For all our power in the world, the United States is still a very young nation. Unlike
the modern states in Europe, in Asia, and in the Middle East, we do not stand upon thousands of years of history in the location where our nation is. Because of our youth as a nation, and a national tradition, we are prone to some of the tendencies of youth.
For awhile I’ve thought of the national sentiment known as American Exceptionalism as a sign of our youth, of our lack of maturity as a country. I have equated it in my mind to an older teenager who is absolutely convinced that the world revolves around their needs, their perceptions, and their desires. We have the power of physical maturity without having the emotional maturity that comes with experience. We have an awareness of our own importance without the balancing awareness of the importance of others.
American Exceptionalism is the doctrine that the United States of America is special. In some versions, it is framed as the U.S. being God’s New Chosen People. In others it is as if we are the new Roman Empire. In others it is as if our pseudo-relationship with Democracy makes us the pinnacle of human development and achievement. In still others it is as if our economic dominance grants us overlord status for the rest of the world. In still others our advanced military gives us the right to dictate to others. In still others it is simply a belief that our National Interest is what is always most important, just because we are AMERICA. In most cases of American Exceptionalism, it is all of these together with the idea that we have conquered the “frontier” and as such have earned a pre-eminent place.
Want an example? Why do we refer to the United States as “America”, when that title actually should apply to two whole continents and 21 countries? The narcissism of youth, perhaps…
There is currently profound imitrex to buy angst among the adherents of the Doctrine of American Exceptionalism that President Obama is publically saying that the U.S. is not leading the military intervention in Libya. As I have sat this morning reading some of that angst in articles and websites of the right end of the political spectrum, it seemed to me that the objection is that we were allowing something to be led by someone else, and therefore placing ourselves in danger of the world no longer viewing us as “special”.
It reminded me of that moment in my late teens and early twenties, when I realized that I was a normal human being, just like everyone else. That I was important, I had a role to play and people cared about me, but that there was nothing inherently different or special about me. That I did not have special rights and privileges just because I was DAVID PYLE… and in fact there were quite a few people who had been around a lot longer than I, who were far wiser, and who had been patiently waiting on me to reach this step in my own maturity… where I could see myself as one among many and not the most important one among many.
As nations besides the United States take leadership in the intervention in Libya, as we seek to state (and I think actually mean this time) that we are not involved in order to impose our will and values on another Muslim country, perhaps we are making that same realization as a country. Yes, the U.S. is wonderful, and I love this nation… I’ve dedicated much of my life to its service. Yet we are a part of this world, not the divinely appointed rulers of it. Other nations have interests that are just as valid, and sometimes more valid than ours. It is not always about us.
Maybe we are seeing our nation grow up, just a bit.
Yours in faith,
Rev. David
“we do not stand upon thousands of years of history in the location where our nation is.”
Actually you do.
It is Native American history though. . .
I would have thought that you knew that better than most David. 🙂
Ah, but that’s just the point, Robin… for the most part, the United States pays only passing attention to that history. It does not serve as the foundation for our society and culture the way, say, European or Chinese History does for the modern EU or the People’s Republic of China.
For the most part, our societal connections to the Native American origins of this land are window-dressing at best, and cultural mis-appropriation at worst. I wish American society rested on the culture and traditions of my Cherokee people… but it is simply not the case. It is certainly not where we look for the origins of our law, of our society, and of our culture.
At most, we look to Europe… but for many Americans it is as if we sprang up from the ground spontaneously.
Yours in Faith,
David
:For the most part, our societal connections to the Native American origins of this land are window-dressing at best, and cultural mis-appropriation at worst.
Agreed.
: I wish American society rested on the culture and traditions of my Cherokee people… but it is simply not the case. It is certainly not where we look for the origins of our law, of our society, and of our culture.
Well perhaps the Cherokee people got short shrift in that respect David, but I *have* heard a rumor to the effect that the U.S. Constitution was significantly influenced by the Iroquois ‘Great Law of Peace’.
Googling around a bit found this –
http://www.iroquoisdemocracy.pdx.edu/
Interesting Robin, I had never seen that theory before..
Yet you make my point for me. I have a bachelor’s degree in history from a U.S. School, and I had never even heard the possibilty that the constitution had a direct Iroquois connection…
Remember, were not talking about the actual history… we’re talking about how U.S. Citizens perceive themselves…
I could not find a better argument for my point than the one you make. How many U.S. Citizens would know about the Iroquois connection? How many would believe it if you told them? And how many would then believe our nation “arose” from the Iroquois…
I doubt you’d find any…
Yours in faith,
David
I hate to say this, David… but I knew about the Iroquois connection. Of course, I learned about it from a sermon preached by the Rev. David Hicks MacPherson (a contemporary of our old preaching professor) at the first UU church I ever attended, not in history class (which again proves your point).
Rev. David, Robin and Earthbound Spirit–It is a reflection of our national cluelessness about Native American history that the code name for Bin Laden was “Geronimo”–this lack of humility for our past excesses, mixed with the ongoing terrorism that puts every citizen at risk, still leaves me speechless! Margot