I’m not really interested in splitting hairs about who won and who lost. I think Palin did surprisingly well simply by not fumbling and Biden maintained the status quo — of retatining the lead — simply by not saying anything inappropriate or flying off the handle.
I did find a quote by Palin very interesting if not disturbing.
“That world view that says that America is a nation of exceptionalism. And we are to be that shining city on a hill, as President Reagan so beautifully said, that we are a beacon of hope and that we are unapologetic here. We are not perfect as a nation. But together, we represent a perfect ideal. And that is democracy and tolerance and freedom and equal rights. Those things that we stand for that can be put to good use as a force for good in this world.”
I can’t underscore how dangerous this line of thinking is. American exceptionalism is one of the greatest lies perpetrated by our government since this nation’s inception. It is a myth that fuels nationalism and xenophobia and allows loose cannons like our current leadership to expand American imperialism under the guise of “spreading freedom and democracy.” It is one of our biggest and most compelling fictions and it is present on both sides of the political spectrum. More than a year ago, Barack Obama stated that “America is the last best hope for Earth.” That sort thinking can — and has — justified some of the worst things imaginable.
American exceptionalism is false monomyth, indeed a false metanarrative, that can only be remedied by being destroyed.
I’d like to think the choices in the election will lead to that, but I wonder.
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