Well, ok, it's not exactly a myth. It's more of a lie. It's a hodge-podge of arrogance, jingoism, hegemony, entitlement, intransigence, selfishness, imperiousness, false piety, gross ignorance and intolerance, and an utter disregard for reality.

If Voltaire were alive today, he'd be writing a completely different Candide. He'd be M. Night Shyamalan. He'd see Dr. Pangloss everywhere.

Every GOP candidate, functionary, or apologist that espouses American Exceptionalism is a cardboard cutout of Dr. Pangloss. They're each the victim of a distorted reality that serves only to further distort reality. The more they believe it, the more they must ignore the truth of the world around them, and, truly, the more exceptional they become. But not in a good way.

The modern doctrine of American Exceptionalism seems to have devolved entirely to equate to the result of impunity. We are exceptional because no power on earth can hold us accountable for our actions. Our drones, our military and economic might, while somewhat diminished, still can't realistically be challenged without the result being worldwide destruction. 

American Exceptionalism is held out as an obvious truism, but is in fact, an obvious tautology. Look at what we must ignore to accept the truism.

We have tens of thousands of people marching in the streets and occupying public spaces to denounce the undeniable income disparities and the crony capitalism that engendered those disparities. But to believe in American Exceptionalism is to believe these demonstrators are useless, lazy, and un-American. How could they be anything but?

The United States has created two huge cesspools of violence and chaos from two smaller cesspools of violence and chaos, and all at the bargain basement price of a few trillion dollars and thousands of Exceptional American lives. Exceptionalism requires that dead Iraqis and dead Afghans be excluded from any accounting. Iran should be placed on notice... Exceptionalism just might be making an appearance in your neighborhood, soon. You'll love it. Everybody does.

Our health care "system" is a travesty. It is only capitalistic greed that feeds the delusion that it is the "best in the world". As if saying it makes it so. Any system under which a quarter of its citizens cannot, and will likely never be able to, access the benefits of that system cannot be deemed exceptional when so many other systems provide those benefits universally. 

Belief in the philosophy of Exceptionalism requires an astounding amount of intellectual dishonesty and selfishness and reveals the belief to be nothing more than a posture. One that is maintained with increasingly distorted and vitriolic rhetoric. The posturing purveyors of Exceptionalism slander, diminish, and dismiss opponents with words like traitorous, seditious, lazy, filthy, communist, socialist.

That this posture is self-serving should be clear to even the most casual, but honest, observer. One need only look at those holding forth the loudest and most consistently on the absolute truth and obviousness of American Exceptionalism. It is they who benefit the most from it. They'll continue to hammer out that emotional drum beat, hoping that we're all just placing our hands over our hearts and forgetting our true responsibilities as thinking citizens of this republic.

If there is once again to exist a philosophy of American Exceptionalism, if it ever existed, I submit to you that it is now being exhibited in occupations all over this nation.

I have been reading an awful lot of headlines this morning and have come to a conclusion.  I could care less about Sarah Palin.  I don't know who is the boob responsible for keeping her image in the public eye, but I am going to ignore her.  I will not read or seed any stories about her.  I don't agree with her views, I don't like her flippant, disrespectful attitude, and I certainly don't care about her new TV show about a hair salon (I really would like to meet the moron who decided that was a good idea).

Since I have been reading so much about pledges and the Tea Party, and since SP is a Tea Party member, I pledge not to read or seed anything about her, comment about her, or watch her on TV.  That is my promise to you, America!  I'm not going to give this woman another 2 seconds of fame or my time.  If you feel the same way, please join me in the Palin Pledge!

Speaking of the War of 1812, I can't wait to see the Fox News account of how Palin portrays Charlton Heston's heroic stance at the Alamo. That's when he single-handedly turned back Gen. Santa Anna and his horde of illegal aliens, preventing them from taking jobs from hard-working Americans and denying them free education and Medicaid.

She'll then motor up to Montana and on the banks of the Little Big Horn bring the audience to tears by quoting Gen. George Custer's famous last words. That's when he delivered his challenge to the leader of the Sioux Nation, Chief Noc-A-Homa: "You can have my gun when you pry it from my cold dead fingers!"

