Article: American Exceptionalism: A Double-Edged Sword.

One of the things it means to be an American is to think there is something exceptional about being an American. Our politicians are not alone in thinking that we are not so much a nation as a mission. Our thinkers often have the audacity, or at least the passion, to follow Tom Paine (and Ronald Reagan) and "begin the world all over again." "But I'm an American!" has long served as a license of many uses, whether to fight for justice or slam the door in the faces of the unwanted and unwashed. We are the people who think we have been chosen to choose--to live free or die--at least the majority whose ancestors did not arrive via the Bering Strait or the holds of slave ships. ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!