How is the US any less imperfect than everyone else?

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I keep hearing of "American exceptionalism" that believes the US has a constitutionally bolder vision than the rest of the western community, or what the entire world had seen. I think this is actually a bad idea.

What makes the human nature of the US and it's founders any less imperfect than its neighbors or predecessors? Why the need to be "exceptional" or "perfect" anyway?

I think there is a point to be made there.

During the cold war US was not practicing what it preached, and its sacrificed its own citizen's liberties in the process (as well as supporting all manner of tyrants). Though the "spreading democracy" argument came later, some of the initial (proxy) campaigns aren't really explainable under spreading democracy, that is a more recent justification.

I think part of the reason why there is this view of a miraculous constitution is that they had a unique opportunity to start from scratch. However they were still building on historical principle like the Magna Carta, and English Bill of rights.

Having said that there is a fair amount of using the west and the US, as a scapegoat and this can be used to justify all manner of evils.

The U.S. is a very good place to live in comparison to many other areas, but the ideology of "exceptionalism" turns my stomach. There seems to be a subset of citizens that believe that any objective criticism of country is unpatriotic. This subset also seems oblivious to their own hypocrisy.

As we become more globally engaged( especially economically), I hope this mindset retires as the old guard will be soon.

America offers a citizen the most freedom in the world. Where would have more freedom ?

-We have great freedom of speech here. Many nations have censorship.

-Yesterday on tv, a guy with a rifle was walking back and forth near a school expressing his gun rights. This is very common where I live to have people walking around intentionally scaring people with their guns, because they say they are exercising their gun rights. The cops show up, he says, "gun rights", and they leave.

-we can critize the government, and our politicians (free speech)

-We had no income tax. Now we are slowing creeping into slavery with ever-increasing taxes. Still better than most of the world.

America was founded on lofty ideas/principles that we're soon there after ignored and forgotten, we didn't live up these principles from the very start. American Exceptionalism now is nothing more than unthinking nationalism and imperialism at this point, its our team so we have to support it. If you look at our actions we do not hold any moral high ground in almost any conflict we engage in.