Make America Great?

Okay, it's time to dismantle some myths about America that have been around for far too long. These myths can be summarized with two words: "American Exceptionalism". It's the idea that somehow America is special, or more special than all other countries, and by extension that Americans are special. How often have you seen in movies than an American is arrested in another country and starts yelling: "You can't do that! I'm an American citizen!!" The appropriate reaction to such exceptional indignation is: "So what?"

Through Hollywood and other popular media this idea of American Exceptionalism is well known all over the world. Personally I find it ridiculous to attach pride or self worth to anything you didn't have a choice in, like the color of your skin or indeed the place you were born. Be proud of what you do, what you achieve, not of what's given to you. American exceptionalism is losing ground among America's younger generations, but Americans from my generation are still very much hung up on the idea that there's never been a greater country in all of human history.

Just of the top of my head, I can think of only one thing that's truly unique about America; it's the only country in all of human history to ever drop nuclear bombs on living, breathing people. They did that at the end of the Second World War, not to win that war as it was already won by that time, but to send a message to communist U.S.S.R. and all other countries that would be so foolish to duplicate that communist example. Is that something to be so proud of? If you think so, go ask the descendants from the people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki what they think of that pride. America's policy of eternal foreign wars was born in that moment (which is not unique in human history, but terrible all the same); they could afford that because America was the only western country not devastated by the war.

People from the right and the far right are generally the ones still stuck with the notion that America's greatness is unmatched, and while that might be true by some metrics, none of those are something to be proud of. Yes, it's still the richest country on Earth, but don't think too long about how it got so rich, or that satisfied smile on your face will disappear in a second. Is America exporting liberty and democracy around the world, like so many older Americans believe? Hell no. Just ask some Latin Americans or people from the Middle East. Were they the first in space? No again; that were the Russians with Sputnik. Does America win all those wars they engage in? Don't make me laugh. Does America produce the smartest people? Well, no, in fact the American education system is failing terribly as it's left largely to market forces like almost everything else in the country. This is why Americans still don't have healthcare for all and why life expectancy is dropping instead of rising; the U.S. is only number 38, below Lebanon, the Czech Republic and Chile on the global ranking.

And let's not even get started on America's mythologized past; the cold hard facts are the the country is built by European settlers who murdered the indigenous peoples and imported slaves from Africa to start building their generational wealth, which is still to this day hoarded by the descendants of these white European settlers. So let's not go there (even though I just did ;-)). Keep all this in mind when you start watching the below linked video about far right radio host Rush Limbough, who can not handle anyone criticizing the myth of American greatness, beliefs that Trump can Make America Great Again (what do you mean "again"?), and thinks the Marxist-invested educational system has brainwashed two generations of Americans into not believing that America is in fact great. This is also nonsense of course; if anything, it's good that youngsters are told everything about the country's history. Everything! Not just the good, but also the bad, in an objective manner. So don't think this post is to hate on America or Americans, even if it looks that way. I'll tell you a secret; there's almost no rich country that has a better history, as they're all part of the same neoliberal world empire that built its riches on the same things as America. So don't feel like you're that special, my American brothers and sisters ;-)

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