Saturday, June 10, 2006
Notes on American nationalism
I'm in the middle of a flawed but interesting book, America Against the World: How We Are Different and Why We Are Disliked, by a couple of Pew Research Center guys, Andrew Kohut and Bruce Stokes. It is essentially a long review essay of Pew global polling data about Americans, with the broader mission of bridging the gap between foreigners' perceptions of America and Americans' perception of themselves. The book is flawed in that the authors did not do a particularly good job of challenging their own assumptions -- I may work myself up to a review tomorrow -- but it does contain some sharp observations. I thought this bit about the difference between American nationalism and nationalism most other places was very interesting:
America is also exceptional in its brand of nationalism. In an article in the journal Foreign Policy [link(pdf)], Carnegie Endowment scholar Minxin Pei takes a mostly upbeat view of American nationalism, though he contends it includes an unacknowledged desire to impose American ideology on others:American nationalism is hidden in plain sight. But even if Americans saw it, they wouldn't recognize it as nationalism. That's because American nationalism is a different breed from its foreign cousins and exhibits three unique characteristics:
First, American nationalism is based on political ideals, not those of cultural or ethnic superiority.... That conception is entirely fitting for a socidety that still sees itself as a cultural and ethnic melting pot.
American nationalism is triumphant rather than aggrieved. In most societies, nationalism is fueled by past grievances caused by external powers. Countries once subjected to colonial rule, such as India and Egypt, are among the most nationalistic societies.
But American nationalism is the polar opposite of such aggrieved nationalism. American nationalism derives its meaning from victories in peace and war since the country's founding.
Triumphant nationalists celebrate the positive and have little empathy for the whining of aggrieved nationalists whose formative experience consisted of a succession of national humiliations and defeats.
Finally, American nationalism is forward looking, while nationalism in most other countries is the reverse. Those who believe in the superiority of American values and institutions do not dwell on their historical glories (though such flories constitute the core of American national identity). Instead, they look forward to even better times ahead, not just at home but also abroad. This dynamism imbues American nationalism with a missionary spirit and a short collective memory.
I think the last point (in bold) is particularly perceptive, and explains at least some of the diplomatic gulf that exists between the United States and countries whose pride in their past exceeds their capacity in the present. Both France and Iran come quickly to mind.
3 Comments:
By 
Tony Harrison, at
Sun Jun 11, 12:42:00 PM:
Pei editorial is a repackaging of collective notions CEIP holds dear.
Pei repeats Albright's (and Clinton's) notion America is "the indespensable nation, when he says "indispensability of America's power and leadership."
Pei repeats Robert Kagan's arguments regarding the rise of Europe's "soft power" to act as a counterweight to America's economic and military strength, when he's discussing his third "consequence."
Lastly, he ignores two truths: (1) as Plato said, "likes attract likes," so others do not like us because we are not like them, and (2) as Cicero said, "As with men, so with nations," so Pei ignores the profound differences that exist between Americans and other nations.
By 
, at
Sun Jun 11, 12:58:00 PM:
Is it really all that complicated? As long as we are the most powerful nation in the world, there are going to be those who resent us for it, regardless of "culture", "American exceptionalism", etc. It was true long before the current war in Iraq, with a brief respite after 9/11 when we were seen temporarily as "victims". Victims are always popular, as long as they don't try to do anything about it (as when Jews created Israel).
By Assistant Village Idiot, at
Sun Jun 11, 10:57:00 PM:
As I think the authors points very well taken, I wait anxiously for your comment on them.
