Nation of the Imperfect

An ideological squabble generally overlooked by Europeans has been raging in the United States for some time now. The fight is about America’s perception and interpretation of its own history. To be more precise, it’s about the perception and interpretation of so-called American exceptionalism.

That term describes not only the special position America occupies among the industrialized Western nations; for many Americans, it also underlines the great importance and special uniqueness of their country. Conservatives above all regard that as a near-sacred tenet that they perceive to be currently under attack once again.

That perception stems from guidelines for the teaching of history in U.S. public schools issued by the National College Board during the summer of 2014. The guidelines call for students to take a more critical approach to America’s past than they did previously. Above all, they are advised to consider how U.S. foreign policy and military actions have affected the rest of the world.

The Disagreement Goes Beyond American Navel-Gazing

Conservatives see in that yet another attempt by Barack Obama and his Democrats to denounce America. Wherever possible, they oppose the new curricula and are protesting in school districts and state legislatures in, among other states, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Colorado.

For example, in Jefferson County, Colorado parents and students angrily protested conservative attempts to control the content of history curricula. On the opposing side, the predominantly conservative Oklahoma legislature last week voted not to fund what it considers the unpatriotic curriculum dictates from Washington.

Which naturally begs the question of why we here in Germany should care about any of that. But the disagreement goes beyond mere American navel-gazing: It involves America’s global role and speaks volumes about the self-image of a superpower nation involved in seemingly endless wars. Beyond that, the fight bears witness to the deep divisions in America over Barack Obama’s presidency.

Some Say Barack Obama is “Un-American”

The radical right especially sees Obama not just as a political opponent but as an enemy. To them, Obama and everything he is and does makes him not just a leftist or a liberal but an alien who is as unpatriotic as he is un-American.

This profound aversion began during the election campaign of 2007-8 when Obama, unlike all the other candidates, didn’t constantly wear an American flag lapel pin in public. Then it continued on his first visit outside the U.S. after being elected when a reporter asked him if he thought the United States was an exceptional nation, and he unpretentiously replied that it was no more exceptional to him than Great Britain was to the British or Greece was to the Greeks. For conservatives, these were treasonous words.

Obama announced his new national security strategic plan a few weeks ago. It mainly emphasizes military restraint in international crises, cooperation and partnership with allies and — much to the disgust of the most conservative Europeans — “strategic patience.” This latest revelation was snapped up by Obama’s opponents as proof that Obama despises America’s superpower role and has absolutely no understanding of America’s uniqueness and the struggle for dominance.

The Attack on American Exceptionalism

That’s why so many conservatives oppose the new general guidelines for teaching American history in public schools. In saying students should look critically at America’s past, they see a fundamental attack on America’s “exceptionalism.” They rave that the United States will no longer be depicted as uniquely virtuous but as just another run-of-the-mill country that makes errors and is as imperfect as any other.

But this “exceptionalism” need not be so narrowly defined. What it describes is a nation that was created in a truly unique way: Made up of immigrants from many different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities and political convictions; a country that nevertheless succeeded in building a single and united nation out of such devastating diversity; a nation that became known for democracy, human rights and the rule of law which it then radiated out to the rest of the globe.

Uniqueness Because of Self-Criticism

But this exceptionalism must never turn into arrogance. The shared belief in its uniqueness was the glue that always held the nation together during times of self-doubt and always gave it renewed strength. The arrogance that it meant unlimited dominance over others is a modern and recent concept.

The will of the founding fathers was that this exceptionalism should never be indisputable. On the contrary, people should constantly challenge it. Its uniqueness has to be justified and re-justified, precisely by people’s willingness to engage in self-criticism and self-correction.

The history of America is replete with eloquent critics. But the conservative desire to prematurely silence those critics in the classroom is fatal.