Jessie Ede Blog Seven

I think American Nationalism is very much manifested in the idea of American exceptionalism that we see in political rhetoric and discussions. Honestly, the phrase makes me think of caricatured America - white, insistent upon political and societal freedoms to a hilarious extent, belief that America is the best nation on Earth, and general bleeding of red, white, and blue for America's particular brand of democracy. Personally, I would also add the caveat of "English-speaking". Anderson disagrees and instead argues that language is a tool of inclusivity, as anyone can learn another language. However, I think that language (especially print language) is often used by dominant groups as an obstacle to power channels. Although language acquisition is always possible, fluency takes serious time and effort, as well as the resources required to take a class or purchase instructional materials.
 Language debates aside, I think that the United States expects citizens within its jurisdiction to value democracy or, perhaps more aptly, liberty. I also think there is very much a national attitude of pride, while being wary of anything that appears militaristic. Part of the national narrative of United States foreign policy is not that we engage in conflict because we are aggressive, but instead to help others fight off threats to democracy or help establish democracies in countries that lack institutions reflecting our ideal. This feeds into our global contextualization of the world, where there are the countries whose political makeup looks like ours (much of Western Europe - despite their parliamentary systems, I think most Americans view those nations as kindred) and those with inferior political institutions or oppressive systems (China, Russia, much of Africa and the Middle East). Personally, I believe this narrative is flawed as I remain unconvinced that democracy is the best style of government. I do, however, feel a bit of a self-conscious vibe from younger generations (or perhaps it is just the William and Mary crowd) when it comes to displays of American nationalism or advocacy for any sort of American exceptionalism. What does everyone else think? Do you feel that, especially in the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq, our generation is more likely to step back from displays of American pride or advocacy for democracy installation in other countries?