Sept. 19 (Bloomberg) -- As part of the debate over
intervention in Syria, the question of whether the U.S. is an
exceptional country has once again bubbled up. Yes, says
President Barack Obama, who invoked U.S. exceptionalism in his
Sept. 10 speech on the need to respond to chemical weapons
attacks in Syria. No, responds Russian President Vladimir Putin,
arguing last week in a New York Times op-ed that the U.S. should
refrain from striking Syria, and that “it is extremely
dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional,
whatever the motivation.”
Claims of American exceptionalism have a long history. They
assume that the U.S. not only is exceptionally powerful but also
has distinctive values.
