Washington Post columnist (and CNN host) Kathleen Parker turned in some thoughts (1/30/11) about what she didn’t hear Barack Obama’s State of the Union address:
He didn’t say it. That word: “exceptional.” Barack Obama described an exceptional nation in his State of the Union address, but he studiously avoided using the word conservatives long to hear.
She goes on:
The exceptional issue may be political, but it isn’t only that. The idea lies smack at the heart of how Americans view themselves, and the role of government in their lives and in the broader world. Is America exceptional or isn’t she? Is there something about this country that makes us unique in the world?
The right-wing obsession with Obama’s alleged reticence about declaring the United States “exceptional” is notable mostly because, as we pointed out here (12/21/10), the primary example Obama’s exceptional critics cite comes from a press conference in 2009 where Obama said this:
The United States remains the largest economy in the world. We have unmatched military capability. And I think that we have a core set of values that are enshrined in our Constitution, in our body of law, in our democratic practices, in our belief in free speech and equality, that, though imperfect, are exceptional.
Apparently that use of the word “exceptional”—you know, the thing Obama refuses to say—wasn’t quite exceptional enough. Parker knows that incident, but must write in circles in order to make the criticism of Obama hold up:
Exceptionalism became radioactive a couple of years ago when Obama was asked at an overseas news conference whether he subscribes to “the school of American exceptionalism that sees America as uniquely qualified to lead the world.”
His answer has haunted him since:
“I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.”
I remember thinking at the time: Bzzzzt. Wrong, Harvard. That is not the correct answer. There was more to his response, in fact, but the impression was already set.
What Obama added was that “we have a core set of values that are enshrined in our Constitution, in our body of law, in our democratic practices, in our belief in free speech and equality, that, though imperfect, are exceptional.”
Not so hard to say after all?
Let me see if I understand this. Obama doesn’t declare the United States to be exceptional—except that he does. Namely, the part of this much-discussed 2009 press conference where he explains that America really is exceptional—an answer of a sort to those deluded Brits and Greeks. Is the problem that he doesn’t declare American greatness loudly enough?
For the record, the State of the Union address included some boilerplate political rhetoric:
We are part of the American family. We believe that in a country where every race and faith and point of view can be found, we are still bound together as one people; that we share common hopes and a common creed; that the dreams of a little girl in Tucson are not so different than those of our own children, and that they all deserve the chance to be fulfilled.
That, too, is what sets us apart as a nation.
So what’s the problem, then? Obama would seem to make all the usual noises about American greatness. But some folks—Parker included—don’t seem to believe it. Given that this is the same Kathleen Parker who once wrote about how Obama lacked a certain American “fullbloodedness,” it seems pretty clear that she’s still got some hang-ups about him.
Robert Schlesinger
You can search for â┚¬Ã…“exceptionalâ┚¬Ã‚ and get lots of results. For example Obama used the word in relation to both Arlen Specter and Sonia Sotomayor. George W. Bush used it to describe Harriet Miers, twice. As close as Bush comes to talking about â┚¬Ã…“American exceptionalismâ┚¬Ã‚ was a brief reference to the country’s â┚¬Ã…“exceptional character.â┚¬Ã‚ Clinton talked about America’s â┚¬Ã…“exceptional place in human history.” But only Obama among the modern presidents has talked about â┚¬Ã…“American excpetionalism.â┚¬Ã‚Â
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/robert-schlesinger/2011/01/31/obama-has-mentioned-american-exceptionalism-more-than-bush
Steve Benen notes, Parker’s observation that â┚¬Ã…“exceptionalâ┚¬Ã‚ has become a conservative litmus test…”but instead of pushing back against this nonsense, and explaining why the true test of patriotism goes beyond tired buzz-words, Parker effectively does the opposite.
The US is exceptional.
So are serial killers.
And you have to wonder how Christina Taylor Green’s parents feel about Dear Misleader’s using her as a political prop, don’t you?
Maybe they’re ignorantly fine with that.
I’m not.
Are you?
For another perspective altogether, here’s economist Richard Wolff’s take on American exceptionalism in the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/jan/17/economics-globalrecession.
Here’s a link to an interview on solar-powered KRUU-FM with Prof Wolff on the Tanner & Moore show this week: http://www.kruufm.com/node/9631.
