2 ms·

How did American exceptionalism, specifically, give the world anything? Would people not have invented things if they didn't believe that America was magically

How did American exceptionalism, specifically, give the world anything? Would people not have invented things if they didn't believe that America was magically special?

cambalache 7y ago
Internet and reaching the moon would have not happened for many many many years if not for the US (this from a guy who is pretty stingy with his compliments to America). This only was possible due to the unique combination the US had of high income, high investment on science/technology, large population and a generally optimistic attitude towards technology. No other country in post WW2 had all those qualities (the closest being Japan). So yeah, by all that account we have to thank America exceptionalism for that.
- majormajor 7y ago
  America and "American exceptionalism" as a mindset/ideology are very different things, though. The form of "American exceptionalism" that seems to be most common today is one of "we are uniquely important and many rules don't apply to us in the same way they would others, because of [various usually underlying differences like "freedom"/"democracy"/religious dominion/destiny]." The difference between "we're going to reach the moon because we're special" and "let's spin up this massive program to do it in response to discovering that another nation might be dangerously ahead of us."
CalRobert 7y ago
So, I'm not exactly a booster for the US, but having lived outside it for a while I really miss the can-do attitude and (even misplaced) optimism. I'm really sorry for the cliche but after you've been in a place where tall-poppy syndrome is _real_, trying to have some business success is called "notions", and making a mistake like a failed startup is considered some sort of personality disorder, it is, in fact, something I really miss about the US.

2 ms·

How did American exceptionalism, specifically, give the world anything? Would people not have invented things if they didn't believe that America was magically

by majormajor 7y ago

How did American exceptionalism, specifically, give the world anything? Would people not have invented things if they didn't believe that America was magically special?

cambalache 7y ago
Internet and reaching the moon would have not happened for many many many years if not for the US (this from a guy who is pretty stingy with his compliments to America). This only was possible due to the unique combination the US had of high income, high investment on science/technology, large population and a generally optimistic attitude towards technology. No other country in post WW2 had all those qualities (the closest being Japan). So yeah, by all that account we have to thank America exceptionalism for that.
- majormajor 7y ago
  America and "American exceptionalism" as a mindset/ideology are very different things, though. The form of "American exceptionalism" that seems to be most common today is one of "we are uniquely important and many rules don't apply to us in the same way they would others, because of [various usually underlying differences like "freedom"/"democracy"/religious dominion/destiny]." The difference between "we're going to reach the moon because we're special" and "let's spin up this massive program to do it in response to discovering that another nation might be dangerously ahead of us."
CalRobert 7y ago
So, I'm not exactly a booster for the US, but having lived outside it for a while I really miss the can-do attitude and (even misplaced) optimism. I'm really sorry for the cliche but after you've been in a place where tall-poppy syndrome is _real_, trying to have some business success is called "notions", and making a mistake like a failed startup is considered some sort of personality disorder, it is, in fact, something I really miss about the US.