Is American Exceptionalism Real?
Newt Gingrich argued during the last election that there was something called American Exceptionalism that meant that there was something about the U.S. that made it an exception to all previous civilizations, and that we would never fall. I never heard an explanation of what it was about the U.S. that made it exceptoinal, but maybe I just missed that. Anyway, what's your opinion?
Yes, it's real
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No, it's a load of ----
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I think that, once a nation becomes a super-power, it's people stop seeing other nations as a threat and concentrate on internal conflicts instead. This divides the nation and eventually weakens it to the point that the barbarian hordes rush in and conquer it, usually with a lot of blood spilled. I don't think this always happened. Spain lost it's power because the Spanish Armada was wiped out in a storm, and was then defeated by the smaller, more numerous British ships. But it did happen to Rome, and I believe it also happened to France, after Napolean. Did it happen to Britain? I'm not sure. Certainly they were nearly defeated in WWII, and were only saved by the U.S., but they were still pretty powerful at that time. Anyway, I think this is what's happening in the U.S. today, and if we're not careful, we'll lose our economic advantage against China, then we'll stop being able to fund our military, and we won't pose a thread against China, who could then dominate all of her neighbors. What would happen to the U.S. after that is anyone's guess, but if we're arrogant and don't realize what situation we're in, it could end badly. Side: No, it's a load of ----
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