Mitt Romney's succinct foreign policy speech at the Citadel, delivered in a cheerful and less than dramatic, more stentorian style than POTUS Obama can manage with his smoke-deepened baritone, speaks clearly to the theory of American exceptionalism. The question of if or if not America is unique on the planet -- "citty on a hill" -- is likely to become the major campaign philosophical debate. The policy stuff of the banks, the markets, the regulators, all will be argued about by panels of thinkers, but the big picture of America as world leader is for the candidates to resolve in debate and in video. Exceptionalism 2012 is a peculiar turn for the long-confident and strident American population, but here it is, at the end of the Boomer run (Romney likely the last Boomer POTUS, if he makes it). My reading of American history is that for more than one hundred years, American strength has supported success in the other continents. POTUS Obama is an unusual c-in-c in that he uses American drone power yet talks as if he is in partnership with our allies. Clever pretense. Talk softly and deny the stick in your hand. Romney sounds to be back to big stick and big talk.
But I am here today to tell you that I am guided by one overwhelming conviction and passion: This century must be an American Century. In an American Century, America has the strongest economy and the strongest military in the world. In an American Century, America leads the free world and the free world leads the entire world.
God did not create this country to be a nation of followers. America is not destined to be one of several equally balanced global powers. America must lead the world, or someone else will. Without American leadership, without clarity of American purpose and resolve, the world becomes a far more dangerous place, and liberty and prosperity would surely be among the first casualties.
In an American Century, America leads the free world and the free world leads the entire world.
I see that the United States is not only paying for a festival celebrating the cultures of Islam in France, a nation rapidly being overrun by Muslim immigrants, she is also strong-arming the beleaguered Serbs into providing security for a gay pride march in Belgrade.
We are leading the world all right, but towards what?
Here's my take, somewhat related to the discourse above:
American Exceptionalism.
I would venture to guess that a great percentage of people in America have a chance to be exceptional, more than anywhere else in the world, even still, although it's a tougher road to hoe with a government that smothers worse than ever at this point in time....
Why is that?
I believe it's completely due to the spirit of the United States Constitution.
What I mean is, the government is intended to be limited, via the Constitutional framework, and government ideally also sets a good playing field for public sector success and growth, per the intent of the Constitution, with all of its built-in checks and balances, and so forth.
I think that a Conservative candidate can make a strong case for this, stating it in such terms. And the case would be persuasive.
I don't think that the foundational roots for American Exceptionalism are cited enough....I don't hear everything that's said over the airwaves, and I listen to this show more than any other.
So I may have missed it....I hear American Exceptionalism being discussed alot, and maybe it's implicit to some that this phenomenon was permitted to emerge, given the framework and intent of the Constitution, initially, as the starting point, and as the first necessary step in the process of this emergence.
I think that point needs to be made very clear, in order to get people thinking about the direction this Country should follow.
Do we want 4 more years of "There's a time for profits, but now is not that time", as Mr. Obama stated on 1/29/09....?
Do we want 4 more years of Solyndra and Richard Trumka and public sector union protests and threats and the Feds suing the state of Arizona?
Do we want 4 more years of a President who permits this posting on his new White House website, circa 1/21/09:
Katrina http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/additional/
President Obama will keep the broken promises made by President Bush to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. He and Vice President Biden will take steps to ensure that the federal government will never again allow such catastrophic failures in emergency planning and response to occur.
President Obama swiftly responded to Hurricane Katrina. Citing the Bush Administration's "unconscionable ineptitude" in responding to Hurricane Katrina, then-Senator Obama introduced legislation requiring disaster planners to take into account the specific needs of low-income hurricane victims. Obama visited thousands of Hurricane survivors in the Houston Convention Center and later took three more trips to the region. He worked with members of the Congressional Black Caucus to introduce legislation to address the immediate income, employment, business, and housing needs of Gulf Coast communities.
President Barack Obama will partner with the people of the Gulf Coast to rebuild now, stronger than ever.
I submit we've had enough.
He's unlistenable, from my perspective.
But yeah, none of what Mr. Obama says cites American Exceptionalism as being founded in the Constitution.
They don't preload that sort of content on his teleprompter either.
Anyway, that's my two cents.
