Victor Davis Hanson wants us in America to cheer up a bit. Take a look at this upbeat piece in which he points out that things may not be quite as bad as they seem.
He reminds us that American exceptionalism has been the rule for over two centuries and that we should not necessarily assume that we won't overcome today's challenges as we have yesterday's:
"A better way to assess our chances at maintaining our preeminence is simply to ask the same questions that are the historical barometers of our nation's success or failure: Does any nation have a constitution comparable to ours? Does merit -- or religion, tribe or class -- mostly gauge success or failure in America? What nation is as free, stable and transparent as the U.S.?
Try becoming a fully accepted citizen of China or Japan if you were not born Chinese or Japanese. Try running for national office in India from the lower caste. Try writing a critical op-ed in Russia or hiring a brilliant female to run a mosque, university or hospital in most of the Middle East. Ask where MRI scans, Wal-Mart, iPods, the Internet or F-18s came from.
In the last 60 years, we have been warned in succession that new paradigms in racially pure Germany, the Soviet workers' paradise, Japan Inc. and now 24/7 China all were about to displace the United States. None did. All have had relative moments of amazing success -- but in the end none proved as resilient, flexible and adaptable as America."
I love the way Hanson supports his views with historical examples. It makes it much easier to accept his premises. Thanks for the lift, professor.
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2 comments:
"Radical Self Critique" is that what the D & C, Newsweek and the New York Times are doing? You're right, Hanson provides us with pleasant prose that makes one feel better. But I'm not sure we should feel better, because unlike times past America seems more willing and able to tear ourselves down than at any time before. Al Gore has a new found popularity that in my mind is inexplicable, unless in fact the end is near. No, to call it any kind of "self critique" makes it seem as though what our media and politicians are doing is somehow useful...its not, its divisiveness to serve their own personal agenda...it’s despicable!
I certainly have to agree that partisans of all stripes are more willing than ever to allow their agendas to dictate their opinions and positions.
I think, however, that Hanson was trying to remind us that we Americans have come through dark days in the past and that we have it in us to do the same again.
On the other hand, if we have been good at dodging bullets, who's to say when our luck will run out (if it hasn't already). Worse, will our ever more strident partisanship make it impossible for us to pull togrther against our real enemies? Let's hope not!
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