::: AMERICAN EXCEPTIONlALISM :::
For those who seem to have a problem understanding the true meaning of this saying, allow me to shed some light. It’s not a boast. It’s not that American’s think we’re exceptional in the same sense that the French think France is exceptional or the Greeks think Greece is exceptional (although,…those countries suck.) No, that’s not what its about. Its about America being an EXCEPTION in the world.
See, up until some zany colonialists had ...some radical ideas, people the globe over had been ruled and governed by monarchies or aristocracies. Those in charge were not there because of superior intellect, hard work, drive, determination or any other such character traits. No, they were in charge as a result of birth rite. They’d done nothing more than come forth from the right womb, wait their turn in line, and then take their turn on the throne/beneath the crown. Which is why throughout history you have King George THE FIFTH, and King Louis THE NINETH, and enough Cesar’s to fill a museum. The right of rulership was simply handed from King to Prince-become-King, in perpetuity.
And then in the 18th century these scalawags living in the New World had an idea. A crazy notion of rather than being ruled by these privileged babies; how about we set up a government of the people, by the people, for the people? A government where the ruled had a say in their own ruling. A government where high offices were held by “us”, and not the great-great-great grandson of a once-great ruler?
No one had ever thought of such a thing, let alone attempted to actually do it. They recognized that so much as thinking of such a thing was considered treasonous and would mean the gallows if they were found out. They recognized that realizing this dream, becoming this exception in the world would mean much blood shed – certainly their own. The King was not going to loosen his grip on his subjects without a mighty struggle.
But they counted the cost of being free men to be worth the price necessary to be paid. And so they revolted. They said, “the way men have ruled men for millennia is fundamentally flawed” and they did the unthinkable. They crafted a document, and actual written piece of paper, which contained rules that restrained the power and authority of the governing entity. No one had ever thought of such a thing. For centuries the king’s and governor’s will and whim was the law – they had no constraints on their authority.
These maniacs. These colonialists did the then unthinkable. They determined that everyday ordinary men were as capable as those born to the palace at governing. They kicked the monarchy of King George the Third out and replaced it with a governing document, overseen and administered by commoners – by farmers, smiths, shop keeps, butchers, bakers and candlestick makers - people the rest of the world would consider unfit to kiss the King’s sandals; but now, rulers and governors of a free people.
And in setting up such a system of governance they made their land an EXCEPTION to the rest of the civilized world.
For those who seem to have a problem understanding the true meaning of this saying, allow me to shed some light. It’s not a boast. It’s not that American’s think we’re exceptional in the same sense that the French think France is exceptional or the Greeks think Greece is exceptional (although,…those countries suck.) No, that’s not what its about. Its about America being an EXCEPTION in the world.
See, up until some zany colonialists had ...some radical ideas, people the globe over had been ruled and governed by monarchies or aristocracies. Those in charge were not there because of superior intellect, hard work, drive, determination or any other such character traits. No, they were in charge as a result of birth rite. They’d done nothing more than come forth from the right womb, wait their turn in line, and then take their turn on the throne/beneath the crown. Which is why throughout history you have King George THE FIFTH, and King Louis THE NINETH, and enough Cesar’s to fill a museum. The right of rulership was simply handed from King to Prince-become-King, in perpetuity.
And then in the 18th century these scalawags living in the New World had an idea. A crazy notion of rather than being ruled by these privileged babies; how about we set up a government of the people, by the people, for the people? A government where the ruled had a say in their own ruling. A government where high offices were held by “us”, and not the great-great-great grandson of a once-great ruler?
No one had ever thought of such a thing, let alone attempted to actually do it. They recognized that so much as thinking of such a thing was considered treasonous and would mean the gallows if they were found out. They recognized that realizing this dream, becoming this exception in the world would mean much blood shed – certainly their own. The King was not going to loosen his grip on his subjects without a mighty struggle.
But they counted the cost of being free men to be worth the price necessary to be paid. And so they revolted. They said, “the way men have ruled men for millennia is fundamentally flawed” and they did the unthinkable. They crafted a document, and actual written piece of paper, which contained rules that restrained the power and authority of the governing entity. No one had ever thought of such a thing. For centuries the king’s and governor’s will and whim was the law – they had no constraints on their authority.
These maniacs. These colonialists did the then unthinkable. They determined that everyday ordinary men were as capable as those born to the palace at governing. They kicked the monarchy of King George the Third out and replaced it with a governing document, overseen and administered by commoners – by farmers, smiths, shop keeps, butchers, bakers and candlestick makers - people the rest of the world would consider unfit to kiss the King’s sandals; but now, rulers and governors of a free people.
And in setting up such a system of governance they made their land an EXCEPTION to the rest of the civilized world.
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