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Posted by: monkmo on 04/30/2009 02:44 AM
Updated by: monkmo on 04/30/2009 02:44 AM
Expires: 01/01/2014 12:00 AM
American Exceptionalism vs. Obama’s Idealism By Ezrah Aharone Monday, 13 April 2009
During his European debut, a reporter
in Strasbourg, France asked President Obama if he subscribes to the school of
“American Exceptionalism” as did his predecessors. Being the first Black president
and known as a uniter, the question weighs heavy in irony since America’s
self-grandiosity is tied to military aggression and presidential legacies that are
littered with unapologetic ethnic and cultural indifference. Although not a common
term, African Americans should form long lines like voting to get information
whenever the subject of “Exceptionalism” is mentioned.
Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville coined “Exceptionalism” in his 1835 book Democracy
in America to describe the notion that America considers itself a superior and
trustworthy nation that’s favored by God to play a special political, economic,
religious, and military role in the world . . . Therefore, U.S. values and policies
are presupposed by Americans as right and best for all nations to follow. Nothing
is inherently wrong or unjust with any country espousing “Exceptionalism.” The
problem and danger is when such views are pursued or imposed at the human or
sovereign expense of others.
America’s brand of “Exceptionalism” took Machiavellian detours along the way for the
worst. Yes, it verbally professes “Equality and Justice for All,” but at its core
remains a prevailing Manifest Destiny for wealth, resources, and power that’s paved
in blood and knows no bounds. Because of this duplicity, “American Exceptionalism”
can only stand limited-level scrutiny before depths of contradictions and
sensitivities are reached that this establishment prefers not to redress.
But all this is belied by “religious fluff” that cloaks what otherwise is
inexcusable historical conduct engaged by both parties. Based on the puritanical
overtones associated with its founding history and founding fathers, you would think
America is spiritually incapable of human and civil rights violations that legalized
enslavement and segregation to contrarily coexist with “democracy” for centuries,
with impunity.
Today, the same arrogant nature of “Exceptionalism” allows America to “forgive
itself” for the past and become an Evangelical arbiter that places labels of “evil”
on nations with comparatively far less guilt. The U.S. government is also quick to
holler “war crimes” against other nations, yet conversely doesn’t want U.S.
soldiers, officials or mercenaries like Blackwater, subjected to possible
prosecution for war crimes at the International Criminal Court – Even though Obama
says “America does not torture.”
Politicians popularly say, “God bless America.” But it’s politically unthinkable to
ever associate God with “punishment,” as did Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans who then
had to apologize after Hurricane Katrina for saying, “God is mad at America . . .
and doesn’t approve of Iraq.” “Exceptionalism” was also behind the denunciation of
Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Black Liberation Theology. (Note how the media bleeps-out
the word “damn” where he says “God damn America” in his infamous sermon . . . as
though it’s too unbearable to broadcast on airwaves that are already filthied with
commercialized vulgarities, violence, and sexual content).
Protestant theologies stem from yearnings within groups to relate and appeal to God
to address their specific hardships. The only difference between Black Liberation
Theology and any other “Protestant” theology, like Lutheranism or Methodism, is that
the “Protest” is directed against flagrances of America as opposed to the Catholic
Church or British Crown. So of course, according to “Exceptionalism,” Rev. Wright
and Black Liberation Theology must be discredited in the mainstream. This
establishment will not sit silent and watch a Black president relate or appeal to
God in ways that deem them transgressors. They’ve studied Aristotle well-enough at
think tanks and Ivy institutions to know that a government must always give
appearances of “uncommon devotion to religion” so that “subjects do less easily move
against” it.
All in all, “Exceptionalism” has thrived ever since their formative years when
Euro-Americans were considered roving bands of “Rebellious Brits” who defied King
George III. Although the Declaration of Independence and Constitution clearly
weren’t intended to apply to Black people, the same political elements of
“Exceptionalism” that assured our past exclusion are now actively revising history
right before our very eyes, by propagating Obama’s presidency as the long-awaited
ethnic fulfillment of the founder’s “real” intents of democracy and equality.
Being a great idealist and well-schooled articulator of universal aspirations, Obama
admitted America was “imperfect,” but he smoothed-over the question as though
“Exceptionalism” only applies to America’s greatness, and as though his predecessors
were all as race-neutral as he. Like his predecessors however his job is to defend
America; deviances against us included. Even a Black president doesn’t alter the
reality that we as Africans have integrated into an already-sovereign European
society . . . And because of the hypnotic sways of this thing call “American
Exceptionalism” we find ourselves paying tribute to heroes, holidays, and history
that otherwise would make no political or logical sense.
This article was culled in part from Ezrah Aharone’s 2009 book, Sovereign Evolution
(Chapter 4: “The Cloak of Exceptionalism”). He is also the author of Pawned
Sovereignty and a founding member of the Center for Sovereignty Advancement. He can
be reached at Ezrah@theCSA.org.
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