American Exceptionalism After 2016

Eight years ago, long before we ever imagined the Trump-Clinton disaster election we just had, a younger Senator Obama was being hammered for his views on "American Exceptionalism." Basically, he didn't believe we are an exceptional nation by birth. He didn't believe in some form of divine greatness that Americans have by birth. Conservative Americans were insulted.

Barack Obama was right.

America has been an exceptional nation throughout it's history. The Declaration of Independence and Constitution were exceptional. The first Moon landing was exceptional. The Emancipation Proclamation and winning the Civil War was exceptional. Building the Interstate Highway System was exceptional. Winning both World Wars was exceptional. Developing the nuclear bomb was exceptional. The Civil Rights Movement was exceptional. Bringing the internet to household scale was exceptional. Building the New York City skyline was exceptional. The Marshall Plan was exceptional. America has many exceptional moments in it's past.

"Making America Great Again" this past Fall is not exceptional.

I don't view us as exceptional right now. Talk of building a wall on the Mexican border isn't exceptional. Building a "Muslim registry" is not exceptional. Withdrawing from the Iran Deal is not exceptional. Putting more guns on the street is not exceptional. Denying climate change is not exceptional. Cutting and privatizing Medicare and Social Security is not exceptional. De-regulating the banks is not exceptional. Nothing this man is proposing is exceptional.

I find nothing exceptional about Donald Trump or his 62.5 million voters. I find it embarrassing. With promises of nonsensical things, like bringing back factories and mines, the President-elect has convinced millions of uneducated and desperate people to sign onto his xenophobic, hyper-nationalistic agenda. We will now have a President-elect who wishes to partner with Vladimir Putin, of all the terrible people he could pick, but wants to pick a fight with China. This is not a welcome change.

We're not exceptional right now.