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The Forum > Article Comments > The dangers of exceptionalism: Israel , the USA and others > Comments

The dangers of exceptionalism: Israel , the USA and others : Comments

By Stuart Rees, published 9/8/2012

America likes to claim that it has been the leading defender of liberty yet former President Jimmy Carter has argued why his country is no longer entitled to that accolade.

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The tragic irony readily apparent in the brief but cogent survey and analysis by the good professor, is that the ‘specialist’ division of labour in academe effectively precludes him from understanding that the driving force underlying each example he cites is the ‘ethic’ of endless accumulation of ‘private’ surplus wealth (Capital) by small groups or classes of dominant elites, whose politico-economic power enables them - with the assistance of well-rewarded senior military and political bureaucrats - to effectively impose such harsh and oppressive rule over their fellow citizens and neighbours.
Posted by Sowat, Thursday, 9 August 2012 10:27:40 AM
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Although it would appear to be obvious, such things need to be said, and said often.
I am in the process of editing a book, the title of which is "My warrior has a handsome face"
With thanks to Neruda and playing on a line from one of his poems. That indicates what the book is about. One rule for them and one for us. And "they" are the bad guys and "we" are the handsome warriors: the good guys.
Intrinsically.
But reality is simply not like that.
There are some actions that are unacceptable no matter who does them.
But we do not need to list every crime ever committed by every nation in order to criticise a single state for committing a crime today.
Posted by laviniam, Thursday, 9 August 2012 12:14:57 PM
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Let me see. I can identify Celts among my ancestors. So I am not an Australian, I am a C E L T. Large numbers of Celts have been killed by non-Celts and self-hating Celts over the centuries since their beginning in part of Austria. I will feel cut off from my roots – victimised – until the world’s Celts have a homeland of our own, proclaiming itself the Celt state, governed by Celts for the Celts and open to Celt settlers wherever they may be. A suitable site would be Austria and surrounds. The inhabitants must be expelled, their homes seized and renamed, their farms torn up, their real estate re-allocated to Celts. Some may keep on harassing the new State of Celtia (like the fools who resisted and dismantled the Third Reich and the pests who resist Israel and want it dismantled) but we will defend our state and hit them wherever the challenges come from. We will make nukes just in case, and create a world hullabaloo if any of them even look like making nukes too. The rest of the world owes us support, with their lives if it comes to it. After all we’re exceptional. We’re SPECIAL. If they don’t agree they’re anticeltites, no better than those who have victimised Celts for so long, no better than self-hating Celts who don’t feel the call of the blood.

But of course it doesn’t happen. No Celt would dream of it. I wouldn’t myself (I think I’m really an Australian after all). If any group ever started a movement to demand a Celtia in place of Austria it would be held in hatred and contempt by decent people, including decent Celts, all over the world. And so it should of course
Posted by EmperorJulian, Thursday, 9 August 2012 2:20:16 PM
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As the late great Gore Vidal said:

"…fifty years ago, Harry Truman replaced the old republic with a national-security state whose sole purpose is to wage perpetual wars, hot, cold, and tepid. Exact date of replacement? February 27, 1947. Place: The White House Cabinet Room. Cast: Truman, Undersecretary of State Dean Acheson, a handful of congressional leaders. Republican senator Arthur Vandenberg told Truman that he could have his militarized economy only IF he first “scared the hell out of the American people” that the Russians were coming. Truman obliged. The perpetual war began. Representative government of, by, and for the people is now a faded memory. Only corporate America enjoys representation by the Congress and presidents that it pays for in an arrangement where no one is entirely accountable because those who have bought the government also own the media. Now, with the revolt of the Praetorian Guard at the Pentagon, we are entering a new and dangerous phase. Although we regularly stigmatize other societies as rogue states, we ourselves have become the largest rogue state of all. We honor no treaties. We spurn international courts. We strike unilaterally wherever we choose. We give orders to the United Nations but do not pay our dues…we bomb, invade, subvert other states. Although We the People of the United States are the sole source of legitimate authority in this land, we are no longer represented in Congress Assembled. Our Congress has been hijacked by corporate America and its enforcer, the imperial military machine…"

Same goes for many other nations on this small blue planet.
Posted by Geoff of Perth, Thursday, 9 August 2012 4:32:37 PM
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And yet God has the right and power to give His land to anyone He wants to. The author also confirms that all are corrupt. Thank God that Christ will sought it out one day as surely as the sun rises.
Posted by runner, Thursday, 9 August 2012 5:19:37 PM
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Well 'Runner' I hope he "sort's" it out,

your blind, blinkered religious fervour seem to serve you well.

Never mind the reality behind your ethos.

I would suggest a long-term education program that is bereft of religious indoctrination for you..........I have never seen such blatant and blind faith in something so removed from reality that you manage to maintain your faith in such small things as your so called 'truth'.

Religion is the solution for those who feign prophecy as the mantra of truth and a complete nuance from reality and scientific reality.

No doubt the dinosaurs will continue to haunt your belief regime.

My god, reality, teaches me the inevitable desire to seek truth, explanation and a rational approach to what we seek, too bad you are so blinded to your myopic view........when will you learn and then provide some real constructive comment toward this important reasoning.
Posted by Geoff of Perth, Thursday, 9 August 2012 10:36:08 PM
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