Such a good readjustment for me. Thanks for clarity on what was Providentially great about the US of A while still being acknowledging her foundational flaws as well. And the interest catcher about Hitler’s envy was fascinating.
I have a couple of question that perhaps you’ve already addressed in another post. It seems to me that there has been significant erosion of the various unique aspects that made America great. In fact, I don’t even know if I can distinguish politics from ideological struggle in your fourth point. If the erosion is real, 1) what do you see as the possible results if unaddressed & 2) how do you address them?
Thank you for commenting. The erosion is very real. On all points but especially on points 3 and 4. We have become ideological in ways that make no political sense and I think it is fair to say that makes it harder to distinguish between ideology and politics. Good point.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the United States distinguished itself from both its European contemporaries and 20th century ideological regimes by treating politics as incidental contests over power, interests, and institutional design, rather than as a vehicle for imposing comprehensive theories on society or utopia. While ideology was never absent, it was typically channeled through political mechanisms - elections, parties, and social movements - that prioritized negotiation, coalition-building, and practical and situational governance over ideological purity. So case-by-case approaches. A few years ago a friend told me to reread Alexis de Tocqueville, and it was great advise. De Tocqueville noted America's lack of feudal legacy and its broadly held 19th century liberal consensus. That really got me thinking about the ideological cohesion of the United States historically.
We are still on our first Republic, and France is on number five after trying two empires and two kingdoms not counting Louis XVI. Since 1789 we have had one regime and France has had ten. Germany has had seven: two empires, three confederations, the Nazis, and now the Federal Republic of Germany. I think this makes us truly exceptional but we do not appreciate it.
I think the solution requires Americans to rediscover what made our political system exceptional while rejecting the importation of failed European approaches. Americans historically understood that when politics becomes purely ideological, compromise becomes impossible and violence often follows. Becoming "more American" means several concrete steps: restoring civic education that teaches constitutional principles and institutional history so citizens understand what they're inheriting; demanding elite responsibility where leaders model institutional respect rather than exploit institutional weaknesses for short-term political gain; rebuilding civic bonds through local community engagement rather than national political tribalism; and ensuring that newcomers learn American civic culture alongside economic opportunity because we are a country not simply a market.
America won and Europe lost and we need to seriously engage with how we won.
Such a good readjustment for me. Thanks for clarity on what was Providentially great about the US of A while still being acknowledging her foundational flaws as well. And the interest catcher about Hitler’s envy was fascinating.
I have a couple of question that perhaps you’ve already addressed in another post. It seems to me that there has been significant erosion of the various unique aspects that made America great. In fact, I don’t even know if I can distinguish politics from ideological struggle in your fourth point. If the erosion is real, 1) what do you see as the possible results if unaddressed & 2) how do you address them?
Thank you for commenting. The erosion is very real. On all points but especially on points 3 and 4. We have become ideological in ways that make no political sense and I think it is fair to say that makes it harder to distinguish between ideology and politics. Good point.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the United States distinguished itself from both its European contemporaries and 20th century ideological regimes by treating politics as incidental contests over power, interests, and institutional design, rather than as a vehicle for imposing comprehensive theories on society or utopia. While ideology was never absent, it was typically channeled through political mechanisms - elections, parties, and social movements - that prioritized negotiation, coalition-building, and practical and situational governance over ideological purity. So case-by-case approaches. A few years ago a friend told me to reread Alexis de Tocqueville, and it was great advise. De Tocqueville noted America's lack of feudal legacy and its broadly held 19th century liberal consensus. That really got me thinking about the ideological cohesion of the United States historically.
We are still on our first Republic, and France is on number five after trying two empires and two kingdoms not counting Louis XVI. Since 1789 we have had one regime and France has had ten. Germany has had seven: two empires, three confederations, the Nazis, and now the Federal Republic of Germany. I think this makes us truly exceptional but we do not appreciate it.
I think the solution requires Americans to rediscover what made our political system exceptional while rejecting the importation of failed European approaches. Americans historically understood that when politics becomes purely ideological, compromise becomes impossible and violence often follows. Becoming "more American" means several concrete steps: restoring civic education that teaches constitutional principles and institutional history so citizens understand what they're inheriting; demanding elite responsibility where leaders model institutional respect rather than exploit institutional weaknesses for short-term political gain; rebuilding civic bonds through local community engagement rather than national political tribalism; and ensuring that newcomers learn American civic culture alongside economic opportunity because we are a country not simply a market.
America won and Europe lost and we need to seriously engage with how we won.