Take Heart, America—You’re Already Great

found online by Raymond

 
From John Pavlovitz:

Hey America,

I know the past few months have been rough. I know your self-esteem is in the toilet. I know you’re looking around at Canada and Australia and the UK, and you’re feeling really insecure about yourself right about now.

I get it. No one would blame you. You’ve spent the last year hearing over and over that your luster’s gone, that you’re damaged goods, that you’re a mess someone inherited; that your greatness is well past tense and that you need someone to return you to your former glory.

Don’t believe it my friend, that’s a gaslighter’s lie. You are presently fully glorious.

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10 thoughts on “Take Heart, America—You’re Already Great”

    1. America’s idea “…is that planet-altering We the People that transcends party and faith, and yes even border.

      There is much to admire in Mr. Pavlovitz’s post. However, the idea of We The People that is the very essence of America as a place is meaningless if that place is not defined by borders and defended accordingly.

      I know it is not politically correct to speak of American exceptionalism, but truthfully our nation, even now with all of its problems, far exceeds every other nation on the earth as an ideal. If we were to dissolve our borders, we could no longer support and defend that ideal. It would become diluted and perverted by those that do not cherish the idea of American liberty and freedom — by those that wish to see America fall.

      Immigration should absolutely be allowed as a new life blood that infuses the American idea. However, ILLEGAL immigration and allowing the immigration of people that hold beliefs that are an anathema to the American propositions of liberty and freedom for all should not be admitted, ever.

      If that earns me the label of “intolerant” from the Left, then it is a title I will brandish with honor in defense of the American idea.

  1. I would hope TP doesn’t believe liberals WANT illegal immigration and more criminals in our country.

    I know it is not politically correct to speak of American exceptionalism

    Since when? Especially now that the White House is infected with White Nationalism.

    Let’s ask the “Arrogant Buffoon”.

    Edward Luce, Financial Times, April 4, 2009: [C]ould I ask you whether you subscribe, as many of your predecessors have, to the school of American exceptionalism that sees America as uniquely qualified to lead the world, or do you have a slightly different philosophy? And if so, would you be able to elaborate on it?

    Obama: I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism. I’m enormously proud of my country and its role and history in the world.

    Yes, he said that.

    1. Dave, I know that many liberals do not want illegal immigration and more criminals in our country. And then I see a lot of other liberals that seemingly do support illegal immigration with their championing of sanctuary cities. I see that they are evidently apathetic at best whether criminals enter our country or not, as they protest when policies are made to further vet would-be immigrants to ensure criminals and terrorists are not admitted into our country.

      As for the previous arrogant buffoon, I am painfully aware that former President Obama said that statement. In essence he was saying that he was proud of his country just as every citizen of every other country in the world was equally proud of their country. In other words, we are just one more country in a world full of exceptionalism. It was the equivalent of an international participation trophy. I am not a bit surprised by his sentiment.

      1. Recognizing that others regard their countries as exceptional does not prevent one from regarding his own as such. Obama simply showed some self-awareness that one rarely sees from more nationalistic types.

        I don’t see how exceptionalism can be objectively quantified anyway. If the measures by which our country ranks first in the world make us exceptional, what do the measures by which we lag behind many others make us? What do the measures by which other countries rank first make them? Furthermore, is the notion that another country could surpass us on the “exceptionalism scale”–whatever that means–really so preposterous or offensive? (I find some amusement in hearing the same people who despair that our country is a disaster demand that everyone recognize our greatness.) Countries are free and inclined to notice what other countries do and mimic or improve those policies, where possible. In fact, being able to recognize that others are doing a better job in some ways is important to self-improvement. We aren’t competing for a trophy, participation or otherwise, that requires us to insist that we are the best.

      2. Thank you for your comments, T. Paine.

        You may want to augment your reliance on Fox News. President Obama did indeed acknowledge that other people form other countries may consider their own countries to be exceptional.

        He did not stop there, however, although your sources did.

        Our former President went on to explain why American exceptionalism is more than opinion. He explained that those listening had good reason to be thankful for America’s sacrifices on behalf of freedom.

  2. “I don’t see how exceptionalism can be objectively quantified anyway.”

    It is the American ideal of liberty, freedom, and the ability for self determination that makes America exceptional.

    Sadly, those freedoms and opportunities have indeed been eroded over recent decades. Indeed, the past eight years seemed to be nothing more than an attempt to bring America down a notch and forced to take its rightful place as just another nation among hundreds. Even more sadly, that “fundamental transformation” of America seems to have been accomplished.

    1. I have to agree with Ryan:

      “I find some amusement in hearing the same people who despair that our country is a disaster demand that everyone recognize our greatness.”

    2. And other countries don’t have liberty? Is the entirety of Europe just some miserable, fascist dystopia?

      This is why I say that I don’t see how exceptionalism can be objectively quantified. We have some freedoms that other countries lack and we lack some freedoms that other countries have. Some people care, some people don’t. Some people are happy where they are, some people aren’t. Vague references to freedom don’t prove anything and don’t even really make a point.

      The best answer to the question would employ actual data, but the standards themselves would always be subjective. One could reasonably judge countries in part by their acceptance of marijuana usage, for example, but that is probably not a standard that most US conservatives would use in an analysis of exceptionalism. On the other hand, US conservatives might tout gun ownership rates and freedoms here as proof of exceptionalism while other countries would dismiss the same standard as ridiculous. Our military is great, but our expenses aren’t. Tax rates might be higher in other countries, but they have better services to show for them. The list goes on.

      Accepting all of this should dispel the notion of some grand, objective exceptionalism while still allowing us to recognize objectively bad features of other countries and to decide whether or not a country is the best fit for *us.*

  3. Clearly Obama is damned anyway, whether he says it or not. His statement must have been “politically incorrect”, we assume? Maybe he would get more praise if he said Trump wasn’t an American.

    That’s the ticket.

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