American Exceptionalism at its best

[Writewing]

This link below is something I find a prime example of why we should never feel the need to apologize to anyone for being who we are. This in no way is to imply or start a debate as it is shown in pride for being an American. These numbers may indeed change and certainly will when individual donations are factored in but it is easy to see many if not all who have pledged can be doing much much more and we as Americans shine by example.
Time after time we step up as a collective nation with our Tax dollars and private donations from the individual, the church and from the business sector so the next time anyone tells you we are not a great nation place your finger square in their face and teach them some truth.
God Bless all who are suffering, God Bless you Michelle and I hope your daughter is found safe.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/worl...y/1425366.html

[noonereal]

I would say we are taking care of business in our neighborhood witch we should.
I don't see this as justification for American Exceptionalism.
Apples and Oranges.

[merrylander]

Apples and oranges indeed. In the first place if anyone posting here has suggested that Americans are not generous people I must have missed it. In the second place you make no allowances for population differences, although you were very quick to note that, for example, Canada has one tenth the population of the U.S. I am quite certain that many of the other counteries identified are at similar percentages. Now China with all our money and all its population could have done better.

Exits left humming "Jingo bells, jingo bells . . ."

[finnbow]

Not to bust anyone's bubble, but the US is always fairly far down the list in foreign aid as a percentage of national income. I believe the large amount of aid to Haiti has to do with its proximity to us.

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Not to bust anyone's bubble, but the US is always fairly far down the list in foreign aid as a percentage of national income. I believe the large amount of aid to Haiti has to do with its proximity to us.

Aren't those countries with the high bars the lefty commie pinko countries that have that godless socialized medicine and loose women and all of that?

Regards,

D-Ray

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by Writewing

Time after time we step up as a collective nation with our Tax dollars and private donations from the individual, the church and from the business sector so the next time anyone tells you we are not a great nation place your finger square in their face and teach them some truth.

What I find truly sad is your need to turn this into a competition.

John

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

Aren't those countries with the high bars the lefty commie pinko countries that have that godless socialized medicine and loose women and all of that?

Regards,

D-Ray

Yep. Let's take a road trip.

Regarding American exceptionalism, I think it's both dangerous and ill-informed for the right wing to harp on this notion. I've lived overseas in several countries and have visited over 50 more countries, and all modern, developed countries have certain advantages and disadvantages with respect to the others. Exceptionalism, hyper-patriotism and nationalism are interrelated concepts in which people assert than their country is the best in the world simply because they were born there. (Credit: George Bernard Shaw, "Patriotism is, fundamentally, a conviction that a particular country is the best in the world because you were born in it… " )

These notions cause their believers to accept the premise that their nation is the best in the world in all realms and improvements to their society are unneeded, unwanted and dangerous. It further hinders their ability to recognize where their country has made mistakes and to implement course corrections. Lastly, this self-righteousness has led to many a war.

[merrylander]

"Jingoism is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "extreme patriotism in the form of aggressive foreign policy".[1] In practice, it refers to the advocation of the use of threats or actual force against other countries in order to safeguard what they perceive as their country's national interests, and colloquially to excessive bias in judging one's own country as superior to others – an extreme type of nationalism.

The term originated in Britain, expressing a pugnacious attitude towards Russia in the 1870s. During the 19th century in the United States, journalists called this attitude spread-eagleism. "Jingoism" did not enter the U.S. vernacular until near the turn of the 20th century. This nationalistic belligerence was intensified by the sinking of the battleship USS Maine in Havana harbour that led to the Spanish-American War of 1898."

from Wikipedia.

From a British expression "By jingo" used to avoid saying "By Jesus"

[Grumpy]

600 mil in the last few years aint chump change.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

600 mil in the last few years aint chump change.

No one here ever said it was, I was only noting that, frex, Norway and Denmark have populations of some 5 million people each. I have been on record in other fora that Americans are generous people (as you and Nancy well know) but that really should not be used as a club against other nations.