American Exceptionalism refers to the belief that the United States is different from others as US was uniquely freed from British control. Americans are generally found to be quite rigid and proud about themselves despite all the terrorism spread by their millitary. They describe the United States as an "empire of liberty," a "shinning city on a hill," the last hope of the world," the "leader of the free world," and the "insdispensable nation.". As Stephen M. Walt said:
"The unchallenged faith of Americans in American exceptionalism makes it harder for Americans to understand why others are less enthusiastic about U.S. dominance, often alarmed by U.S. policies, and frequently irritated by what they see as U.S. hypocrisy, whether the subject is possession of nuclear weapons, conformity with international law, or America's tendency to condemn the conduct of others while ignoring its own failings. Ironically, U.S. foreign policy would probably be more effective if Americans were less convinced of their own unique virtues and less eager to proclaim them. "
President Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address said: "America is a nation conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." But history of America narrates something else. The history reveals the hidden secrets of acts of brutality ,a record that suggests they are neither a "mistake" nor an "aberration" but rather conscious counterinsurgency doctrine. Let`s leave the US intervention in Iraq,Afghanistan,Libya,Syria,Bosnia,Palestine,Sudan etc. we shall discuss what the Americans hiave done in thier own country:
THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR:
Most people think that slavery was the only cause of the Civil War. Because of slavery, African Americans were discriminated against in the United States. In reality, southern slaves were often treated better than some northern factory workers. Because of the movement to stop slavery (the abolitionist movement) southerners concluded that all or most northerners were against them and wanted
to destroy their way of life. Southerners developed the illusion that all northerners were against them and it united the southern states. For about 245 years, slaves had been used in America as free labor. Some slaves tried to escape to freedom, and some accomplished this goal. Once an escape was discovered, usually a man hunt followed. If caught, slaves were usually beaten or whipped. The basis of the southern economy was cotton, so slaves were a very important to southern life. Lincoln had said that he would end slavery so the
southern population saw him as a threat to their livelyhood. The northern economy was based on industrial things. Textile factories, forges, and general manufacturing are just a few examples of what held up the northern economy. Many low paid workers worked in those factories under horrible conditions and in an unsafe environment. Factory owners recruited the poor, women and children, and
immigrants, so they didn't have to pay the higher wages required for a normal person. The southern economy was based on cotton and other agriculture. The south used slaves to do manual labor. this was viewed as bad by northerners when their own factory workers were no better or even worse off than slaves. Southerners didn't really attempt to stop this when northerners tried to stop
slavery. Most southerners didn't even own slaves, they worked the fields themselves. Southerners didn't try to destroy the northern way of life, but northerners did attempt to destory theirs.
The war was fought with what were effectively modern weapons. Rifled barrels ensured greater accuracy, repeating rifles ensured a greater rate of fire. The so called "Mine Ball" a 0.5 inch slug used in rifled barrels caused such massive wounds that a hit anywhere on the body took the soldier out of action, if the wound was in the torso then death was almost certain.Officially 600,000 men died fighting the Civil War, but premature deaths soared well over one million in the postwar years due to disease caused by wounds inflicted in the war.
LYNCHING:
According to the information available:
In the last decades of the nineteenth century, the lynching of Black people in the Southern and border states became an institutionalized method used by whites.The causes assigned by whites in justification or explanation of lynching Black people include everything from major crimes to minor offenses. In many cases,Blacks were lynched for no reason at all other than race prejudice.
to terrorize Blacks and maintain white supremacy. In the South, during the period 1880 to 1940, there was deep-seated and all-pervading hatred and fear of the Negro which led white mobs to tu1111rn to �lynch law� as a means of social control.
Lynchings occurred most commonly in the smaller towns and isolated rural communities of the South where people were poor, mostly illiterate, and where there was a noticeable lack of wholesome community recreation. The people who composed mobs in such neighborhoods were usually small land holders, tenant farmers and common laborers, whose economic status was very similar to that of
the Negro. They frequently found Black men economic competitors and bitterly resented any Negro progress. Their starved emotions made the raising of a mob a quick and simple process, and racial antagonism made the killing of Negroes a type of local amusement which broke the monotony of rural life. Although most participants in the lynching mobs were from the lower strata of Southern white
society, occasionally middle and upper class whites took part, and generally condoned the illegal activity. Many Southern politicians and officials supported �lynch-law�, and came to power on a platform of race prejudice.
