No shining city: 5 myths of American exceptionalism

The view of America as uniquely virtuous with a sacred destiny (” a shining city on a hill,” the “indispensable nation”, etc.) is mostly myth, according to Stephen Walt writing in November’s “Foreign Policy.”

Five false beliefs on which the so- called “narrative of exceptionalism” is based are:

1. Empire builders always claim to be different and thus tasked with special responsibilities. The Brits called it “the white man’s burden” and the Soviets promised a socialist utopia.
2. We think we behave better than others, especially other great powers. But our history is one of expansionism, with few historic parallels, and wanton killing of native peoples and foreigners from the Philippines to Vietnam to Iraq.
3. Rather than some special genius or virtues, our past success is owed as much to good luck as anything. With vast natural resources easily taken from the native peoples, plus the “free” labor of a huge slave workforce, success was guaranteed.
4. We take too much credit for global progress and accept too little blame for problems like poverty and global warming.
5. God is not on our side. History is full of nations and empires that claimed to be divinely favored, all proven very wrong.

Do you see American Exceptionalism as little more than a dream?

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