Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Exceptionalism 2
Listening to Joe Scarborough and his homosexual buddies on MSNBC, trying to have a thoughtful discussion about what this decade meant. Some valid points, but as usual the standard agreed-on lies. Both parties agree that the election of "The First African-American President" marks a turning point in history, for some reason that I can't begin to fathom. Brand-D says this turning point is wonderful, brand-R says it's awful. Both are goddamn liars. In fact "The First African-American President" has continued all the bad policies of the previous "Evil Caucasian President."
More subtly, another agreed-on lie:
"This decade probably marks the end of American exceptionalism, and the beginning of a more connected approach, more linked with the world." Both parties agree that exceptionalism means the Bush/Cheney "cowboy" approach, means "going it alone". Brand-D says this is bad, that we should pay more attention to the rest of the world. Brand-R says we should continue the "cowboy" approach.
Wrong from start to finish. Obama isn't changing the Bush policy in practice, though his words are more humble, which is a start. Most of all, exceptionalism does not mean "going it alone". Exceptionalism means attempting to be the world's Child Protective Services, telling the world that we know what's good for everyone, peeping into everyone's house, making war against them if they spank their kids, bombing them if they allow men to be men and women to be women.
This is the deepest and nastiest form of connection and linking, and it emphatically does not protect America's interests. We have been spending unthinkable amounts of money and lives to enrage, justify and arm our enemies, to build infrastructure and nuclear plants in hostile countries.
The opposite of exceptionalism is not deeper connections. The opposite of exceptionalism is detachment. Isolationism. Humility. Protectionism.
Detachment means that we would treat other countries like adults. Let them choose their own cultures and forms of government, let them spank or spoil their kids, let them act like human beings or New Yorkers, let them pay high wages or keep slaves, whichever they want. None of our fucking business. Instead, we would use our military to guard our own borders and ports, and use our money to rebuild our own railroads and nuclear power plants.
Who knows, maybe we could even impose tariffs so the countries that use slave labor would lose their advantage, and our own businesses would then grudgingly find it necessary to hire and pay American workers, no matter how much they hated this weird radical science-fiction concept. Then we would finally be similar to other advanced nations. Protectionism would truly mark the end of Exceptionalism.
More subtly, another agreed-on lie:
"This decade probably marks the end of American exceptionalism, and the beginning of a more connected approach, more linked with the world." Both parties agree that exceptionalism means the Bush/Cheney "cowboy" approach, means "going it alone". Brand-D says this is bad, that we should pay more attention to the rest of the world. Brand-R says we should continue the "cowboy" approach.
Wrong from start to finish. Obama isn't changing the Bush policy in practice, though his words are more humble, which is a start. Most of all, exceptionalism does not mean "going it alone". Exceptionalism means attempting to be the world's Child Protective Services, telling the world that we know what's good for everyone, peeping into everyone's house, making war against them if they spank their kids, bombing them if they allow men to be men and women to be women.
This is the deepest and nastiest form of connection and linking, and it emphatically does not protect America's interests. We have been spending unthinkable amounts of money and lives to enrage, justify and arm our enemies, to build infrastructure and nuclear plants in hostile countries.
The opposite of exceptionalism is not deeper connections. The opposite of exceptionalism is detachment. Isolationism. Humility. Protectionism.
Detachment means that we would treat other countries like adults. Let them choose their own cultures and forms of government, let them spank or spoil their kids, let them act like human beings or New Yorkers, let them pay high wages or keep slaves, whichever they want. None of our fucking business. Instead, we would use our military to guard our own borders and ports, and use our money to rebuild our own railroads and nuclear power plants.
Who knows, maybe we could even impose tariffs so the countries that use slave labor would lose their advantage, and our own businesses would then grudgingly find it necessary to hire and pay American workers, no matter how much they hated this weird radical science-fiction concept. Then we would finally be similar to other advanced nations. Protectionism would truly mark the end of Exceptionalism.
Labels: Shared Lie
¶ 4:42 AM
