Michael Ramirez for March 05, 2014

To Trusty And Conelly – American Exceptionalism isn’t about waging wars or exporting Democracy (Two issues where you and I probably agree). American Exceptionalism is recognizing the exceptional for their hard work, pluck, perserverence and prudent risk taking. It is also about not excusing poor choices and laziness.

Exceptional Americans succeed in any economy. But there are plenty of Unexceptional Americans that want to sit on the couch expecting to be cared for.

Bush deserves some of the blame – Not for the Recession but for allowing America to bankrupt itself on a bloated military and even larger welfare state. That left us with little reserve capital to deal with the crisis at hand. Obama decided to double down in his first term and continue the wars and ramp up spending on those who didn’t prepare for a rainy day.

You think the Republicans are putting party before America; Many would say the same about Democrats. Economically, if you want more of something reward it. The Republican answer to Exceptionalism is “Let the Exceptional Keep what they earned so they are encouraged to continue to produce more” The Democrat answer is “Make the Exceptional give up more of their wealth to the Unexceptional so that the Unexceptional don’t suffer so much in a down turn.”

Now I ask you – Who is trying to make America MORE exceptional and who is trying to make it LESS?

All I hear out of Republicans is how lousy Obama is and how the ACA will destroy civilization as we know it. They are absolutely silent on any meaningful plan with details on how they would fix the problems we have. The only real trend is all budget cuts come from social programs and none from big business.

@Genome – For the same reason that I don’t always vote Republican. I spend plenty of time decrying the foolishness of the Liberal Left. Let me spend a moment to point out some of the Conservative Right Ideology with which I also disagree:1) Conservatives want to insert their Christian views into everything including schools where I want my kids to learn science not faith. 2) Conservatives have also been hell bent on taking freedoms away from people i.e. anti-drug laws, blue code laws, anti-abortion laws (Where they are most offensive) etc.3) Conservatives cry for a smaller government but then want to increase the size of the military ala John “the Crank” McCain.

Where the Republicans and I do agree is that it should not be the goal of the government to create “Equal Outcome”. Only “Equal Opportunity”. I’m all for Government money spent on Infrastructure that makes this country competitive. I’m not in favor of the government redistributing from one group to hand out to another.

Carter was a poor President but he wasn’t stupid.LBJ was a poor President but he could work with Congress.Harding was a poor President but at least he could recognize it.Fillmore and Pierce were poor Presidents but they had the sense not to get re-elected.Buchanan was a poor President and let the country go into civil war.Obama still has three years to go…

I miss Ronald Reagan, my #1 Exceptional President!He wisely used 8 years in the Oval Office to push the USSR over the edge to slide down to the collapse of the Evil Empire.He set tax rates and rules for the expansion and growth of our GDP. He cheerfully spread Good Will and the Wisdom of Limited government in Democracy based on Biblical principles. (Democracy cannot work with anti-Biblical attitudes)Reagan proved the wisdom of Conservatism and the hopelessness of the mental illness of Liberalism, IMO.

Ionizer, Carter graduated from the US Naval Academy at the top of his class in an engineering field. He also qualified as an officer in the nuclear power program. He was / is a successful farmer, so he actually had some REAL jobs during his lifetime..Stupid no. Deluded, myopic, there are a number of other words that might fit for his Presidency but stupid he wasn’t unlike our current chair warmer.

@DrCanuck’s little Sister – I don’t believe I said there wasn’t execptionalism outside of America – But look at the cartoon. This particular cartoon was talking about American Exceptionalism. The reason it is a topic of conversation is that Mr. Obama seems to turn a blind eye to it every chance he gets (remember – “You didn’t build that”?) but he’s quick to praise mediocrity where ever he finds it.

Stupid and passing classes are two different things. Obama’s background is in easy liberal arts classes and his presence on the Harvard Law Review is mared by his lack of publishing anything in it, an almost singular under-achievement for someone on its editorial board.

Nantucket to me…..wrong on several items:Lowering the tax rates for all taxpayers was not “trickle down” economics. Reagan gave the private sector the freedom to spend more of their incomes to expand jobs and build a better economy for all levels.-The “criminal actors” were the Democrat House members who tried to take over the Executive Branch foreign policy, especially in Central America. Iran-Contra was a smart project to foist obsolete armaments on Iran, our declared Enemy since 1979, and use the Iranian money to arm the anti-communists in Central America….which the Democrats tried their darndest to stop.-Grenada and the Contra policies stopped the USSR installing a communist foothold in the Western Hemisphere.-and to posters who cannot understand “biblical princples”, the “freedoms” to indulge in drugs and alcohol and now marijuana freely, are not “rights”…..just as “suicide” is not a “right” in a moral culture with a government that recognizes the wisdom of biblical principles for better and safer lifestyles for all citizens. The 1960s was the era of rejecting true Morality which obeys God’s Law as given in the Bible….God is our Maker and knows the best health-care lifestyle for us and knows that selfish and bad attitudes are the basis of all crime.

p.s. Reagan did not “invade” Grenada to incorporate it as a US Possession! Putin is re-establishing the USSR Evil Empire! Putin intends to seize and KEEP Ukraine and whatever other land area he likes!

Americans remain largely exceptional, when it comes to ignorance: science, languages, geography, geology, cartography, world religions, ethnic diversity, military spending and expeditionary forces for empires, yet, they never hesitate to broadcast, and loudly, that ignorance, as opinion, based largely and exceptionally, from right wingnuts…

@DrCanuck – I dare say the Exceptionalism DOES vary from country to country and probably culture to culture. Because various groups of people value things differently.

You can be an Exceptional thief in the US and we wouldn’t consider you an Exceptional American. We would consider you a thief. In Kleptocracy’s though – that same thief would be lauded as an outstanding individual.

Religion is on the decline in the US so while some pockets within America would consider an Exceptional Christian an Exceptional American – others would call that individual a Socialist or a Communist.

In the Taliban community – A murdering suicide bomber is considered an Exceptional Muslim and gets his 40+ virgins in the afterlife.

Look – I don’t know why you have a problem with what I said. Remember – This dialog started because of a political cartoon making fun of Obama’s unwillingness to accept that Exceptional Americans (Look up above) should be recognized. My statements were within that context. If you want to assert that their are Exceptional Individuals that are not Americans – I’ll agree and we can move on from there.

What a maroon.

This claim for exceptionalism is ridiculous. Apart from the arrogance implied it is also delusional. This self serving ‘number one’ ethos is what is laughable from us who living in other countries. We don’t have to cloak ourselves in adolescent epithets to define ourselves. Grow up.