Years ago, I saw a cover of Sports Illustrated featuring Barry Bonds. The caption was, “I’m Barry Bonds and You’re Not.” I was immediately irritated and this was long before the truth of Bonds, along with many others, was sadly revealed. That he could hit a little ball with a stick of wood farther and more often than most people was, I suppose, exceptional, but it certainly did not make me want to trade my life for his.
Whenever we, as individuals or as nations, set ourselves up as “exceptional” the opposite side of the coin is the obvious: I am better than you. While that may be indisputably true in the case of Bonds limited to baseball, it certainly isn’t an endearing quality. If there is anything that irritates most of us is to be told that we are not exceptional. Such was the case last week when Vladimir Putin, of all people, had the unmitigated gall, the temerity to point out in The New York Times that we aren’t the masters of the entire world.
The concept of American Exceptionalism is not new. It was first proposed by Alexis de Tocqueville in his treatise, Democracy in America, published in the 1830’s when he described America as built on egalitarianism, individualism, republicanism, populism, and laissez-faire. It became, in a sense, tied to the concept of Manifest Destiny of the 19th century which held the belief that Americans possessed a special virtue, the role of which was to redeem and reform the world in the image of America, and that there was divine ordination to accomplish these nationally egotistical goals. The idea of superiority has replaced some of the more altruistic observations of de Tocqueville under the careful tutelage of the neoconservatives.
When read dispassionately, Putin’s message makes sense. There are obviously many discrepancies, largely in the form of omissions, where the former Soviet Union and now the Russians have been as, if not more, egregious than the United States by inserting themselves into other nations’ affairs. He suggests there is scant evidence to support the claim the chemical attacks came from the Assad regime. The rebels, who he blames, did it to attract international intervention. Putin then asks Assad to give up his chemical supplies; no such request is made of the widely disparate rebel forces, the presumed culprits. That’s disingenuous, to say the least.
It is not generally acknowledged but the United States has thousands of tons of chemical weapons stored in this country. Granted, there has been an ongoing dismantling but some say it will be another decade before the job is complete. Edgewood Arsenal, now known as the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, is still the major research and development center for chemical warfare. On whom did we ever expect to deploy such weaponry? Are we standing in a glass house with rocks we are prepared to throw?
The hue and cry the Putin Op-Ed piece produced was predictable but if we can put aside our hubris, not point out that the Russians are in no position to criticize, ignore the fact that the Russians have been the main supporters of Assad in both diplomacy and military materiel then it may be possible to work toward a peaceful solution.
While we have made major miscalculations in the Syrian conflict, those who would criticize America as being a “Puny Power” should acknowledge that some of the unintended consequences of unilateral aggression, as Mr. Putin pointed out, could certainly come to pass.
It seems clear that there are no easy answers and every suggestion perhaps raises more problems than we can imagine. The concept of American Exceptionalism has been degraded beyond recognition. American Uniqueness . . . now that’s a more believable and less offensive idea.
The comments of Mr. Putin conclude, “There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their policies differ, too. We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessing, we must not forget that God created us equal.”
Who could find fault with that? And from a Russian . . . pretty astounding.
– Hayden Hollingsworth
