Tuesday, October 6, 2009

American Exceptionalism

Exceptional – adjective
1. forming an exception or rare instance; unusual; extraordinary:

American Exceptionalism is not about explaining America's greatness but the fact that America's greatness is so exceptional. Exceptional, because Americans aren't intrinsically better than anyone else. No where does an "American" gene exist which imbues us with superior qualities. The simple truth is that in all respects our genetic makeup is patently unexceptional.

So how then, in a speck of time, has a country populated by ordinary people developed into the greatest nation in the history of the world? Free market capitalism. It is free market capitalism which takes ordinary intelligence and transforms it into extraordinary wealth. It is free market capitalism which settles disputes between people without the necessity of force. And it is free market capitalism that is the singular difference between us and the rest of the world.

Americans need to take heed because we face a crossroads. Somewhere we have lost our way and have begun to think we are unique, evolved, special. That it's in our genes. It is not. The only thing unique is the structure of America. That structure is special and it's what fools us into believing we are special. Take away free market capitalism and America is just like all other nations. It's people already are.

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