RACE RIOTS:
In the decade immediately preceding World War I, a pattern of racial violence began to emerge in which white mob assaults were directed against entire Black communities. These race riots were the product of white society�s desire to maintain its superiority over Blacks, vent its frustrations in times of distress, and attack those least able to defend themselves. In these race riots, white mobs invaded Black neighborhoods, beat and killed large numbers of Blacks and destroyed Black property. In most instances, Blacks foSpringfieldught back and there were many casualties on both sides, though most of the dead were Black. Major riots occured in Wilmington, Atlanta, Sprinfield, Chicago, Oklahoma and Michigan. In one of the incidents,some whites in a Ford drove through the main Negro district, shooting into
homes. Blacks armed themselves. When a police car, also a Ford, drove down the street to investigate, the Blacks fired on it, killing two policemen. The next day, as reports of the shooting spread, a new riot began. Streetcars were stopped, Blacks were pulled off, stoned, clubbed, kicked and shot. Other rioters set fire to Black homes. By midnight the Black section was in flames and Blacks were fleeing the city. The official casualty figures were nine whites and thirty-nine Blacks, hundreds wounded, but the NAACP investigators estimated that
between one hundred to two hundred Blacks were killed.<sup>14</sup> Over three hundred buildings were destroyed.
MENTAL TORTURE:
Christopher Columbus is considered to be the pioneer of the genocide against native Americans. He is the most disliked person among the Blacks. Despite this, "Columbus Day" is celebrated on every 12th of October. An African American shared hi views about it:
"As a Native American (or Pre-American) I find it appalling and offensive that this country continues to honor a murderer, slave master and usurper who would inspire many others to do the same. And it troubles me that people of all walks of life can’t come together, as it has been done in the past, to condemn this so-called holiday and recognize Columbus as the offender against humanity he was."
HATE CRIMES:
African Americans are by far the most frequent victims of hate crimes. Of the 7,624 hate crime incidents reported nationwide in 2007, the most recent year for which data is available, 34 percent (2,659) were perpetrated against African Americans, a number and percentage of incidents that has changed little over the past 10 years.
CRIME RATE:
According to a survey, United States with 11,877,218(the number of crimes that took place per 100,000 people)
is the most unsafe country.
The above mentioned facts taken from the history and present day situation of America plus what America is doing in rest of the world are quite enough to negate the description of America as an "empire of liberty," a "shinning city on a hill," the last hope of the world," the "leader of the free world," and the "insdispensable nation.". If still anyone thinks so, then in my opinion he must seek psychiatric help.
"The unchallenged faith of Americans in American exceptionalism makes it harder for Americans to understand why others are less enthusiastic about U.S. dominance, often alarmed by U.S. policies, and frequently irritated by what they see as U.S. hypocrisy, whether the subject is possession of nuclear weapons, conformity with international law, or America's tendency to condemn the conduct of others while ignoring its own failings. Ironically, U.S. foreign policy would probably be more effective if Americans were less convinced of their own unique virtues and less eager to proclaim them. "
President Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address said: "America is a nation conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." But history of America narrates something else. The history reveals the hidden secrets of acts of brutality ,a record that suggests they are neither a "mistake" nor an "aberration" but rather conscious counterinsurgency doctrine. Let`s leave the US intervention in Iraq,Afghanistan,Libya,Syria,Bosnia,Palestine,Sudan etc. we shall discuss what the Americans hiave done in thier own country:
THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR:
Most people think that slavery was the only cause of the Civil War. Because of slavery, African Americans were discriminated against in the United States. In reality, southern slaves were often treated better than some northern factory workers. Because of the movement to stop slavery (the abolitionist movement) southerners concluded that all or most northerners were against them and wanted
to destroy their way of life. Southerners developed the illusion that all northerners were against them and it united the southern states. For about 245 years, slaves had been used in America as free labor. Some slaves tried to escape to freedom, and some accomplished this goal. Once an escape was discovered, usually a man hunt followed. If caught, slaves were usually beaten or whipped. The basis of the southern economy was cotton, so slaves were a very important to southern life. Lincoln had said that he would end slavery so the
southern population saw him as a threat to their livelyhood. The northern economy was based on industrial things. Textile factories, forges, and general manufacturing are just a few examples of what held up the northern economy. Many low paid workers worked in those factories under horrible conditions and in an unsafe environment. Factory owners recruited the poor, women and children, and
immigrants, so they didn't have to pay the higher wages required for a normal person. The southern economy was based on cotton and other agriculture. The south used slaves to do manual labor. this was viewed as bad by northerners when their own factory workers were no better or even worse off than slaves. Southerners didn't really attempt to stop this when northerners tried to stop
slavery. Most southerners didn't even own slaves, they worked the fields themselves. Southerners didn't try to destroy the northern way of life, but northerners did attempt to destory theirs.
