Keith Devens .com

Incidentally... what makes me most incredulous is that people put so much faith in an organization so impotent, incompetent, corrupt, and almost completely unaccountable.

Strike 'impotent' from that list, and that's the way a great many people feel about the USA government. If you reconsider "American exceptionalism" in that light, it's unsupportable.

"American exceptionalism" is dangerous. Thinking you can help make the world a better place is great. Thinking you are somehow special and better than every other nation is not great. A lot of people are scared of the USA, and an attitude of "we know better than you and won't play by your rules" makes them even more scared.

If the USA thinks the UN is so bad, then they should help reform it, not ignore it completely. If it's so bad as to be irredeemable, then build a new organisation. But acting like you are some kind of superior society is megalomaniacal. That attitude has historically lead to many atrocities.

If I was a USA citizen, and I heard him say that he wanted to work with the world and not in spite of it, I would support him on that. I support the same thing over here in the UK (although the argument is usually recast as UK vs Europe, rather than UK vs world).

Strike 'impotent' from that list, and that's the way a great many people feel about the USA government.

Well, so long as we all agree then. The idea that other people's opinions must be treated as being accurate or worth consideration simply because they have them is, frankly, exactly what's wrong with the multi-culti, moral and cultural relativist's world view. Opinions and ideas are considered valid or worth negotiating after examination, not absent examination.

If you reconsider "American exceptionalism" in that light, it's unsupportable.

This is the short way of saying that if you believed "American exceptionalism" was false then "American exceptionalism" would be unsupportable. I would to second that sentiment.

"American exceptionalism" is dangerous. Thinking you can help make the world a better place is great. Thinking you are somehow special and better than every other nation is not great.

So long as you submit your will to the...what? Group? Masses? U.N.? you can go ahead and believe in your agency without fear of...disapproval. Thinking you are seperate and uniquely gifted/created is great if it's true. "Every other nation's" self-esteem problems aside, America is distinctive and unique in many respects which are admirable. Cheif among them is our willingness to sacrifice blood and treasure for the sake of others. That is to say, if it were only about oil we would have done what every empire in the history of the world has done and just killed everyone and taken the resources. Excepting those bonded over into slavery in order to ensure the smooth export of said resource. Your contempt for our generous spirits turns my stomach.

A lot of people are scared of the USA, and an attitude of "we know better than you and won't play by your rules" makes them even more scared.

If this is true their fear is unwarranted and your summation of the American credo is...inelegant. It would only make sense as a comprehensible characterization if you already had a significant degree of contempt for America. It's made in bad faith.

If the USA thinks the UN is so bad, then they should help reform it, not ignore it completely.

Now, I'm trying not to be rude here, but it doesn't seem like you've been paying attention. See: Bush's speech to the U.N. on September 12, 2002. This is exactly what we've been doing.

But acting like you are some kind of superior society is megalomaniacal. That attitude has historically lead to many atrocities.

And that characterization is just plain dishonest. Do you honestly believe America could ever match the Victorians in large scale atrocities? America's history is one long list of intervention in foreign affairs solely to stop atrocities and man's inhumanity to man. We are not blameless, but we are far from butchers. Think for a moment what your rhetoric has led you to forget. Are you still sure you believe what you're saying?

If I was a USA citizen, and I heard him say that he wanted to work with the world and not in spite of it, I would support him on that.

Me too, if I thought "the world" was working to bring freedom to those who don't have it and not standing by while states engage in genocide. Again. But clearly that isn't the case. And so we, the American voters, find Kerry to be...somewhat deluded. Our vote will illustrate that finding on Nov. 2.

I support the same thing over here in the UK (although the argument is usually recast as UK vs Europe, rather than UK vs world).

Do you really think it's the same thing? Do you really think the U.K. has the wealth, power, and will to act on the world stage? Doesn't the U.K. cooperate with other nations because it can't project it's values alone? More than that, the U.S. does work with other nation's on a regular basis: Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan (to the detriment of the black Sudanese I might add), Haiti, Iran, North Korea, and the list goes on and on.

Here's the bottom line: You're committment to your ideological presuppositions (strength implies corruption, victimhood is de facto morality, unencumbered actors are untrustworthy and dangerous) has crippled your moral compass. My advice, and I offer this with sincerity and compassion, is to give up your Socialist Utopian fantasies and join the new century. We need all the help we can get to make this world a better place.

P.S. I'm new here and so am unsure of protocol. If this post was too long just let me know and I'll be more concise in the future.

P.S. I'm new here and so am unsure of protocol. If this post was too long just let me know and I'll be more concise in the future.

No protocol, your post was great!