America's and Europe's self-understanding or identity
To understand Europe and the U.S. it is not enough to look at how they perceive the others. What is crucial is also how they see themselves. Both individuals and countries tend to see themselves as unique and live on an identity that makes us different from everyone else. This also applies to Europe, and - especially - the United States. Presumably one can say that exceptionalism is the mainstay of American identity. Among the reasons that America sees itself as exceptional should include:
- That it was the first "new world", the first colony which became independent from the "old world" colonial domination;
- It probably has an ideology in the usual sense, for example. Liberalism, but the main thing is that America does not have an ideology but is an ideology;
- You can become an American by believing in this ideology while in most other countries you get your nationality by being born there and have a shared history. USA is historically made up by immigrants who just do not have a common history;
- The official American ideology, enshrined in the Declaration of Independence is based on 5 things: freedom, equality, individualism, populism and "let it be (laissez-faire). Freedom is, above all, individual freedom, the freedom to say and do what you want and move around as you like, in geographical and social sense.Also individual progress and success is emphasized. Equality is also about individual opportunity and respect, not that everyone should be equal in the society. This new society of equality ideals stemming from the U.S. is not like in Europe characterized by feudalism, monarchy and aristocracy, and therefore there is no tradition that you must be obedient to the state.
- USA is the most religious of all Christian communities, perhaps with the exception of Poland and Ireland, and religious belief are organized into sects, mainly Methodists and Baptists. In other Christian countries, it is the church that dominates and the individualistic practice implies that one follows his own moral code rather than a clergy or state church interpretations. Americans see human nature as perfect and life as a quest and therefore adopts a more moralistic perspective on those who are not. The Church and States in Europe tend to see man as weak and sinful and think less of perfection.
- Support for the war is just as morality-based a thing as opposition to war. It is again the private moral code, which provides: our country's moral strength and right, listening to my own conscience. To behave morally to war the Americans most define their role as standing at God's side against Satan, against evil, “with God on our side. " There is thus a good dose of patriotism in the venture and it is no coincidence that the U.S. also is viewed as "God's chosen country" and Americans as God's chosen people.
- "Let it be" as a social philosophy that says that the state should not control people, they are expected to be happiest when the state governs least. It is a kind of "God's invisible hand" to regulate the market economy for the common good, not the state. Therefore, the idea of a welfare state as we know it in Europe has not proven successful in the U.S., although it at times has been practiced, for example, in the New Deal. Instead of the welfare state there has been a widespread belief that those who have done the best and become rich, have a moral obligation to help the weaker ones. Society rests on a strong rejection of authority and enforcement, and it is possibly also why one finds more crime in society and lower voter turnout in American elections (about 50% at presidential elections) than in Europe.
- These properties entail that there is no socialist tradition in the U.S., Americans see themselves as bearers of liberalism and as belonging to one large middle class rather than as a class-divided society. Being a leftist in the U.S. is a little like being a Social-Democrat here, what Europeans call liberal is described as conservative in the U.S. Several of today's neo-conservative leaders originally came from intellectual circles in the Democratic Party, and described the U.S. as social democratic in their attitude towards state and society. Several of them later on went to the Republican Party.
- One fundamental element of historical exceptionalism is Manifest Destiny. It is the story of the expansion / colonization from there was the 13 states that signed the Declaration of Independence until they had completed the entire American continent under them. It is history, but also a philosophy, a movement; yes it is the entire U.S.foundation. And it is the myth on what the U.S. global expansion is based, also it is a civilization project and a mission.
Finally, one can point to attitudes towards democracy and the political parties are very different. For a variety of reasons, the U.S. is basically a two-party system, while in Europe we think that multi-party democracy is a treasure. In the United States you elected a president who then chooses a cabinet which is responsible to him and not to a parliament. Since there is only one person and one party who can win then it is a widespread belief that attempts to support a third or seventh candidate or party is tantamount to voting wastage.
It is not difficult to understand how these basic features of American exceptionalism can help create a dominant and self-righteous superpower when the mind are running free and you miss heavier opponents. And then we most remember that not even these properties represent the entire picture of the U.S. There are countercurrent, for example, the war resistance and the flower power in the 1960s. And at times there has been significant government intervention in the economy and war is not just something that Americans engage in for the moral reasons, they do also to maintain their military industry and to control oil sources.
Exceptionalism is the spectacles through which America interprets itself and its community mission in the larger world. It has elements of truth and elements of self-deception. Like all ideologies. But it does not require Europe to see U.S. policy as an expression of pure idealism and devotion.
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