get tired and exhausted we surpass and become better than them. It has forever been thus. Its how we humans progress. And although we may lament and be sad about losing the old days, it was always going to happen. We are fast approaching the end of an era. The old ways of doing things dont work anymore. Like it or not we have to replace it with something. But replace it we must. Now more than ever people must be vocal and strident about the changes they want because frankly there are those with most the power and money who have every intention of imposing on the rest of us the changes that suite them; and if left to them alone it will invariably lead to our oppression. 

In my younger years I was told and believed that the masses are the most powerful political force in every society. But if that's still true in 2021 it certainly wont be true for too much longer. There is undeniably a small class of people in the world today who have a combined wealth that exceeds the wealth of many countries and have infiltrated the power structures of most other countries to control and use them to serve their own purposes. Now add to that the enormous technological, psychological and surveillance power at their fingertips and its not hard to see that the power of the masses is roughly equivalent to that of a Roman legion trying to do battle with one Leopard tank.

For all those who like to talk about "freedom" the next 5 years might very well be the last chance we, the masses, will ever have to force the changes we want to serve us. Look everywhere in the world and there are people rising up to challenge the traditional power structures that serve the interests of the few over the many. We need to join them before its too late. 

Yadda wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2021 at 7:39am:

Is 'American Exceptionalism' a virtuous State of mind ?

It's been protecting your F A T lazy racist ass for decades.

Marla wrote on Feb 4^th, 2021 at 10:58am:

Yadda wrote on Feb 3rd, 2021 at 7:39am: Is 'American Exceptionalism' a virtuous State of mind ? It's been protecting your F A T lazy racist ass for decades.

Very True... Your people have guaranteed Australia's security and future since WW2, even after 'Mother England' abandoned us to our fate during the war.

Thank you...

That's why we're happy to go along with your myth of American exceptionalism.

Captain Caveman wrote on Feb 4^th, 2021 at 10:09am:

An established society with laws is not true freedom.

That is one opinion.

Here is another.

------ >

Where justice reigns, 'tis freedom to obey.
- James Montgomery



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Captain Caveman wrote on Feb 4^th, 2021 at 10:09am:

Insanity is not behaving the way society tells you to behave.

'Insanity = = not behaving the way society tells you to behave.'  ???

So if you DO always agree with the government/society, that is your definition of sanity ?



I'm happy with this definition thanks.

------ >

Yadda said....

Quote:

A simple definition of SANITY/INSANITY. Typically, an unrestrained sane person will act in ways which are harmless to others, and in ways which are creative, and productive [for himself, others, and society]. And typically, and conversely, an unrestrained INSANE person will act in ways which are harmful and destructive to himself, and, or, others around him.

..

American Exceptionalism:
As seen through the eyes of an Australian


[media width=625]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiJIYdgkF9M[/media]

Only future events will define whether or not Australia can vitally depend on the USA, under Biden, for their defense, because against many potential adversaries (China, Russia, etc....etc.....) Australia's minuscule ±80,000 man Defense Force (which includes All Reserves).....not even enough personnel to even fill the MCG!......would be severely tested, & eventually broken, without Uncle Sam's Power & Might to come to the rescue!!!

https://i.imgur.com/TjLUzKV.gif

..

Adams was elected to the Ashfield, Australia council in 2004 on the Young Liberals ticket.[6] He was elected under a loophole which allowed Adams as a non resident to run for elections.[7] He was criticized for often missing council meetings because he was traveling the American speaking circuit as a motivational speaker.[6] In October 2006, Adams was "formally condemned by fellow Councillors after racking up thousands of dollars worth of phone calls and Cabcharges for personal benefit."[8]

In 2009, he was given a six-month suspension from the Liberal Party of Australia for conduct deemed likely to "embarrass or cause damage to" the Party during an altercation with Brett Mason, a journalist for Channel Ten who was filming a report on Mr Adams' absences from the council due to overseas travel when Adams confronted him, stating, "I would just like to say that Brett Mason is a [expletive] good-for-nothing [expletive]. Thank you."[6][9][10][11]

Adams denounced multiculturalism, saying "It creates groups and pockets of people that of course, then feel that there are certain elements of superiority and inferiority and I think that we need to be united."[9]

In addition to appearing on Fox News and other conservative media outlets, Adams has been a columnist for Townhall.com and a "Centennial Institute Policy Fellow" at Colorado Christian University.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Adams_(commentator)

Yadda wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2021 at 7:39am:

Is 'American Exceptionalism' a virtuous State of mind ?

Only in the mind of Americans

John Smith wrote on Feb 4^th, 2021 at 2:34pm:

Yadda wrote on Feb 3rd, 2021 at 7:39am: Is 'American Exceptionalism' a virtuous State of mind ? Only in the mind of Americans

Jealousy will get you nowhere........

BTW how good is yer Mandarin fella, & how much of Australia has been sold to China already, may-tea?

They won't even have to fight for anything, just walk right in & claim what's already theirs...... http://www.33sm.ml/smileys/taunt.gif

Yadda wrote on Feb 4^th, 2021 at 1:15pm:

Captain Caveman wrote on Feb 4th, 2021 at 10:09am: An established society with laws is not true freedom. That is one opinion. Here is another. ------ > Where justice reigns, 'tis freedom to obey. - James Montgomery . Captain Caveman wrote on Feb 4th, 2021 at 10:09am: Insanity is not behaving the way society tells you to behave. 'Insanity = = not behaving the way society tells you to behave.'  ??? So if you DO always agree with the government/society, that is your definition of sanity ? I'm happy with this definition thanks. ------ > Yadda said.... Quote: A simple definition of SANITY/INSANITY. Typically, an unrestrained sane person will act in ways which are harmless to others, and in ways which are creative, and productive [for himself, others, and society]. And typically, and conversely, an unrestrained INSANE person will act in ways which are harmful and destructive to himself, and, or, others around him.

Okay.

Sane people in controlled societies around the world have called for human rights over the last century or so. They want to save every precious life in every country.
They are considered sane people. Acting in the benefit of human life only.
This has then lead to a world with a massive over population problem in which poverty is becoming the norm for a lot of earths inhabitants. The number is growing daily.
Humans can breed till there is no more room left and at the same time force other inhabitants into extinction. This is considered sanity. Yep, sanity at its finest.
I call it insane. I'm sure others would as well.



Was Hitler sane, or insane?

Sanity is in the eye of the beholder.

Panther wrote on Feb 4^th, 2021 at 2:41pm:

BTW how good is yer Mandarin fella, & how much of Australia has been sold to China already, may-tea?

Have you paid china the $1.7 trillion the US owes them yet? :D :D

and you can't seriously think the Chinese down own a huge peice of the USA can you? :D :D

https://www.foxnews.com/world/how-much-of-the-united-states-does-china-really-own


Quote:

China owned $1.4 billion worth of U.S. farmland… and now, it's likely to buy a lot more

https://moneymorning.com/2017/07/07/why-china-is-snatching-land-from-u-s-farmers/

and


Quote:

Chinese investors and firms own a majority of almost 2,400 American companies employing 114,000 people, about the same number as the combined U.S. staffs of Google, Facebook and Tesla, according to data from MacroPolo.

https://www.axios.com/working-for-china-1515542281-d4bc0ab4-bed6-4085-a26e-c5d7c66be74c.html


but you keep pretending if you like ;D ;D