Nor will Palin neglect important history of more recent vintage. Next week she's going to appear with Rush Limbaugh and recite from the text of one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's fireside chats -- when he announced he was lowering the highest tax rates for businessmen like Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and Bill Gates. She may also recite FDR's most famous quotation: "We have nothing to fear but tax-and-spend Democrats."

Right up front, many may have missed this because of where it aired. I am not a good follower, and when told I shouldn't do something, it motivates me to investigate why. This article is not about the source. I will delete as off topic. In fact I will not even supply a link. Those interested will find it, and those that would be somehow harmed will avoid exposure.

One benefit of being an independent thinker is I got to witness one of the classiest interviews and a conclusion that made me proud to be a part of this great nation.

I have always been a closet Roseanne Barr fan. I grew up wishing she was the kind of mom I had. She openly brands herself as a Socialist and was promoting her new book. Bill O'Reilly hits me as a fairly Right Wing guy on most issues.

Roseanne is just a classy, decent, honest woman, agree or not. By the end of the interview, Mr. O'Rielly committed on air to support her efforts to create a socialist "charity farm". Both were looking forward to getting started. Roseanne kept saying debate should be about "solutions". It was nice for a brief moment to see that goal achieved.

When we debate in order to find common solutions instead of highlighting or differences, I will be damned! Solutions are found.

Just My Moderate Opinion

Maddad

Gov. Rick Scott's disappointing inaugural address was neither inspiring nor enlightening, and his awkward delivery won't win any style points. His "axis of unemployment'' — taxation, regulation and litigation — is repackaged Republican campaign rhetoric, and Scott offered little insight into how he will approach those tired themes any differently.

Most people don't remember Obama­care's notorious Section 1233, mandating government payments for end-of-life counseling. It aroused so much anxiety as a possible first slippery step on the road to state-mandated late-life rationing that the Senate never included it in the final health care law.

Burning food for fuel is a bad idea. It's even worse when taxpayers are forced to pay for such wrongheaded public policy every time they fill up their gas tanks.

So, DADT is gone. Does or did it ever really matter?

As a Navy veteran, I know without a doubt I served with gay sailors. It never crossed my mind back then that it meant anything. They did their duty and never made any advances on anyone that I know of. I recall a couple of straight sailors using the policy to get out of the service when the real reasoning didn't hold water.

I do not have any combat experience and can not speak on whatever problems, if any that might pose.

The bottom-line is I have always found it conflicting to encourage honesty and pride and then adopt a policy that forces people to pretend to be something they are not.

What do you think? Has the repeal of this policy set up a new day for the military or the 1st day of the end of our Armed Forces as we have known it?

Thanks for your participation & CoH Comments.

Maddad

Been hearing a lot again lately about putting the death penalty on the table for child rapists & molesters.

The debate always takes the turn to costs to taxpayers. It is in fact more expensive to put a convict on death row than handing down a life sentence. The appeals process and years of legal wrangling, dictated by the constitution is costly.

So what is the goal?

The cost of sex crimes against children is like an unknown giant. The therapy, educational problems, behavior breakdowns and adult criminal activity are obvious to anyone that looks. The costs in victim's compensation, insurance claims, courts and mental healthcare are likely equal or more than the cost of the death penalty appeals process in this country.

These offenders do not stop the desire and eventual behavior for fear of a prison sentence. The incidents of re-offenses is astounding. Their lives behind bars are not as "movie" like as we would like to think. Many states now house sex offenders together, separate from those that might do them harm, they are in many ways better protected than our children.

The Supreme Court's current rulings are that the death penalty cannot be considered in crimes that do not include murder. As we know the views of the SCOTUS change over time.

What is more important Cost, Justice, Life or Protection of the most vulnerable among us?

Just My Opinion,

Thanks for your time and comments.

Maddad

You say that the United States has 28,000 troops in South Korea "that guard against an invasion by the North." South Korea has a standing army that ranks among the top five in the world both in size and capabilities. To imply that America needs another protectorate as the world's policeman is irresponsible.

The waves now roiling American politics are more than a historical shift in the fortunes of political parties, more than just another populist revolt.

