All Of Us Recognize American Exceptionalism, Except Obama

We’ve recently had discussions of America’s exceptionalism — the unique and magnificent place in history of this country, the greatest nation in the history of the world, a unique and powerful democracy, with virtually unlimited productivity, generosity and humanity. This adds up to the unique and wonderful role America plays in the world. I would have thought that everyone would see that all of reason and history would without question concede this American exceptionalism.

But I was wrong. When our president, Barack Obama, was asked about that American exceptionalism while traveling abroad, he seemed to hem and haw and finally say our American exceptionalism is just like that of Britain, Greece, and presumably every other one of hundreds of countries.

He was asked a simple question — whether he believes in American exceptionalism. A simple “yes” would be in order. But no, Mr. Obama replied, “I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism”

In other words, in Mr. Obama’s mind, all countries are exceptional so in fact no country, including America, is exceptional. What a pathetic and outrageous cop-out. Our own president apparently isn’t perspicacious enough to realize the special qualities of America. In fact on his tour, he could not talk about our glorious history and role in the world. Instead, he was obsessed in what he called our darker periods.

In Turkey, he said, “The United States is still working through some of our darker periods … our country still struggles with the legacy of past treatment of Native Americans. Human endeavor is by its nature imperfect.”

In my view, if you are unable to see the exceptionalism of America, you are not seeing the world as it is and you must have intellectual baggage that distorts your perceptions and poisons your conclusions. This would be true of any rational observer, but it is shocking in the extreme when the person blind to American exceptionalism is the president of the United States.

The need to see and appreciate this exceptionalism is not based on excessive nationalism or myopic patriotism. It is based on reality and the importance of understanding the magic of America. That correct perception is what inspires Americans and helps make Americans perform above and beyond the call of duty. The correct perception inspires our countless heroes who have defended America since its founding.

We are strong because we appreciate America and are willing to pay any price to preserve and protect America — because we know it is and will always be priceless. But part of that magic will be lost, as we see so much hate-America, blame-America-first in our own backyard. We see centers of anti-Americanism in our great universities and in our mainstream media. We see a president of the United States who sat in the pews of the Rev. Jeremiah “God Damn America” Wright’s church for 20 years.

You’ll recall this is the president who said an American flag on a lapel was a symbol of false patriotism. You’ll recall this is a president who, on his recent trip to Europe, seemed more intent on running down America than in explaining its incredible contribution to world peace and prosperity.

Abraham Lincoln said, “Any nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure.”

I’m sure he would have added, “If Americans do not understand and appreciate the great history, values, and role of this great nation, what some call American exceptionalism, they will not long preserve and protect those values and that nation.”

This column has often written about the seeming death of American patriotism in many quarters such as many of our universities and our mainstream media. This came home to me again when I ran across an article in Townhall.com, “America’s Ignorance of Her Heroes” (March 23, 2009). It is about a flight attendant who offered free drink coupons to any of the 150 passengers who could name one of the five Medal of Honor recipients from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The flight was going from Jacksonville, Fla., to Baltimore.

Only one of the passengers could come up with the answer. David Shelton of Annapolis, Md., a Navy veteran, came up with one name — Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith. Mr. Shelton was correct. Smith received the award posthumously in 2005 for his actions during an April 2003 battle in Baghdad. No other passengers came up with any names.

Townhall.com then reported, “The flight attendant then asked the passengers to name an American Idol winner. ‘The cabin lit up like a pinball machine as 43 passengers scrambled to push their attendant call button,’ ” according to a piece by the American Forces Press Service. “ ‘Passengers named various Idol winners.’ The flight attendant then announced there would not be any free drink coupons for that answer, adding that naming an American Idol winner was not worth a drink.”

If you are curious, the other four winners of the Medal of Honor during those two wars are Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham (for action in 2004), Navy Seal Lt. Michael Murphy (June 2005), Navy SEAL Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor (September 2006), and Army Spc. Ross McGinnis (December 2006). All received the award posthumously. Every recipient of the award since the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993 has earned the award posthumously. More than 3,400 Medals of Honor have been awarded since it was first given during the Civil War.

There are now only 98 living recipients of the award, and we’re losing these great men rapidly. Townhall.com asks and answers the question, so what?

“My response would be — and as I’ve often said — far too many of us assume America wins all of its wars because we have resources and technological superiority: and those things count to be sure. But it is our military prowess that wins battles. Military tradition is the lifeblood of that prowess and our living recipients of the Medal of Honor are the greatest living pillars of that tradition which in turn fuels the prowess.

“We need our recipients. We need to recognize them and expand our national awareness of who they are and what the Medal itself represents.”

And if you want more proof of American exceptionalism, you have to go no further than Capt. Richard Phillips and the Navy Seals, snipers, and other soldiers, sailors and Marines who rescued him from the pirates off the coast of Somalia. You could also include the crew of Capt. Phillips’ ship.

And you could add Chesley B. Sullenberger, the U.S. Airways pilot who made the crash landing in the Hudson River to save his passengers and crews. And this list could go backward to colonial America and forward throughout American history with endless examples.

I’d add we need to recognize all our American heroes and all the other aspects of our country that add up to American exceptionalism. We need to recognize American exceptionalism and keep that miracle alive for now and forever.

We ought to recognize that one of our many duties of Americans is to love our country. That was spelled out in The American Creed, a statement that was the result of a contest during World War I to name the best summary of American political faith. And because some may be forgetting, the two short paragraphs of The American’s Creed remind us of what adds up to American exceptionalism and what are duties are to maintain the greatness that is America. Here is that American’s Creed:

“I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a Republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect Union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

“I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it; to support its Constitution; to obey its laws; to respect its flag; and to defend it against all enemies.”

Herb Denenberg is a former Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commissioner, and professor at the Wharton School. He is a longtime Philadelphia journalist and consumer advocate. He is also a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of the Sciences. His column appears daily in The Bulletin. You can reach him at advocate@thebulletin.us.

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