American Exceptionalism ? Absolutely agree with Cheney’s “accusation”.
Obama, while in France earlier this year, responded to a journalist’s question:
”I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.”
I still do like this guy. Erm, that’s Obama, not Cheney!
By the way that was a French bloke’s term. Yet strangely, the Neocons usurped it.
It’s nonsense as it tries to justify the actions of Ugly Americans.
Best leave it alone.
(What is it about being contemptuous of the French today when their philosophy, terms, ideals and even statues are often used to represent the USA? If it weren’t for the French… ah. nm)
I compare the idea of American Exceptionalism to that of the white South Africans of old and some Israelis to justify their actions.
I prefer the exceptionalism of an Obama, who brings together a range of cultures and experiences – the great power of America – to the exceptional greed and arrogance of a Cheney, who seems to feel we can attack and/or torture anyone we disagree with or who gets in the way of our oil.
“American Exceptionalism” will be defined by each person with their own bias and will never make everyone happy. It will change over time with both what it really is and what it is desired to be.
So its just as valid for me to say Cheney doesn’t believe in “American Exceptionalism” …and the guy down the street and the cashier at the supermarket….
Bruce, I meant that Obama himself represents something rarely found outside the US – a person who is highly diverse all by himself! The fact that such a person is a typical American citizen – let alone President – is one of the things that draws the eyes of the world to us.
charlie, what on Earth do you mean that we are making for ourselves a tyrant? What do you mean “we are so destroying the glue of this nation that we will need a dictator to seize control”? Aren’t you a bit excessive here?
“He was a good neighbor, quiet, kept to himself, yard was neat, always smiled and waved, never would have thought he would turn out to be…
Sound familiar?”
No O’Don. I can be very obtuse; explain that to me. Are you suggesting that those who exhibit courtesies must be looked at with a cautious eye, as they could turn out to be who knows what?
On the other hand, people who perpetrate murder as the Major at Fort Hood, we go through the excruciating process to find GOOD in a man who did exhibit a very BAD mindset and shared it with many.
Not believing in american exceptionalism doesn’t meanyou believe America is bad, you just believe it is not any better or worse than any other nation that dominated the World. And the other ones were not that bad;
The roman empire, after 315, allowed christianity to spread much farther than it already was, it gave us great architecture.
The greeks gave us philosophy and drama.
The british started the Industrial Revolution
Germany gave us philosophers and scientists (Kant, Neitzshe, Freud, Einstein). Even the third Reich had good aspects (gave us highways!) but they were vastly outnumber by its bad sides, though. All these societies had their bad sides. America has it’s bad sides too, no nation is perfect.
We’re just saying that America can fail, just like Britain or Athens failed.
Charlie555’s divine comments are precisely what I was thinking about when comparing the exceptionalism of some Afrikaners & some Israelis thought/think of themselves with what is considered one brand of American Exceptionalism today.
Bloody chosen people, make my eyes roll.
CF: Obama’s response that I quoted mean precisely what you have stated.
No better and no worse than any other.
Cheney makes me think of the famous phrase “the banality of evil.” The revolting actions of he and some of his staff are peanuts compared to Nixon’s Watergate coverup and abuse of government power, but so few are outraged by it.
Best description of DC I ever read (wish I’d thought of it):
“No one has been more consistently wrong about the major issues of our time.”
I had a high school teacher who told us he would give an “A” to anyone who could get every question wrong on his major tests. I think our former veep has mastered this challenge.