I think of the U.S. as more like “special.” As in “special ed,” the kids who ride the short bus. Aren’t Repiglickins like soon-to-be-ex CNNeener Parker the same ones who whinge about the “self-esteem movement” in public schools, because all that fluffing of the little children instead of punishing them turns ’em into weenies? But they get all weepy if people aren’t constantly affirming that the USA! USA! USA! is the greatest thing since sliced bread with a side of murdered Indian’s blood. Feh on ’em.
Exceptionally lame.
Excellence is not exceptional, it’s simply excellence. I think the President aspires for a nation that is secure enough in itself to not have to constantly reassure itself.
Good point, Hoovertac. Parker’s urgent, Soviet-style need to have the President (and all liberals, really) utterly conform to Rigthist fantasies about the U.S.’s vast wonderfulness speaks to her own childish insecurities. She makes a fool of herself in the above column when, noticing the simple truth in Obama’s honest remarks about exceptionalism, she insists that imbecile boilerplate nonsense is preferable, and that the President accept the propaganda and repudiate the truth. This is the Right’s stock-in-trade: Liberals are traitors who hate America; Conservatives love our great country because we’re number one. Why are we number one? Because we are, that’s why!
Parker’s a third-rate hack who’s pretty enough to be momentarily on the tube as a “conservative voice.” In fact, she’s just another Rightist who has as little use for democracy as Osama Bin Laden or Hosni Mubarak. It’s fun to see the Right-wing reveal their true selves as democracy rears its ugly head in Egypt. That their myriad lies, obsfucations, and hypocricies are rarely called out by their enablers in the Major Media is an ongoing outrage
Hey folks! A message from the world. We do not accept America’s idea of exceptionalism. We do not accept torture, we do not accept extraordinary rendition, we do not accept Guantanamo, we do not accept murder by drones, we do not accept its claim to be permitted to make war on any state that gets in its way.
Get that? America is not exceptional now nor has ever been. One country among equals — that in the past has done great things and benefited humanity, but today is nothing but a loose cannon (literally).
While we’re on this, did you see the tweet from the Egyptian protester. “We do not hate you because we hate your democracy; we hate you because you hate our democracy.”
Can No ONE flush either of these tiny turlitzers’ gasbaggery from opposite sides of the “Mighty Whirlitzer’s” Washington maelstom?
By DNA we are as alike as two peas in a pod.By our constitution… we are as different as night and day from most of the world.This is why we are exceptional.Wether or not our president ,who took a solemn oath on that document truly believes that, is still open to debate
I say…”Blow up your TV!” With Bill Moyers Journal no longer airing, we have to READ and sort out truth from all the garbage ourselves. What a concept!
Americans can be exceptionally stupid. As with their absurd gun laws. A very exceptional nation indeed!
Exceptionality is in itself not a good or bad thing. It is a modifier. One shouldn’t be calling oneself “exceptional” it is up to others to acknowledge it or not. Otherwise you are an egotist who boasts and most do not like a boaster. Rather like how FOX PAC calls itself “fair an balanced” which doesn’t count as real. Others have to see it.
Thanks, Christopher H., for that refreshing blast, and the pithy statement of the Egyptian protester. Unfortunately, you might as well be talking to an elm tree or barking at the moon, as you can see from the comments of one of our resident right-wing trolls here. But, rest assured, there are millions of Americans who see things as you do. Perhaps, one day, we Americans will throw off our bonds and make an attempt at freedom like those brave, fed-up souls in Egypt. We might declare that the Right-wing, Corporate rulers who are destroying our democracy are no longer welcome to do as they please. How long do you think they will wait before they send out the tanks and the planes and the death squads here, to crush what Glenn Beck called the “virus” of Democracy?
When “American Exceptionalism” becomes a buzzword to defend an attitude that only we are qualified to “lead” the world, then, to everyone else living in the world – it sounds an awful lot like a defense of “American Imperialism”. Which may explain why so called “conservatives” are so gung-ho about “American Exceptionalism”.
Curious that some of the very least exceptional Americans are the squawkiest about the word
“exceptionalism”.
