American Exceptionalism

American Exceptionalism (AE) is a shorthand term used to describe our impressive record of success in the past 220+ years.  AE does not really exist.  Our past success has been the result of our willingness to rise to any challenge, until now.  It would behoove us to try to understand the various elements that fed our success so that we may have a chance to continue along the same path.  This plank is intended to provoke a discussion along those lines.

Several people have described one or another facet of human development (evolution, if you prefer).  Some examples;

A.      Challenge and Response – British historian, Sir Arnold Toynbee’s opus on the history of the many civilizations that have come and gone showed that the prior civilizations that have graced this planet grew and improved insofar as they responded successfully to various challenges.  As each of his civilizations reached a challenge to which they were incapable of responding, that civilization collapsed, faded away, and was cast into the dustbin of history only to be followed by another aspirant.

B.      Another version of Challenge and Response is the Survival of the Fittest.  This study appears to concentrate on the physical aspects of the evolution of one species or another and does not help us here as it reflects forced choices intra-species and not species v. species development competition.

C.      Economic systems – Humans have developed a variety of economic systems and has seen them compete for primacy.  The system chosen by our American forebears was and is Capitalism.  Effort results either in success or failure.  Success is rewarded and failure is, or should be, punished by exile (the dust bin).  We have heard the phrase or chant, “From each according to his ability and to each according to his need”.  This sounds good as long as you promise not to think about it.  As noted elsewhere, this system works in ant hills and bee hives.  It does not work with humans. 

A cynic might say that it is designed not to actually succeed, but rather to get a foot in the door.  After they are inside, the regulation begins.

Immigration (the old fashioned way) feeds into this and will appear later.

As can be seen, the antithesis of each of each of the above elements of success (Exceptionalism) is the far left celebration of mediocrity.  They don’t advertise it as such.  If you were told to celebrate failure, you might hesitate.  But, if you are told to celebrate non-success, as in celebrating diversity, you may just buy in.  What’s wrong with celebrating someone who wants to be celebrated?  The unspoken part of this seductive line is, any time, effort or other resource that you devote to celebrating something like diversity instead of something like success or personal achievement is time and talent taken away from supporting some manner of success that might benefit your civilization.  Which would you rather celebrate, the kid in your neighborhood who is trying to achieve success in school, athletics, etc., or a kid in your neighborhood who is ‘different’?  It would be nice if we could do both.  In the real world, you often must or should make a choice. 

Celebrating success runs like this;

a.      Approve of or pay the one who does something better or faster.

b.      People who want approval and pay will often work, study and train harder than the next person.

c.       Even if they do not win any prizes, those who train, work and study harder are better off because of it.

d.      The families, communities and employers of those who work, study or train harder are better off because of the effort.

e.      The result of all of the above is sometimes referred to American Exceptionalism. 

We are now faced with a well orchestrated effort designed to divert your attention from the efforts listed above to a celebration of unabashed mediocrity.  Will some of our diverse citizens also try to do something beneficial to the community?  Of course.  But why go through the diversity route and not reward efforts to succeed directly?

Our current age has been referred to as the "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme Generation".  Gimme simply means, “give me something for doing nothing”. 

It is hoped that we do not need to go into a long-winded explanation as to why "Gimme" works and where it leads.  Someone who needs an explanation probably would not understand it.  What we would like to do is open the eyes of those on the cusp and attempt to lure them back from the Dark Side of contented mediocrity back into the fast lane of American Exceptionalism. 

It has been said that many people miss golden opportunities because the best opportunities come described as hard work.  American Exceptionalism is just a bundle of challenges.  Are you up to a challenge?