This subject was raised in another forum. It does raise a simple question: Should Federal Heath Care dollars be spent on the circumcision of newborn males? And for that matter should private heath insurance companies charge all of us more to cover this procedure?

Apparently one major city has made up it's mind. Circumcision Ban May End Up On City's Ballot

Thanks for your participation in the poll & comments.

CoH, Please.

Maddad

Talk about the devil in the details. Everyone wants to tackle the country's soaring debt. But reaching consensus on how to get there? That's the rub.

So, this openly liberal attorney outs her client as an illegal alien, living here and working on a false social security number for years.

Both so called "liberal" & "conservative" media seem to be going against this move as a "smear campaign" in an election for governor.

Should the former employee of this candidate, Ms. Diaz be detained and deported? Do we uphold our laws and border rights as just and necessary? Or, is she the victim of a failed border policy that has basically gone unchanged through several administrations.

Thanks For Your Participation and Comments. CoH Please.

Maddad

At the same time Georgia is racing to develop merit pay systems for its teachers, emerging research is questioning both the fairness and effectiveness of basing teacher pay on student performance.

Every job I ever had paid us based on our performance...bonuses, promotions etc...and if I didn't perform I was fired. Congressional salaries and benefits run between $194,000 a year and $225,000 a year. The President takes home $400,000 plus an additional $50,000 expense account.

Seems to me they should all be put on a performance based pay. They get paid when we get the results we sent them to Washington to fight for. At the very least they make too much for the crappy job they are doing. JMO

What do you think?

Maddad

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/congresspay.htm

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepresidentandcabinet/a/presidentialpay.htm

Have a great weekend.

Maddad

This, The Greatest Nation on Earth is plagued with trillions of dollars in debt. Unemployment is in the double digits in many places across this land. And we keep getting the cockeyed smile and how the "economic ship" is turning around.

I don't care one bit who you place the blame on, the fact is nothing that has been done thus far has had any affect on the condition of the people.

I am no economist, nor do I have any delusions that I am the smartest guy in the room, but come on! If I could just over-write my bank account at will and have no real plan to pay it back, and no one seamed to care, I could take European vacations to. I am so sick of going to the "discount" grocery store to find items that a year ago were $1.99 are now $2.99. I even remember a time when gas money could be figured in as "other" expenses. Now I have to figure it with the electric bill.

Some genius that is not tied up in the "Fox News is the Devil" or "President Obama is a Muslim" bull, must have an idea how to solve this mess our elected officials till now, have got us in.

Some things seem fairly simple, to a simple guy like me.

1. Stop spending money you don't have.

2. Stop expecting the people finding it impossible to get by in this economic perfect storm to bail you out immediately with taxes. How does making the producers lives harder going to improve the situation as a whole?

3. We need to go back to being a nation of givers and not takers economically. I am not talking about those who are legitimately disabled, or the elderly. But give me a break, they are handing out Social Security Disability to people with fatigue! Join the world, we are all tired and some of us are getting real tired of the political football these bastards are playing with our financial lives.

4. Stop the moronic repetitive, replecation of services. Fire incompetent, apathetic dead wood. Smaller government couldn't hurt for a bit.

Well, although it didn't start out that way I guess this became a rant. Label me what you want but the moderates and those who prize their freedom will make the decisions in the upcoming elections.

We need change alright and it should start with performance pay only for elected officials including the President & Congress.

JMO

Maddad

I have been forced over the past few months to be what others expect me to be. The exercise was not optional and surprisingly enough I may have learned a thing or two.

One thing is for certain there are some things about me I not only like, but have no intention to change much on.

1. I am a sarcastic son of a bitch sometimes. At times it is for the humor effect and at other times it is more about ending a conservation I am not prepared for. Still others a feeling is being stepped on and sarcasm is the safest response. Either way it works and I am keeping it.

2. I rarely have any real interest in debating politics. I try to keep up with the issues and the governments actions, but I avoid the commercial version. I tend never to debate politics because it always starts and ends with the commercial bull crap, and I apparently don't have the patience to wait for the fact based debaters to show up.

3. I love my children more then life itself. I will defend them with my life and am fully prepared to take out the next person that hurts any of them.