I think that President Obama had it right when he said that every country thought of itself as exceptional. Its Nationalism pure and simple. America is exceptional in military might, arrogance, and its large number of ignorant people. I see nothing positive in its exceptionalism.
@Christopher Hoare: Some Americans have exactly the same point of view as you. Some of us actually say it out loud despite the glares we get from the self-righteous hypocrites. And then we get the old American refrain of “America, Love it or Leave it” as our answer. Small minds live in all lands but we have such a large land our fools get more attention.
I don’t think is exceptional the way a lot of our people think Sarah Palin is so great, or Michele Bachman, or the rest of the Tea Party. Sarah keeps using the word “exceptional” but only as it applies to her.
I seldom see a word of regard for the United states on these blogs. Constant insult and injury. Shame. The fact that you NEVER take an opposing viewpoint to” hate America first”shows your ignorance.THose who do(trolls) are seen as somehow beneath you. And it proves what we conservatives believe.THere are those among you who are a drag on this country.A tow anchor. Tim is one of these people.A socialist who’s true aim is an overthrow of America, and a remaking into a socialist image.THese are the saboteurs of the American way of life.Of free markets and CApitalism. Personal freedoms over the whole.And strict adherence to the constitution.WE really are at an end as to talking to this type.The only thing left is to defeat you at the polls. That is what we have done…and shall do.
This “debate” over exceptionalism in the US seems to me as a waste of time and space on CNN and in the papers. Parker seems to be an ignorant, with mediocre intellectual scills- and I laughed at several commentators above. Humor is an effective tool to take down egocentric figures with too high thaughts about themselves.
I think this “debate” is one of many symptoms of the Hollywoodization of the whole American society. For the hell, You Americans have greater problems to worry about than what a mediocre CNNer said – and don´t ask the Tea Party people for help! They are, from My point of view, a totally wrong and outdated recipie to cure the illnesses USA suffers from.
That’s right, Genierae. The President’s simply truthful remark (that all political cultures think very highly of themselves, no matter the actual circumstances) was too much for the authoritarian Parker, who essentially demanded that the President comport himself in a more proper, nationalistic, Soviet-style, propaganistic way. Parker’s not interested in the truth, or historical fact, or democratic principles. Like all Rightists, she’s interested in absolutes–and absolutely, she thinks she’s right, and all variations from right-wing ideas of language, thinking, and politically acceptable speaking set off her Pavlovian alarm bells. Hence the childish, ridiculous yammering-on about “exceptionalism.” Her own insecurities about this–that an exceedingly centrist, pro-business DNC Democrat gets this far up her nose over some dumb idea over a non-exsitent dispute about social and historical facts of which she knows nothing–speaks directly to how low and intellectually corrupt the Right is. The old Soviet Kulture watchers would be quite proud of Ms. Parker, and certainly envious. Their overbearing policing of their comrades’ every utterance didn’t pay well. Parker, as big a hack as any of them, is paid a king’s ransom for her toils. We’re number one!
P.S.: While chumps like Kathleen Parker and Charles “Stangelove” Krauthammer bleat on about how great the USA is, we have, to paraphrase Lewis Lapham, fallen behind in every category that indicates a country and culture worth living in. From fire safety to infant mortality, the USA consistently ranks near the bottom of the list. and this isn’t just compared to, say, socialist swamps like France and England and Switzerland. We’re talking about Afghanistan and Iraq (post US destruction, of course) and the other “Stans.” This is not because of liberals, or socialists, or the ACLU, or the TIDES foundation, or flouride in the water. It is because of unchecked, rampant, implacable greed, brought to you by Wall Street and the sociopaths who have literally bought off our government (US Senator Dick Durbin, of IL: “Frankly, the banks run this place.” He’s talking about the US Senate. Hmm: Did you think ACORN ran the Senate?)
So, a challenge: Name me one thing I can be proud about in this country, that springs directly from our democratic institutions and principles that we alllegedly hold dear. Show me how, as a nation, we are better than, say, France, in regards to something like pre- and post-natal care, or violent death by firearms, or education of young people. Good luck.
