American Exceptionalism Regardless if the title be “liberal” or “conservative,” it is difficult to define a political position by simply reading a dictionary definition. This is so because the meaning of such terms absolutely depends on what is meant in a given time, place, or context. For example, a “liberal” in Russia or the Ukraine today is more likely to be in sympathy with the stated policies of American conservatives than with those of the progressives or liberals. Whereas a “conservative” in Afghanistan or some other radical Muslim nation has no sympathy or connection to the ideals of conservative Americans. Nonetheless, there are constants in American conservatism which include values rooted in and secured by the American Revolution and defined by our Constitution. These include such things as a democratic republicanism form of government, a mistrust and restraint of government, a limit on ecclesiastical powers, sovereignty of the people, guaranteed certain inalienable rights and liberties, and “the rule of law.” In the formative years of the American experiment, Thomas Jefferson, along with others, must have envisioned a potential for abuse in the new nation when he offered that: “The provisions we have made are such as please ourselves, and are agreeable to our own circumstances; they answer the substantial purposes of government and of justice, and other purposes than these should not be answered. We do not mean that our people shall be burdened with oppressive taxes to provide sinecures for the idle or the wicked . . . .” Many of us still believe this is right. Also, it was widely believed among the founders of our new nation that “unless the virtue of the Americans proved equal to its tasks, liberty would quickly give way once again to tyranny and perhaps a worse tyranny than that of George III.” And even though freedom of religion was guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, along with an absolute prohibition of any state religion, there can be no question that the entire fabric of our republic was woven throughout with biblical principles and a Judeo-Christian ethic. For example, during an impasse at the Constitutional convention in 1787, the deist, Benjamin Franklin, made the statement that “I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth- that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? The Christian principles and values imbedded in the Constitution created the basis and fruit of what most conservatives believe is “American exceptionalism.” Our Constitutional guarantees which include soul-liberty, restraint of government, individual responsibility, and equality of opportunity were grounded in Biblical premise and assumed a belief in God. It was widely held that the uniqueness of the American experiment meant that America’s manifest destiny was to be a “city upon a hill.” A glowing light which would be the model to lead the world toward freedom, self-reliance, prosperity, and democracy. And in this troubled and sin rent world, who could deny the reality of this American legacy? Until the end of the 20th century, and almost without exception, prominent American political figures, educators, historians, clerics and business people believed in American exceptionalism. And in many cases, there was still a conscience that whispered the probability of Divine intervention in the conception and preservation of our nation. But a drastic change has been emerging of late. The decline and/or denial of America’s exceptionalism has been perpetuated by a gaggle of anti-American progressives, globalists, New-Agers, religious liberals, and secularists. Our world is what they now gleefully refer to as “Post-American.” Here at home the old -time self-reliance, entrepreneur spirit, work ethic, resolve, and gratitude to God are often disdained and always supplanted by a cradle to grave illusion of security. Trust in God has been discarded for trust in government. Saddest of all is the delusion that because this has happened, we are now better off. We are rapidly approaching a time when as in ancient Israel: “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Ours may be the generation which must bear the blame for the surrender of our legacy of American exceptionalism… “the salt that has lost its savor and the light which refused to shine.” WEN - 3/7/2014
Posted on: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 02:48:18 +0000
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