4. Although I am Independent in thought, I most closely associate myself with Libertarians.

Definition of LIBERTARIAN

1: an advocate of the doctrine of free will

2: a person who upholds the principles of individual liberty especially of thought and action b capitalized : a member of a political party advocating libertarian principles

— libertarian adjective

I believe this nation was built on the pure idea of free will. If others are not in danger and no one is threatening danger, stay the hell out of my business. Government must be in existence to care for community and national needs. Roads, Public Protection, Judiciary & serve the necessary community maintenance. As the "Independent Thinker" I already mentioned I am, there should be a safety net for the disabled and elderly and we must have a government to represent our nation in foreign affairs. And yes, like it or not taxes must be collected to pay for those services. I just disagree with the need for all the redundancy and incompetence we call government. Local, State & Federal. If we cut the repetitiveness and stupidity they could all work part time, hell they would still make better than the middle class.

5. I will continue to highlight the violent & sexual crimes committed against women & children because until the predators are treated properly by the judicial system and/or we find a way to protect our children, I feel it is important to keep these stories front & center. Although it is a side benefit that we get to make these criminals famous. If they are found not guilty the update will always be made.

Of course we will keep up with the funny stuff to, everyone needs a reality break now & then.

6. I will continue to share my story, not to relive it or stay stuck in the misery, but to tell someone, somewhere that may read it that it can and is being survived.

7. I will keep pointing out redundancy and ignorance when I see it, I am just going to try and be more civil about it.

8. I firmly believe what I was taught in the United States Navy, when it comes to military conflict, you don't consider who the Command In Chief is, you carry out the orders given. Our Men & Woman who are and have served in our armed forces deserve our respect & we should avail ourselves of their wisdom.

9. If I drink alcohol there are only 2 places I can go. Jail or the Morgue. I had a full tour of the lock-ups throughout the West Pacific. The stories I will never remember (or admit I do anyway...) So I really like Un-Sweet Tea with Lemon.

Just My Humble Opinion.

As Usual Thanks For Your Time & Comments. CoH Please.

Maddad

1st they were going to be allowed to expire, now there is talk of extending some and allowing most of it to lapse. You are President for a Day!

What should be done? Extend all? Allow the whole package to expire? Extend only middle class tax breaks? Why? (comment). Keeping the deficit spending in mind, this really isn't as easy a question as I thought.

http://maddad0467.newsvine.com/_news/2010/09/23/5162935-pro-con-should-the-bush-tax-cuts-be-extended-

Look forward to your votes & comments.

CoH Please.

Maddad

The main components of the Bush tax cuts are changes in tax laws that were introduced in the early 2000s.

Who do you think should get the award?

Republican or Democrat, both parties have run & we have elected some great and not so great citizens to the Office of President of The United States. As an Independent I see the failure of both parties at different periods of our history. Contrary to partisan beliefs, no one is perfect.

Who was/is the worst/best President in the past 40+ years? And Why?

Thanks for your time and participation. CoH Please.

Maddad

My tolerance level with this idea that justice is blind in this country has been breached, so here you will find my opinion.

Justice certainly isn't blind when it comes to sex crimes. An adult male having sex with a teen girl makes you eligible for a life sentence in most places. However a pretty female teacher having sex with the same age teen boy....she is too pretty for prison. House Arrest, and a life back. Book deals and Playboy layouts to come.

I have personally experienced the clear view of the courts. Although I am a generally reasonable, intelligent guy, I am also covered in tattoos, every time I stand in this man's courtroom, he doesn't want to hear what I have to say, and assumes whatever we are there for involves me. It is such a joy...sarcasm alert.

I could go on and on with other examples of the injustice being dished out, as judges make judgements they are not qualified to make. Feel free to share your own. Times when justice in the United States was not Blind as our founders promised.

Maddad

I am a frustrated Floridian. We don't have our priorities straight. Somehow, we can figure out how to get almost $3 billion for a bullet train that most Floridians won't be able to use. Somehow, we can get $51,000 every year to house a juvenile in a secure facility. Somehow, we can get $20,000 each year to house an adult prisoner. But we can't get even $7,000 for a public-school slot. Not even $3,000 for a prekindergarten slot.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Sarah Palin called President Barack Obama the most pro-abortion president ever Thursday and mocked Florida's governor for claiming to be pro-life after vetoing a bill that would have required women to get ultrasounds before having the procedure.

