“American exceptionalism” distracts from introspection

Editor,

First, I want to clarify that I love the U.S., and that I know our liberties are unprecedented in the history of the modern world.

However, should we really still consider our country to be exceptional?

American exceptionalism suggests a moral superiority to our foreign counterparts — that all here are treated equally and fairly under the rule of law.

But how can we still believe that when those with political and monetary power are treated differently under the American rule of law?

We can’t say we’re exceptional when those on Wall Street who caused the world financial crisis haven’t been criminally investigated by President Obama’s Department of Justice. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, the alleged whistle-blower of classified documents to WikiLeaks, has previously been held in less-than-humane conditions for releasing documents that were less sensitive than the Pentagon Papers released by Daniel Ellsberg.

That’s not even mentioning passive tolerance of our government’s support of oppressive dictatorships with histories of human rights violations — like Augusto Pinochet of Chile, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, to name recent examples — right up until they start murdering their own citizens.

Other domestic examples include draconian cuts to budgets, starting with social safety net programs; turning Medicare into a voucher instead of quality, guaranteed healthcare; destroying laborer’s abilities to collectively bargain. And all while continuing to be the largest military spenders in the world.

Are we really so exceptional?

Kevin Wenderoth
UNM student