I am sitting in a pub in the ancient city of Bath in the United Kingdom. This morning, Fran and I awoke at 2:30 a.m. so we could experience sunrise from within the stone circle of Stonehenge. After sunrise, we traveled to Bath to see the ancient Roman ruins built around a magnificent hot springs complex.
Later this week, we will travel to London and visit the historic sites of that city. While the United States has 250 years of history, Great Britain has 1,600 years. The Romans withdrew from the island in 406 A.D. to fight the immigrant hordes coming to its borders to escape starvation and oppression at home.
The British descended into chaos that lasted 400 years before re-emerging as a unified nation. Over the centuries, they fought wars of aggression, endured being conquered by the Danes and the Norman French, struggled with immigration, enslaved their serfs, killed each other over religion, endured a civil war, and fought over issues of kingly power vs. citizen rights.
It all sounds pretty familiar. The parallels to U.S. history are obvious. We have lived, since World War II, with the concept of American Exceptionalism — the basic idea that our country and our ideas were superior to the rest of the world. In many ways, they were. Immigrants from the rest of the world dreamed of participating in our culture of free speech, economic opportunity, and world leadership.
We failed at our ideals often, but our concept of exceptionalism drove us to try to achieve our cultural goals. Civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights and other movements made progress. Great scientists came to the U.S. in droves. Our universities, scientists, and doctors led the world with a huge boost from the best and brightest from around the world. We were the country that landed men on the moon.
Our exceptionalism is being assailed. The religious right, government conspiracists, and angry folks that see opportunities afforded to others as opportunities stolen from them have teamed up to disastrous results.
Scientists are leaving in waves. Immigrants will stay away. The world no longer sees us as leaders of democracy and freedom. The medical opinions of doctors are now inferior to laymen with odd conspiratorial beliefs. Religious beliefs of a minority are being thrust on us and our children. Women’s rights to control their own bodies are disappearing. Keep in mind these are more than social issues, they are huge economic drivers.
Scientists drive discoveries which the U.S. turns into products and services. Immigrants supply low-cost labor and half the crime rate of U.S. citizens. The rule of law makes us a haven for the world’s wealth. We are the world’s wealthiest nation because of our past embrace of exceptionalism.
We need to learn from the history of the United Kingdom. They emerged from their struggles as a democracy. The rule of law stands firm. They have issues, of course. But their future as a democracy isn’t being questioned as ours is. It took them 1,600 years. That’s too long.
Silence is acquiescence. We need to stand up and protect the U.S. as a special place. Special for us, special for our kids, and special for our grandchildren. Lets stay exceptional.
I wish you peace and freedom,
Scott Rifkin, MD
Publisher
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