The war was fought with what were effectively modern weapons. Rifled barrels ensured greater accuracy, repeating rifles ensured a greater rate of fire. The so called "Mine Ball" a 0.5 inch slug used in rifled barrels caused such massive wounds that a hit anywhere on the body took the soldier out of action, if the wound was in the torso then death was almost certain.Officially 600,000 men died fighting the Civil War, but premature deaths soared well over one million in the postwar years due to disease caused by wounds inflicted in the war.
LYNCHING:
According to the information available:
In the last decades of the nineteenth century, the lynching of Black people in the Southern and border states became an institutionalized method used by whites.The causes assigned by whites in justification or explanation of lynching Black people include everything from major crimes to minor offenses. In many cases,Blacks were lynched for no reason at all other than race prejudice.
to terrorize Blacks and maintain white supremacy. In the South, during the period 1880 to 1940, there was deep-seated and all-pervading hatred and fear of the Negro which led white mobs to tu1111rn to �lynch law� as a means of social control.
Lynchings occurred most commonly in the smaller towns and isolated rural communities of the South where people were poor, mostly illiterate, and where there was a noticeable lack of wholesome community recreation. The people who composed mobs in such neighborhoods were usually small land holders, tenant farmers and common laborers, whose economic status was very similar to that of
the Negro. They frequently found Black men economic competitors and bitterly resented any Negro progress. Their starved emotions made the raising of a mob a quick and simple process, and racial antagonism made the killing of Negroes a type of local amusement which broke the monotony of rural life. Although most participants in the lynching mobs were from the lower strata of Southern white
society, occasionally middle and upper class whites took part, and generally condoned the illegal activity. Many Southern politicians and officials supported �lynch-law�, and came to power on a platform of race prejudice.
RACE RIOTS:
In the decade immediately preceding World War I, a pattern of racial violence began to emerge in which white mob assaults were directed against entire Black communities. These race riots were the product of white society�s desire to maintain its superiority over Blacks, vent its frustrations in times of distress, and attack those least able to defend themselves. In these race riots, white mobs invaded Black neighborhoods, beat and killed large numbers of Blacks and destroyed Black property. In most instances, Blacks foSpringfieldught back and there were many casualties on both sides, though most of the dead were Black. Major riots occured in Wilmington, Atlanta, Sprinfield, Chicago, Oklahoma and Michigan. In one of the incidents,some whites in a Ford drove through the main Negro district, shooting into
homes. Blacks armed themselves. When a police car, also a Ford, drove down the street to investigate, the Blacks fired on it, killing two policemen. The next day, as reports of the shooting spread, a new riot began. Streetcars were stopped, Blacks were pulled off, stoned, clubbed, kicked and shot. Other rioters set fire to Black homes. By midnight the Black section was in flames and Blacks were fleeing the city. The official casualty figures were nine whites and thirty-nine Blacks, hundreds wounded, but the NAACP investigators estimated that
between one hundred to two hundred Blacks were killed.<sup>14</sup> Over three hundred buildings were destroyed.
MENTAL TORTURE:
Christopher Columbus is considered to be the pioneer of the genocide against native Americans. He is the most disliked person among the Blacks. Despite this, "Columbus Day" is celebrated on every 12th of October. An African American shared hi views about it:
"As a Native American (or Pre-American) I find it appalling and offensive that this country continues to honor a murderer, slave master and usurper who would inspire many others to do the same. And it troubles me that people of all walks of life can’t come together, as it has been done in the past, to condemn this so-called holiday and recognize Columbus as the offender against humanity he was."
HATE CRIMES:
African Americans are by far the most frequent victims of hate crimes. Of the 7,624 hate crime incidents reported nationwide in 2007, the most recent year for which data is available, 34 percent (2,659) were perpetrated against African Americans, a number and percentage of incidents that has changed little over the past 10 years.
CRIME RATE:
According to a survey, United States with 11,877,218(the number of crimes that took place per 100,000 people)
is the most unsafe country.
The above mentioned facts taken from the history and present day situation of America plus what America is doing in rest of the world are quite enough to negate the description of America as an "empire of liberty," a "shinning city on a hill," the last hope of the world," the "leader of the free world," and the "insdispensable nation.". If still anyone thinks so, then in my opinion he must seek psychiatric help.
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