Tim i could name you a million.But lets just put it under one huge umbrella term of” Advancements”.This country has moved forward the human condition as no other nation ever has.In science,technology no one comes close.The arts……I could go on literally for years.This country is still the country where dreams are realized.Of all your blogs I think this one cuts close to the heart of the matter.The difference between us.George Bernard Shaw said “Some men see things as they are and ask why.Others dream things that never were and ask why not”This country still is the dream.You need to see that .When I was a Democrat I felt the wash of negativity.Negativity that saps the spirit.I feel that in you.There is so much to love in this country.People have fought and died to come here.If there as such a thing as being blessed…..this is it.With all its faults
A nation that was built using the labor of enslaved people, wrote a constitution that legitimized slavery without ever mentioning the word; emancipated the enslaved people after 200 years but gave them no land or other resources to sustain themselves; committed genocide against the native inhabitants and subjected the remnants to a trail of tears;remains the only country to use the ultimate weapon of mass destruction, nuclear weapons, against fellow human beings is indeed exceptional.
Well Mack the only good thing about how you view this amazing country is that you seem to stop in 1945 in itemizing the worst things about this country(Im sure you have a ton of gripes that are up to date).How about those filthy Italians?Did you ever see what those Roman legion’s did to the middle east?How about the moors invasion of Italy?The turks….headhunters in the south seas…..Germans and how about native Americans?Ever read what warfare was like here before “we” got here as told by their shammins?OK your point is what?In the past all races have horrors in their history?OK …..and????You talk of the encroachment of Europe upon Native Americans.Tell me where one culture has not encroached on another in the history of man?The supplanting of a woodland culture with an agrarian, and finally an industrialized society is more complex than good guy bad guy.WE are always sad at loosing one cultures richness with a dominant idea.But it is the constant history of ALL societies.
AS far as the nuclear bomb?Would JApan of surrendered without invasion is still not known.If invasion had happened the loss of life on both sides would of been ten fold.WE learned the horror.And at a time when we were the only power who possessed this power the world felt safe in the safekeeping.And we have never used it again.All shudder to think what the world would be today if post war- only the Russians had this power.
Just saw a stat that before Regan only one forth of the world had Democratic ideals in their government.Today it is 65%!Due to the exceptional example of this country, and the hard work of defending freedom.
Look this country was built with all different kinds of people.Slave, indentured servant,and free man.Its constitution was flawed and foresaw a day of reckoning.A day that came in a civil war to right that wrong.NO country has spent so much blood to fix its own inequities.I just hope that we have stronger fiber than to simply be nay sayers .
TimN: You listed a bunch of negative things about Your country, about which I´ve learned about mainly by TV series, movies, books etc, but You seem to have forgotten one good thing, which is not exceptional, but not given over the whole World. That is the freedom of speech!! You can write whatever You want on this blog, in a newspaper, You can even say it on TV – if they ever let You step in front of a camera – BUT REMEMBER!!! That privilege is not given man by nature, You have to guard it, fight for it – the men in power can restrain it any day by some “good” reason, like George W:s Patriot law about ten years ago.
It´s sad to see how not only the US but the whole World is run and soon owned by the multinational corporations. The situation is similar to how it was around 1900, just before Theodor Roosevelt took office in the Ehite House. He sat a stopper for the big, near-monopoly trusts who then ran America – and many senators as well. He also threatened, after a long coal miners strike, to nationalize the coal mines by force, if the miners and the mine-owners didn´t came to an agreement.
If there are men like Theodor Roosevelt in the United States today – and God knows men like him are badly needed! – and who dare to take action against the corporations and for the people, THEN I will call USA exceptional.
I most certainly did not forget about freedom of speech, Martin. My challenge (notice that it was not answered–hmmm) was directed at the fools who yammer on endlessly about the greatness of the USA but, when pressed, can’t name what makes us so great. Or, they trot out the usual bullshit about our wonderful benevolence. You know what I’m talking about. Yes, I know all too well that our leaders, with their “good reasons,” can and will take away as many of our rights as they can. I’m also acutely aware of the Corporate world’s desire to terminate our democracy(s) with extreme prejudice. Unfortuntely, there ain’t any Teddy Roosevelts around anymore.
Tim you like freedom of speech for one reason.It is your highway to attack this country free of tolls.Hint…that is not its only use.But I will leave the floor to you.How would the socialist paradise (you said you were a socialist)work in practice?Let me see your positive view of an America led by a truly socialist government.You always attack the status quo……here is your chance to go the other way.Explain away…….