"Thank you all very much indeed, and I hope we pahhsed the awrdition."
American Exceptionalism.
I would venture to guess that a great percentage of people in America have a chance to be exceptional, more than anywhere else in the world, even still, although it's a tougher road to hoe with a government that smothers worse than ever at this point in time....
Why is that?
I believe it's completely due to the spirit of the United States Constitution.
This seems to me a very odd, even ahistorical, position to take, given that the American showed every sign of being quite "exceptional" before the Revolution took place, much less before the Constitution was ratified. Is the magic of the Constitution so powerful that it can reach back through time to alter a people's condition?
By your reasoning, if the people of the United States suddenly decided to get rid of that document stored in at the National Archives and instead adopt the Mexican constitution, we would cease to be “exceptional," and if the Mexicans did likewise and saw fit to take our Constitution for their own, they would become “exceptional.”
Do you honestly believe that Leftism’s Blank Slate view of humanity is correct, and that what makes a nation’s people free or servile, rich or poor, smart or dull, and so on, is simply whether they happen to be in possession of some piece of paper?
The generally admirable Thomas Sowell recently made a similar mistake (although in his case he seems to believe that the magic document in question is Milton Friedman’s Free to Choose rather than the Constitution) when he wrote that socialist policies had destroyed the Motor City.
I would submit to you that the reasons for the fall of Detroit lie elsewhere.
After all, Oslo is far more socialist than Detroit will ever be, but in which city you rather live?
First sentence should read "given that Americans showed."
And the last sentence should read "in which city would you."
Romneycare is still an issue in the primary. If they change the schedule that may make it tougher for him. I know you establishment types love the guy, I'm voting for him, but I'm not going to like doing it when the time comes. If he is not at the point where he is ready to make massive changes to the federal government then all we will end up doing is changing the muppet but not the man.
The Ipod Incident . . .
August 25, 2010
Dear President Obama:
It seems like a lifetime ago, considering the economy is being shoved off a cliff by your backward, not a snowballs-chance-in-hell-of-working economic policy; while you simultaneously grab the parachutes off of Americas collective back. The grinding free-fall is becoming a reality for most in a world of depleted savings, and little reward for work other then survival. Soon after your assuming the throne you called on the Queen of England, then you presented her majesty with an ipod full of your speeches. Being a little bit of an audiophile, I’ve still got a reel to reel player and a record player, in my vast collection I have speeches from the most pivotal moments in recorded history, Churchill, FDR, the bombing of Pearl Harbor and much more. Of course I have an ipod too, and on it I have a bunch of speeches on that like the ones that Reagan delivered after his 49 state landslide, and the one he gave so presciently, and with great vigor in 1964. There is a vast chasm between you, and President Reagan. To understand this all one needs to hear is the response of the crowd to his nomination acceptance speech in Detroit, Michigan, to absorb the wisdom, humility, and love of country that Mr. Reagan held.
You see, Mr. Obama, men like President Reagan believed in what they were saying with their heart, soul, and mind. Men like Mr. Reagan understood that the American people had been suckered in the past, and they deserved the service of an American that would serve genuinely without pretense, or false witness. Mr. Obama, do you know what it means when a person has to speak in low tones, or can’t say one speech to every audience whether it is New York City, or Houston, Texas or, Minot Air force Base. It means they are practicing the art of obfuscation, because in their heart, in your heart Mr. Obama, you know that if you told the whole truth, and nothing but the truth your entire world would come crashing down. President Reagan earned the respect of the American people by holding himself, and frankly us, to a standard, and a hope, that we would once again see America as a shining beacon of liberty to all who seek her shores.
Mr. Obama I hope that one day you grow enough to earn our respect. I do not believe that there is a soul on this Earth who can’t decide that tomorrow is the day they do the right thing, including you. Yet, the evidence for this opportunity is diminishing by the week with every opportunity you have had to promote, and celebrate what makes America so special you blew, and as I think, Sinatra once said, not in a small way. If President Reagan were alive today he would be ashamed of what you have done thus far, he would be doing everything in his power to rally Americans to defeat you, and your ilk at the ballot box.
Since he is not here, it will be my honor, our honor, to try to do it for him.
Respectfully,
Joe Doakes