Herman Cain

I never really thought Mr Cain's campaign was much more than a very length audition tape for Fox News. Oh, and a good way to sell books. At least one American won't have financial woes through his retirement.

Incredible how negative - then immediately partisan - things turn these days....

The facts are that America is an exceptional nation, and has been for the vast majority of its history. Her status as the world's leading state for 70+ years is a testament to that.

However, in saying that, not every single aspect of the country is exceptional at all times. And even the American "fascists" and "socialists" would agree that the economy, social structure, and political structure have deep flaws that need correcting....

And the country has made mistakes, and I was raised to believe that taking responsibility for one's mistakes is the first step towards rectifying them.

So is apologizing for clear mistakes really such a bad thing?

Conversely, is thinking that your country is the best in the world also bad?

I would say no to both, unless they reached the extremes (as seen in a lot of the posts on here)....not everything is a mistake, or perfect, or horrendous. Like politics these days - something I hope politicians realize SOON - the reality is pretty close to the middle, and there's no shame in moving towards that reality in actions and mindset.

http://pri-conceived.tumblr.com/

I'll take an apology for the last ten years of American policy, over a doubling down strategy anyday. =/

Lexington, you're full of it in this post. Let me prove it!

"I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism."

There's a little more to the quote, but that has to be the most tepid endorsements of any idea I've ever heard. Basically he is qualifying his own belief as culturally relative, which implicitly suggests it's not really true. The rest of the quote is saying that America's ability to act like America is contingent on our position in the world and we should continue to lead. One can only infer that he is in truth fairly agnostic on the question of whether America has any particular historical "destiny" or special duty to the world enshrined in its founding ideals.

Now as for the apologies:

“In America, there’s a failure to appreciate Europe‘s leading role in the world. Instead of celebrating your dynamic union and seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive.”

“While the United States has done much to promote peace and prosperity in the hemisphere, we have at times been disengaged, and at times we sought to dictate our terms.”

“Unfortunately, faced with an uncertain threat, our government made a series of hasty decisions. I believe that many of these decisions were motivated by a sincere desire to protect the American people. But I also believe that all too often our government made decisions based on fear rather than foresight, that all too often our government trimmed facts and evidence to fit ideological predispositions.”

“Too often, the United States has not pursued and sustained engagement with our neighbors. We have been too easily distracted by other priorities, and have failed to see that our own progress is tied directly to progress throughout the Americas.”

“There is also no question that Guantanamo set back the moral authority that is America’s strongest currency in the world.”

Cable from ambassador to Japan John Roos: “...the idea of President Obama visiting Hiroshima to apologize for the atomic bombing during World War II is a ‘non-starter.’ While a simple visit to Hiroshima without fanfare is sufficiently symbolic to convey the right message, it is premature to include such program in the November visit.”

There are more where that came from. Okay these aren't pro forma apologies, but they certainly are statements of regret that have the same meaning if not the same force as a true apology. Maybe Obama's apologies are well deserved and necessary. Fine, but don't mischaracterize the situation and slander his opponents.

The idea that America always behaves (or is) better than other nations is just the most juvenile, superficial expression of American exceptionalism. You may be relieved to know that American exceptionalism is actually a lot more nuanced than simple nationalism. Hopefully the following will help non-Americans better understand their American friends!

American exceptionalism is the belief that the United States is a "chosen nation" - chosen to behave as an example to the world, a "city on a hill." America is held to a higher standard. Some religious people believe America is on a "mission from God," while some atheists (possibly including Pres. Obama) think that America, as an advanced Western nation, has the resources and insight to take a more humane approach to the world we live in.

Some also believe that America's prosperity follows from this "chosen" status, whether as a result of God's benevolence, or as a natural consequence of America's good behavior.

The most powerful repercussion of American exceptionalism is that is frames policy decisions in moral terms. Policy initiative cannot simply be in America's interest - they must be the "right thing to do." This has had various effects on America's path.

On a personal level, this means Americans get very prickly when people reframe US policy as realpolitik. This may be because, believe it or not, when the policy decision was being made, the patriotic US citizen decided to support or oppose the measure for moral reasons.

If you want an example, look at the Iraq war, or the Libyan intervention. When a person criticizes the Iraq war as an "oil grab," pro-war Americans bristle because that is the furthest thing from their minds when they voice support for the intervention. The accusation also calls into question the honesty and integrity of the leaders they voted for.

Of course, what the internet trolls (not you forsize) among us take from this is "We're number 1!" Just indulge this silliness the way you indulge mindless football rivalries. Be patient with us Americans - we really do mean well!

I always thought Obama was an enthusiast for American exceptionalism, but sobered by the knowledge that many parts of the world have now caught up and give lie to the boisterous shouts of "F**K YEAH AMERICA". Obama's constant references to emerging powers such as China, India and South Korea, and exhorting the Americans to heed these foreign achievements and match them.

It is reprehensible that the Republicans are distorting facts to make him appear that he is no patriot to the US. In my humble opinion, it is the Republicans who are true miscreants to the American republic, who would let their people sleep in false security and ignorance in their cynical ploy to gain power for themselves.

The Sunday shows were forced to acknowledge that in last week's polls Ron Paul is 2nd or 3rd and gained strongly from low 2 digits to mid/high 2 digits in just one week.

My private poll predicts that it won't be long before the media will have to also acknowledge that Paul's rising success is because he is the only candidate in EITHER party to consistently make Empire an issue, and to expose and educate Americans that their 'symptom problems' are all caused by a two-party 'Vichy' Empire that the others help hide.

