American Exceptionalism

It might peg me, but I do believe in this concept.  I don’t see how anyone could not.   In my Franky Planner today is this quote, “A man’s country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle, and patriotism is loyalty to that principle.”  (George William Curtis).

Well, I am going to disagree with Mr. Curtis in one respect.  I don’t believe this is true of other countries.  The United States is a principle, and it always was.  I know, I know, the founders had lots of flaws, but they had it right.  We are a country founded on ideals and principles, not tribalism.  Perhaps you could take this quote to mean that the idea of a country is always a principle.  Countries are not natural, as ethnic groups are; a group of people define a country either by peaceful means or warlike ones.  But the US colonies combined under a set of beliefs and principles and agreed to follow them.  I don’t know that this has ever happened before or since, at least not by choice (some countries are formed by outsiders forcing the insiders to make a country).

So, yes, I’m an American exceptionalist.  So sue me.  I just finished a 3300-mile trip and saw America in all its generic, corporate-controlledness but also it’s law-and-order-, adherence to principle-ness.