P.s Teddy?????His speeches are enough to freeze the heart.A true progressive nightmare.Did like that he was a hunter though.He would of had a bully good time with Sarah.Making fun of the modern day wee wee libs around the fire would be my guess.
@michael e…..Why can’t you type correctly, spell correctly, use grammar and punctuation correctly?
TCB….Truth be told,I type in a blur .On these blogs I Never spell check.Never take a moment (unless i can spare one )to read what i just wrote.So your lucky it is not just one long run on sentence. Harvard is renown for being lax in this area.Weez all be lousee spellkers.So can i blame that institution?More importantly- you should read a certain comedy routine that lampoons liberal bloggers and their over arching psychosis with punctuation and spelling.I posted it ages ago.If it bothers you so, I will try to spend a moment every day to clean up my act… Not! Seriously, I gather that a lot of you think sloppiness in writing ,or laziness in hitting a button that activates a spell and grammar check ,is tantamount to rank stupidity.Hey whatever gets ya through the night.
Cheers
michael e, what do You mean with “progressive”? Do You put Teddy Roosevelt in a special category, or is the very word “progressive” just an invective handy to use when one runs out of arguments? Look, mate, there are some common utilities we all need, and which need a lot of money to run and maintain, and those money spells T – A – X – E – S !!! How will You otherwise finance, run and maintain things such as roads, post, electricity distribution, schools, health care, police, fire department etc. I won´t live in a society without any form of taxation – it will collapse before New Year…
The coal miners strike I referred to above was threatening the whole society – the stell mills stood still, the railroads, then with steam locomotives, ran out of coal, the winter approached and there were no cal left to heaten the houses during the winter. So Teddy Roosevelt just told the coal miners and the mine owners to at last come to an agreement, otherwise he´d nationalize them with force.
As I can understand, You want a society solely ran by free enterprice, and let the corporate business set the standards. Sorry, mate, all historical experience tells us that big companies cannot – and will not – care about anything else than the profit!
And, by the way, I found My lexicon under a pile of books, in an attempt to improve My written English – My mother tounge is Swedish.
Yes, America is exceptional, exceptionally bad! Eugenics for the Native American Indians, slavery for African Americans, more military bases in the world last count over 700.
The fact is that we are number one!! Can you guess what at? Self esteem!!!!We are feeling so great about ourselves for no good reason. More and more countries are ahead in English, Math and Science than the USA is.
Being exceptional implies that other countries are less than we are and we hold a special place in the scheme of things. We are great to the exclusion of others. What an arrogant, ignorant thing to say that we are exceptional. It is just right wing fantasy tripe.
Some want to claim our great use of business and free enterprise and free markets. Free markets and competition is not what corporations want. Free markets and loosened capitalism tanked the economy in 2008. Corporations don’t give 2 sh**s about anything but profits. Milton Friedman economics is the running economy of today.
http://www.umich.edu/~thecore/doc/Friedman.pdf
America was at one time a nation that cared about all its people, that is no longer the case. We have an oligarchy, as Citigroup fantasysied about the coming plutonomy in a paper to investors a few years ago. It has really come true. The wealthy are getting more and more of the benefits of our democracy, uh….plutocracy, that is. The benefits of living in this country has given great gains to the very rich, they must pay their fair share. They became rich by the government policies and infrastructure that was invested in through taxes.
Talking about American exceptionalism is like all the corpress media hype, a damn distraction so that you can’t know what is actually going on.
I sent a personal e-mail to Parker strongly disagreeing with her unusual less-than-sensible column. She did, as pointed out, write in irratioonal circles to avoid the easily available and widely reported entirety of Obama’s quote about American exceptionalism in his European speech. What he said was in no way something to be honestly criticized, even by right-wing nuts. Parker was flatly intellectually dishonest in what she did.
I provided her with the link — http://tinyurl.com/668mqx4 — to the Dec. 31 issue of my op-ed e-zine that dealt with what she wrote about a month later. I received no reply, of course, being small potatoes compared to a media star. But what is in the issue of my e-zine is correct — and she wasn’t.
She must have been having a bad gray-matter day.
Bas super, samo tako, stranica vam je super :).