Talking about Empire, Axelrod, in calling Romney a flip flopper totally ignored any mention of the biggest flipping --- Obama's '08 campaign promise "as a Constitutional scholar" to prosecute spying, torture, and let "no one stand above the law", which he flopped 'big time' into "let's look forward not back", despite the Constitution, the rule of law, and the words of US Chief Judge Jackson at Nuremberg.

Another private poll of mine predicts that Glenn Greenwald's fabulous new book, "With Liberty and Justice for Some", which excoriates Obama for turning his back on his Constitutional duty and his serial support of elitist immunity from all laws in Washington and Wall Street will become impossible for the corporatist media to continue to ignore --- and that this story with real legs will run-down the current faux-Emperor Obama, the Republican field of Empire-ignorers, and expose the two-party 'Vichy' Empire that is the primary target of the Occupy protests.

Best luck and love to Occupy Empire.

Liberty, democracy, justice, and equality
over
violent/Vichy
empire,

Alan MacDonald

The real question is why, for example, Herman Cain, who never had anything like suitable credentials for seeking the Office of President of the United States, who is not and never was a credible candidate, received so much media coverage in the first place.

The same can be said about Michele Bachmann
The same, and many times more, can be said about Sarah Palin.

It could, in fact, also have been said about Mike Huckabee, but much more softly, and with a lot more respect for the man as a human being.

----------

By contrast, eminently credible candidates, men of learning and intelligence, like Tim Pawlenty and Jon Huntsman, receive virtually none of this free publicity, despite being excellent candidates with really good qualifications to seek the office of the Presidency. Either man would make quite a reasonable choice as President.

Newt Gingrich is clearly a serious candidate, amply able to hold his own in policy debate of serious issues. He is getting attention now.

And then there is Ron Paul.

He receives a modest amount of publicity, mainly because of the hard-rock determination of his supporters. His campaign is at least ideologically internally consistent, and is at root driven by policy - and policy that can be argued between rational adults with an ability to speak thoughtfully, to listen to, and to think about, the other guy's view - rather than positions driven by shouting as loud as possible to push wonky, beyond-rational-discussion-between-educated-adults beliefs about (pick any one or more) religion, abortion, gay bashing, guns, immigration, global-warming-denial, oil ... all of which deliberately pander to the lowest common denominator of voter ignorance.

He may be wrong, but there is a credibility and consistency about Ron Paul's campaign that the truly flakey, dogma-driven campaigns do not have, never will have, (and really, in truth, have never genuinely aspired to have). He is at least bringing to a political debate a campaign of ideas about public policy, and for that alone deserves to be in the race: real dicsussion of public policy options is what the public forum is supposed to be about. The flakey candidates just bring noise.

Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman, Tim Pawlenty, and Ron Paul all bring valuable things to the public debate.

wow teacup, seems easy to praise others without being a fascist. yet a leftist can't muster anything but hatred and disdain for someone who says something good about america.

remember that kids. good things about other countries=truth. good things about america=fascism.

I guess my consolation in all this is its utterly repellent to the vast majority of americans to hear rabid leftists call people fascists for having a positive view of america. so, hey, have at it. hanoi jane it up.

Most Economist posters are 'leftists' by that definition...with occasional rightist too ignorant to realise

American exceptionalism is rooted in the DNA of the country itself, to say that one should adore it or abhor it is comparable to directing a salmon which direction they should swim. To reference Mr. Cain, it is admirable that a successful businessman who felt he had answers to problems plaguing the country decided to with no prior experience run for the highest elected office because he is an american and can do damn near anything. Then to watch the clout disapear when presented with the "realities" of being a leader like the president is and that exceptionalism became escapism as it "didnt matter because its not relevant." Not everyone is cut from the same cloth Mr. Cain, even us exceptional americans.

"saying shitty things about america is actually good"

Saying true things is generally good. Lying is generally bad.

If there are some shitty things about America it is good to say them, so perhaps they can be made better. Or we can all tell each other how perfect we are, and be happy with our enhanced national self-esteem like a very large number of over-coddled children, and reality can go hang.

The truth is he owes, on behalf of the united states, more apologies than he's given. The idea that he's given too many is absurd, aggravatingly so.

Kevin Chamow

oo is this the "saying shitty things about america is actually good" comment section for leftists?

leftists always rile themselves up into a tizzy about how evil american exceptionalism is, and how at any rate obama isn't guilty of any of it. but you know, america is kinda bad, and saying otherwise is probably fascist.

tell me more!

American exceptionalism in small doses is fine. However, when you take it to the level that the Republican Party does, it becomes ultranationalism and borderline fascism. The ones who claim to "love America" so much are really the ones who are instrumental in destroying its values.

I (not being american) always assumed the ridiculousness of American Exceptionalism. Likewise saw the propaganda against Obama saying that he didn't believe it and was somehow 'un-American' by way of the quote, and thought, at last, someone with perspective on the world ruling the worlds most powerful nation. The link you provided makes me sad in so many ways.

"Another one is the nonsense about Mr Obama not believing in American exceptionalism. Mr Obama has plenty of faults and made plenty of mistakes. These two happen not to be among them."

Hence Cain's (and Gingrich's) mortal failings:

One, sometimes it's not helpful to convince yourself that you're exceptional.

And second, at times it's best just to apologize, and move on.