The Texas Tribune
On the Fallacies of American Exceptionalism
Many speakers testifying to the State Board of Education on January 13th mentioned the theory of “American Exceptionalism” as one that has historical validity and should be included in the social studies and history TEKS as a concept that should be taught our students. Frankly, this concept is a reincarnation of that old “Manifest Destiny,” that “chosen people” delusion which justified much conquest, slavery and genocide “from sea to shining sea.” I take particular exception to this concept for several other reasons, but especially because many of their claims are unfounded.
American exceptionalists insist that the United States has always spread freedom throughout the world; and although it has on many occasions done just that, for example, during World War II fighting against the Nazis and the Fascists, it has not always been on the side of freedom and democracy. There are at least three specific examples that contradict this claim. Arbenz in Guatemala in 1954, Bosch in the Dominican Republic in 1963, and Allende in Chile in 1973, all were democratically elected Presidents, and in each case the C.I.A., with official State Department support, actually deposed their three governments and allowed them to be replaced by brutal right-wing military dictatorships.
Numerous South American military dictators received support for decades from the U.S., most notably in Argentina and Brazil. During the Reagan years, his regime supported neo-fascist military dictators in Central America, most notably in El Salvador and Guatemala, who killed hundreds of thousands of their own people, including students, teachers, labor leaders, indigenous villagers, and even priests, in the name of so-called “anti-communism.” Throughout the Third World, democratically elected governments with outstanding and innovative leaders such as Mossadegh in Iraq and Lumumba in the Congo, were effectively targeted for assassination by the C.I.A. This undeniable record of U.S. intervention clearly demolishes any credibility to the argument that our nation has always been on the side of freedom, liberty and democracy.
Another claim made by American Exceptionalists is that we never conquered another nation or people nor took their land. This is a blatant lie since there are ample examples of the U.S. actually doing this to American Indians, to Mexicans and to Hawaiians, as well as to those who led successful insurgencies, like Aguinaldo, the Philippine patriot who had to battle against our own Marines before his country was finally granted their independence in 1945.
Many speakers on January 13th also mentioned the specter of “socialism,” implying that it is contradictory to democracy, and denigrating the image of Dolores Huerta for being a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. What they ignore is that there have been numerous democratically elected socialist governments throughout Europe, in Sweden, France, Spain and Great Britain, and more recently in Latin America, most notably in Chile, Brazil, and Venezuela.
Thus, there is no inherent contradiction between socialism and democracy, and the fact that Huerta is member of the Democratic Socialists of America, a party that is neither illegal nor undemocratic does not disqualify her from being a valuable role model, citizen and patriot.
It seems that these American Exceptionalists do not comprehend, or don’t want our students to understand the difference between capitalism, socialism, and communism. Moreover, as many military dictatorships have demonstrated, a nation or government could very well be staunchly capitalist without being a bit democratic.
As far as socialists are concerned, Americans have to recognize that many of the benefits we enjoy as working people in this nation, such as workmen’s compensation, sick leave, paid vacation, overtime pay, an 8 hour day and 40 hour work week, and even Social Security, we have all thanks in great part to the struggles of our own native-grown all American socialists, mostly labor leaders, who fought long and hard to secure these rights for us all.
Finally, it is most important to note the effort by American exceptionalists to “white-wash” the difficulties, errors, and injustices of our American past. They want our students to be exposed to only their distorted and unhistorical view of our nation. What I propose is that those of us who recognize the warts and scars of America and still love her, are much more patriotic than those who see her with rose-colored glasses, and worship a false idolatrous image of what American truly is.
Our students should be told the entire truth of our nation’s travails as well as its triumphs, its perils as well as its promise. Only then can they be prepared to confront the global challenges of tomorrow, long after we are gone.
Dr. Julio Noboa, Coordinator MASSA
The Multicultural Alliance for Social Studies Advocacy
Assistant Professor of Social Studies
University of Texas at El Paso
January 21, 2010
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