In Defense of American Exceptionalism

"He is a lover of his country who rebukes and does not excuse its sins."*

- Frederick Douglass

People on the left side of the political spectrum tend to have a slightly different definition of patriotism than our counterparts on the right. We tend to agree with Mr. Douglass that patriotism means a willingness to criticize our nation and a fervent desire to improve it. On the right, conversely, patriotism tends to mean a nearly unconditional love of country, and a belief that the United States, as a result of its unique history and achievements, stands head and shoulders above every other nation.

Many liberals have little good to say about the concept of American exceptionalism. Personally, however, I do believe America is exceptional. We may not always live up to our ideals. Hell, we rarely do. But, more than any other nation on Earth, reverence for liberty and equality are part of the fabric of American culture. America is exceptional not because of its military or economic power, but because of the ideals upon which it is founded and which nearly every American holds dear. Ideals that act as powerful tools in the struggle against oppression.

Other nations, particularly in Western Europe, have long since overtaken the United States in their ability to deliver upon the American Dream of upward mobility. And they frequently have better records on rights and liberties than does the U.S.. But no other nation worships freedom and equality the way that the United States does. Our national myth, grown out of our founding documents and the other words of our greatest thinkers, will never allow us to stand still or stop reaching for a more perfect union. Exhortations like "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal," and "Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free," serve as relentless scourges to drive America along the path of progress. To the voices of those who call for about greater equality of opportunity and greater freedom of choice, the immortal words of America's national heroes add an unanswerable moral strength.

Ask very nearly any American if a young person from another country, who's willing to work like mad and play by the rules, ought to have the chance to come to America and find success. You'll be hard pressed to find one who says no. On the subject of whether or not every child born here in America ought to have a chance at the American Dream, you'll find no argument. Nearly half of the population may have the wrong idea on how to pursue those ideals, misled by politicians and pundits with vested interests fighting the tide of history, but you won't find much disagreement on those ideals. And by appealing to those universal American beliefs, more than two centuries worth of champions have rallied their fellow citizens, time and time again, to better the lots of all.

Moreover, it is those ideals, along with the loves of freedom of expression and freedom of conscience, that make us Americans. In contrast to nearly every other nation on Earth, our national demonym isn't also the name for an ethnic group. Rather, American means, in our national myth, anyone who lives in our borders and holds true to the notions that made this country, regardless of the color of their skin, or where they pray, or, increasingly, who they love.

America is exceptional, then, because we are a nation that, almost by definition, consists of believers in a set of ideals that allow no other path than forward. And I love my country because I believe that, so long as we hold dear the notions of freedom and opportunity that have so long defined the American myth, we shall always find ourselves traveling, whether at a crawl or a run, along the path to a brighter future.

*Frederick Douglass spoke with astounding eloquence and moral clarity, and as a result he's one of my heroes.  He was, however, a product of his time. Please forgive the gendered language.