American Exceptionalism

“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” – Mark Twain

Over the past 250 years, The United States has stood as a shining beacon for the rest of the world. Have we been perfect? No, but that shouldn’t erase centuries of progress. There isn’t a perfect country on this planet, but the USA comes pretty damn close in my opinion.

For reasons that are opaque to me, it has become popular to criticize “America” without making a distinction between our government and our people. It also seems to be quite common to conflate one (or both) of our major political parties with our system of governance.

We could discuss the frustrations of the blatant insider trading, foreign influence, and runaway debt accumulation, but that would serve only to make us angry. Let’s focus on what makes America exceptional.

The USA is the largest provider of foreign aid in the world. Wherever there is a catastrophe, well meaning Americans show up and put in the work. Not for profit or glory, but because Americans are raised to believe that an individual can make a difference on the whole world. We show up, put in the work to make things better, and go home.

More medical innovation comes out of the United States than any other country. American scientists and medical doctors pioneered such breakthroughs as the Polio vaccine, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), artificial hearts, pacemakers, and more. The USA has an exceptional track record researching, developing, and implementing cutting edge medical procedures.

On top of all the medical breakthroughs, we are basically the reigning champions in all of modern science and technology. The internet? Invented in the US of A. Airplanes? America. Light bulbs? You guessed it, USA. Telephones, personal computers, microchips, and the smart phone, all invented in the United States. Heck, we even invented processes to make the world simpler and better. Henry Ford paved the way to mass produce commercial goods.

Considering it is 2026, I believe it is reasonable to assume that whoever is reading this rarely, if ever, uses a paper map. No, your aforementioned, American invented smartphone has a nifty application where you simply type in an address, and the route is beamed into your car’s infotainment system. This GPS system, also invented in the U.S., is a miracle of modern technology so ubiquitous, we all take it for granted.

Speaking of taking things for granted, the U.S. pioneered the concept of national parks by establishing Yellowstone National Park, the first national park in the world, in 1872. We, as Americans, looked around at the boundless natural beauty and determined it must be protected. As the country aged and expanded westward across the continent, Americans also grew troubled at the extinction and near extinction of various animals.

Conservationists like Teddy Roosevelt, Aldo Leopold, and John Muir developed the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. Through careful management, animal species on the brink of extinction were dragged back from the cliff. We willingly hampered our own economic growth for long-term, expensive management of animals and scenic places simply because they were beautiful.

It isn’t just an old phenomena. Over the past couple of years, a few proposals to sell off publicly owned lands to corporations made their way into congress. Led by some dipshit senator, this effort was gloriously defeated by a united front of Americans that, on the surface, couldn’t be more different. The crunchiest hippies, prepper/militia types, hikers, backwoods hunters, off-road vehicle enthusiasts, and anybody who appreciated wide open, public spaces banded together to call their representatives and get the measures withdrawn.

Remember that GPS you take for granted? Have you ever considered who keeps those positioning satellites from falling out of the sky? The U.S. Space Force maintains the systems, and the U.S. allows most of the world to just use GPS. Think about that. We could keep it for ourselves, but we don’t. A branch of the U.S. military maintains a public utility for the whole world to use.

It’s not just GPS that the U.S. Military provides for the entire globe. After World War II, the U.S. Navy picked up the mantle of protecting maritime trade routes around the world. I already mentioned the amount of foreign aid the U.S. provides, and much of it is delivered and administered by the U.S. military. I can speak from experience when I say that many U.S. servicemembers train for and participate in humanitarian operations around the world.

One of the best illustrations of American Exceptionalism in recent memory comes from our foreign visitors here for the FIFA World Cup. Social media is awash with visitors from all over the globe marveling at the U.S. Our food, the vast nature of our country, and most importantly, the warm, welcoming nature of Americans. As a country, we tend to be viewed in a negative light around the world. All it took to change the global paradigm was hosting a sports tournament, friendly folks, and Bucc-ee’s.

I have traveled (literally) around the world and met kind, welcoming people almost everywhere I’ve been. I’ve eaten their food and attended their ceremonies and I’ve watched their movies. Nowhere comes close to America.

During this celebration of America’s 250th birthday, remember what makes us awesome. Blast some fireworks, chow down on some hotdogs, surf the internet, and watch the U.S. Men’s National Team play in the world cup. If anyone tries to make you feel bad about being an American, ignore them. Let them wallow in their own self-hatred.

American exceptionalism is real. Act like it. Appreciate it.