Usually when Ahmed Sharif picked up fares, all the New York cabbie worried about was getting stiffed.

I couldn't resist. This is just funny.

Maddad

I came across an article this miorning. A federal judge has blocked federal funding of stem cell research. In the decision the judge stated he blocked this funding because it involved destruction of embryos.

http://maddad0467.newsvine.com/_news/2010/08/24/4959839-court-blocks-new-obama-funding-for-embryonic-stem-cell-research

I am on the fence here, so what do you think? Should the federal government use our tax dollars to fund stem cell research?

Maddad

"Here I sit high, gettin' ideas, ain't nothin' but a fool would live like this
Out all night, runnin' wild, woman sittin' home with a month old
Dang me, dang me, ought-a take a rope and hang me
High from the highest tree, woman would you weep for me?"

Everyone's weighing in on the discussion surrounding a proposed Islamic community center -- or the "Ground Zero mosque," for headline and talking point purposes -- near the site of the former World Trade Center in New York City, and Miss USA is no exception.

It is hard to imagine that anything has gone unsaid about the so-called Ground Zero mosque, but we seem to be missing an important point. The mosque should be built precisely because we don't like the idea very much. We don't need constitutional protections to be agreeable, after all.

I am one of those humans that understands bad stuff happens and we as a fallible species make mistakes, sometimes very big ones. However, once these things happen, I also expect the information being issued, especially by the United States government, be as accurate a report as possible at the time given.

What I said from day one..."they only think they are "cleaning it up". Most of it is going straight to the bottom"...I am not a scientist and I am not sucking from the government tit, but I do know how to research basic information. That is what most crude oil does in nature and that is what it does in an industrial accident. The real egg-heads at the University Of South Florida had the guts to say "wait a minute". The Chief Scientist said on local news this evening that the report issued by the U.S. government is more public relations than fact or science. He stated as fact that the vast majority of the Alaska times 5 crude oil spill in the Gulf Of Mexico sank to the bottom. Most will be there for years. There is apparently a mid-level bloom heading east toward Florida.

So this is just to say Thanks! Thanks to BP for destroying my home. And, Thanks to the government for worrying more about how they "look" than disseminating facts to the citizens that pay for your European vacations.

Just My Opinion,

Maddad

Well right up front, In my mind this has absolutely nothing to do with partisanship. I am equally disgusted with all the Local, State and United States, elected officials that are hiding from this issue (regardless of political affiliation). Although including my opinion of the Presidents leadership on this certainly opens some discussion of Presidential politics...But, only on this issue.

I did not need the "President & Chief Professor" to lecture me on the law. I still have not earned a college degree, but I did not need the first words out of the President's mouth to be an intellectual law dissertation. Obliviously the laws of a free society with property rights and private ownership (with the heavy stench of Freedom To Worship any nutty fairy you wish)......you get.. Well.....it is perfectly legal here..and that is what our Founders wanted! Really??? I cannot think of any Founding Fathers I would feel comfortable with having their finger on the button. If for no other reason, I have no frame of reference as to what their policy may be. I can think of a couple that might burn the Mosque down. Fortunately the majority of us have evolved and have learned to debate and decide these things in the public marketplace of ideas. This in my humble opinion is a classic case of "Just because it is legal, doesn't make it right".

This is a "New York Issue". Well then the reasonable train of thought is the Japanese bombed Hawaii, not the U.S. On 9/11, I kept hearing in the news coverage..."we are all New Yorkers, we are all Americans"....now it is a local issue? Hog-wash! Now, the laws that allow it are mainly local, but our absolute Freedom of Speech Rights allow every American to have an opinion and the ability to publish it. Try that in Iran.

If this Imam was the least bit interested in Inter-Faith dialogue, he would prove he could hear a clear message and move it a few more blocks away. If this is a real effort to flip the United States the bird, then he will not reconsider, it may be built and I fear the real tension will only have begun. The fact is when moderates and reasonable people fail, the extremes tend to rush in. Just an observation.

As usual, I could always be wrong.

Just My Opinion,

Maddad