Universalism vs Exceptionalism
I've taken to reading The New York Times for the same reason I used to watch Donald Trump in The Apprentice: To have a good laugh. It would be easy to be angered by New Yorkers' views of the rest of the country, but I choose to be amused instead, and take comfort in the fact that they aren't as influential as they think they are.
This morning I commented on a column by Judith Warner. After watching my Gators get beaten by Ole Miss I'm back at the keyboard.
Roger Cohen is a little piqued at Sarah Palin for believing that America is exceptional. Apparently he wants America to be just an ordinary run-of-the-mill country like other "developed" countries, especially those in Europe. New Yorkers are obsessed with Europe. I suppose it irritates them that Europeans look down their noses at them when they visit there.
After a discourse on the need for more connectedness with the world, Cohen laments "a huge transfer of resources to the Middle East." Is trade with other countries not a form of connectedness? Are we not connected with Iraq and Afghanistan? Anyway, I thought the Middle East was transferring a huge amount of its resources to us. We just send money to them in exchange for their oil. If it weren't a good trade we wouldn't be doing it.
Cohen says that Obama represents "universalism" while McCain represents "exceptionalism." That is, hidden in the crowd versus standing above the crowd. I suppose you have to go to Manhattan to find someone who thinks universalism is better than exceptionalism. Apparently the "intellectual elite" are trying to replace the tainted term "socialism" with the less disparaged term "universalism."
Today the Gators looked more universal than exceptional. Do you suppose that Urban Meyer is imploring them to suppress their exceptional talent in order to be more universally liked?
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Would that people who prefer universalism were only in New York. It is probably all the large cities on either coast. They grew up being told "Don't color outside the lines," and they think they ARE the line. Middle Americans are those people on Jerry Springer to many, I'm afraid. That's why they don't "get" Palin.
The left crowd tries on new names like a lady at a dress sale. Left wing, liberal, progressive---now universalist. What are they trying to hide?
They're trying to hide the fact that they intend to use any means at hand, including the force of government, to tame us crude Middle Americans. They're not concerned about the effect of their policies because they expect to be part of the ruling class.
It's like Hollywood celebrities advocating lax treatment of illegal aliens. They know the illegals won't be camping in their neighborhoods.