“Cheney makes me think of the famous phrase “the banality of evil.” The revolting actions of he and some of his staff are peanuts compared to Nixon’s Watergate coverup and abuse of government power, but so few are outraged by it.”
believe, you must change your name, you know, something more, well, appropriate. You commentary does miss the commonsense part way to often to qualify. ;)
Do you remember the Pentagon Papers? They were classified papers that were made public. It was not a question of Richard Nixon winning the election at all, as some people had surmised, but what was perceived as a serious breach of security. In layman’s terms, it was a botched job. Yes, once it became public, Richard Nixon thought it would be simply blow over, thus the ‘cover-up’. It did not, of course. So to the cover up. What was Richard Nixon’s personal gain for this common? And since you suggest “…so few are outraged by this”. President Nixon resigned from the presidency because of the fervor. What did I miss? Now considering your utter outrage and disgust for the late President Nixon, did you hold equal outrage for ‘abuse of power’ when President Clinton perjured himself? (After all, what ‘IS’ the meaning of ‘is’ huh?) or the attempt to fire the travel bureau employees, and provide ‘after the fact’ involvement by the FBI? It was an absolute abuse of power! Please save your sanctimonious outrage to yourself and change your name.
«As usual, he was soft-spoken, thoughtful, articulate, polite, using very simple, straightforward language at a rather rapid pace, without any help from a TelePrompter, never stumbling over his tongue, etc»….
Why «scottfreitas», you’re not describing your very own self are you ? Now what was the contortionist pose Richard Bruce Cheney, that polite articular soft-spoken man, suggested to Patrick Joseph Leahy on the floor of the US Senate ?…
OmqR-IV.0 over 14 years ago
American Exceptionalism ? Absolutely agree with Cheney’s “accusation”. Obama, while in France earlier this year, responded to a journalist’s question: ”I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.”
I still do like this guy. Erm, that’s Obama, not Cheney!
By the way that was a French bloke’s term. Yet strangely, the Neocons usurped it. It’s nonsense as it tries to justify the actions of Ugly Americans. Best leave it alone.
(What is it about being contemptuous of the French today when their philosophy, terms, ideals and even statues are often used to represent the USA? If it weren’t for the French… ah. nm)
I compare the idea of American Exceptionalism to that of the white South Africans of old and some Israelis to justify their actions.
HUMPHRIES over 14 years ago
“Exceptional” ! Yes indee as it would be hard to find a politician who’s done moe damage to the US.
Motivemagus over 14 years ago
I prefer the exceptionalism of an Obama, who brings together a range of cultures and experiences – the great power of America – to the exceptional greed and arrogance of a Cheney, who seems to feel we can attack and/or torture anyone we disagree with or who gets in the way of our oil.
Kylop over 14 years ago
“American Exceptionalism” will be defined by each person with their own bias and will never make everyone happy. It will change over time with both what it really is and what it is desired to be.
So its just as valid for me to say Cheney doesn’t believe in “American Exceptionalism” …and the guy down the street and the cashier at the supermarket….
donbeco over 14 years ago
He was a good neighbor, quiet, kept to himself, yard was neat, always smiled and waved, never would have thought he would turn out to be…
Sound familiar?
Motivemagus over 14 years ago
Bruce, I meant that Obama himself represents something rarely found outside the US – a person who is highly diverse all by himself! The fact that such a person is a typical American citizen – let alone President – is one of the things that draws the eyes of the world to us. charlie, what on Earth do you mean that we are making for ourselves a tyrant? What do you mean “we are so destroying the glue of this nation that we will need a dictator to seize control”? Aren’t you a bit excessive here?
Magnaut over 14 years ago
motive….you got it Wright ….almost….Obambi does represent himself
johndh123 over 14 years ago
O’Don said, about 3 hours ago
“He was a good neighbor, quiet, kept to himself, yard was neat, always smiled and waved, never would have thought he would turn out to be…
Sound familiar?”
No O’Don. I can be very obtuse; explain that to me. Are you suggesting that those who exhibit courtesies must be looked at with a cautious eye, as they could turn out to be who knows what? On the other hand, people who perpetrate murder as the Major at Fort Hood, we go through the excruciating process to find GOOD in a man who did exhibit a very BAD mindset and shared it with many.
How I LOVE irony.
johndh123 over 14 years ago
Perfect Bruce! johndh123 AKA mongrel…..birth certificate signed….”We the People”
Dtroutma over 14 years ago
the toon is a big 10-4
CorosiveFrog Premium Member over 14 years ago
Not believing in american exceptionalism doesn’t meanyou believe America is bad, you just believe it is not any better or worse than any other nation that dominated the World. And the other ones were not that bad;
The roman empire, after 315, allowed christianity to spread much farther than it already was, it gave us great architecture.
The greeks gave us philosophy and drama.
The british started the Industrial Revolution
Germany gave us philosophers and scientists (Kant, Neitzshe, Freud, Einstein). Even the third Reich had good aspects (gave us highways!) but they were vastly outnumber by its bad sides, though. All these societies had their bad sides. America has it’s bad sides too, no nation is perfect.
We’re just saying that America can fail, just like Britain or Athens failed.
OmqR-IV.0 over 14 years ago
Charlie555’s divine comments are precisely what I was thinking about when comparing the exceptionalism of some Afrikaners & some Israelis thought/think of themselves with what is considered one brand of American Exceptionalism today. Bloody chosen people, make my eyes roll.
CF: Obama’s response that I quoted mean precisely what you have stated. No better and no worse than any other.
believecommonsense over 14 years ago
Cheney makes me think of the famous phrase “the banality of evil.” The revolting actions of he and some of his staff are peanuts compared to Nixon’s Watergate coverup and abuse of government power, but so few are outraged by it.
petergrt over 14 years ago
No one can compete with the leftists in the sport of character assassination. The liberals have perfected the art.
The fact that Nixon was so bad at it is indicative of the Republican’s amateur status.
As far as Chaney is concerned, most of his critics, and particularly posters on these pages, have not earned the right to kiss his toes.
believecommonsense over 14 years ago
^ that’s not a right too many are clamoring for, either. Double ick. Kiss ‘em all you want, peter
Dtroutma over 14 years ago
Pete, Cheney committed moral/character suicide a long time ago, assassination is out of the question.
charliekane over 14 years ago
Best description of DC I ever read (wish I’d thought of it):
“No one has been more consistently wrong about the major issues of our time.”
I had a high school teacher who told us he would give an “A” to anyone who could get every question wrong on his major tests. I think our former veep has mastered this challenge.
johndh123 over 14 years ago
believecommonsense said, 2 days ago
“Cheney makes me think of the famous phrase “the banality of evil.” The revolting actions of he and some of his staff are peanuts compared to Nixon’s Watergate coverup and abuse of government power, but so few are outraged by it.” believe, you must change your name, you know, something more, well, appropriate. You commentary does miss the commonsense part way to often to qualify. ;)
Do you remember the Pentagon Papers? They were classified papers that were made public. It was not a question of Richard Nixon winning the election at all, as some people had surmised, but what was perceived as a serious breach of security. In layman’s terms, it was a botched job. Yes, once it became public, Richard Nixon thought it would be simply blow over, thus the ‘cover-up’. It did not, of course. So to the cover up. What was Richard Nixon’s personal gain for this common? And since you suggest “…so few are outraged by this”. President Nixon resigned from the presidency because of the fervor. What did I miss? Now considering your utter outrage and disgust for the late President Nixon, did you hold equal outrage for ‘abuse of power’ when President Clinton perjured himself? (After all, what ‘IS’ the meaning of ‘is’ huh?) or the attempt to fire the travel bureau employees, and provide ‘after the fact’ involvement by the FBI? It was an absolute abuse of power! Please save your sanctimonious outrage to yourself and change your name.
mhenriday over 14 years ago
«As usual, he was soft-spoken, thoughtful, articulate, polite, using very simple, straightforward language at a rather rapid pace, without any help from a TelePrompter, never stumbling over his tongue, etc»….
Why «scottfreitas», you’re not describing your very own self are you ? Now what was the contortionist pose Richard Bruce Cheney, that polite articular soft-spoken man, suggested to Patrick Joseph Leahy on the floor of the US Senate ?…
Henri
tiggerpuff88 almost 10 years ago
What a week it was…