Each country thinks that it's exceptional, and, truth be told, each country really is exceptional in its own special ways. But there's a difference between celebrating your own unique way of life and thinking that you can do whatever you want and force your way of life onto everyone else. And if we as Americans want to move forward both as a people and as members of the international community, we need to understand this fact and start basing our foreign policy around it.

 

"American exceptionalism," the idea that the United States is different or better than other countries, has meant a lot of different things over the years. On the one hand, we've used the idea that we're better than everyone else to justify bullying around countries much smaller than ours. And we've also used it to justify invading countries like Mexico and Iraq that were largely minding their own business.

 

This is the bad side of American exceptionalism. But there's also a good side to American exceptionalism. For over 200 years, everyday people have used the idea that America is different and special for a lot of noble purposes, like ending slavery and enfranchising women. The idea that everyone should enjoy the "exceptional" core values of American society - "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" - has guided activists and revolutionaries since colonial days, and it will continue to do so well into the future.

 

In America, like in pretty much every country, it's a political necessity to say that you love your country and that it's the best place in the world. This can be a healthy thing, but it can also turn into something toxic when used to assert uniqueness and superiority over other groups.

 

Read more here.

 

-Thom

 

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... Not One More (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

 

Have a question or comment for Thom? Grab your phone, hit record and send your video to YourTakeMyTake@gmail.com and we may air it on "The Big Picture."

 

Congratulations Thom! Thom Hartmann to Receive 2014 Freedom of Speech Award

 

Need to Know: Not One More
- Colin Goddard, Everytown for Gun Safety / V-Tech Survivor.

 

Screwed: The Link between Unions & Equality
- David Laska, New York State Republican Party    

 

 

Why NBC's Interview with Snowden is Important
- Richard Eskow, Campaign for America's Future / The Zero Hour    

 

Your Take / My Take Live: Call Thom LIVE at (202) 904-2134 TONIGHT 7-8pm ET (check local listings)

 

 

       

Wednesday's Daily Stack 

Article: "UCSB Victim's Father to Pols: 'I Don't Care if You're Sorry,' Do Something!" by Josh Feldman.

Twitter: "#notonemore".

Book: " Walking Your Blues Away: How to Heal the Mind and Create Emotional Well-Being" by Thom Hartmann.

 

Article: "Dog People vs. Cat People: Who's More Outgoing? More Intelligent?" by Rachael Rettner.

 

Law: "Taft-Hartley Labor Act", 1947.

Site: "The Equality Trust".

Book: "The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger" by Richard Wilkinson, Kate Pickett.

Article: "Why Inequality Matters" by My Fair London in association with The Equality Trust.

Article: "Author, poet, rights activist Maya Angelou dies at 86" by Colleen Jenkins and Bill Trott.

Quote: "You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated" - Maya Angelou.

Article: "Federal Judge Who Halted Walker Dark Money Criminal Probe Attended Koch-Backed Judicial Junkets" by Brendan Fischer.

Documentary: Inequality For All - Robert Reich.

Article: "Joe the Plumber: "Your Dead Kids Don't Trump My Constitutional Rights"" by Adam Weinstein.

Article: "2nd Amendment". A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Article: "The gun lobby's dangerous game: How it preys on people like Elliot Rodger" by Amanda Marcotte.

Hour Two: 'No guns' doesn't mean more crime
- Timothy Johnson, Media Matters for America  

Article: "Conservatives' Misplaced Schadenfreude Over Robbery At Store With "No Guns" Sign " by Timothy Johnson.

Article: "Analysis of recent mass shootings" by Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Article: "Since 2006, more than 200 mass killings in the U.S." by USA TODAY.

Case: "Roe v. Wade", 1973.

 

Article: "Wisconsin Governor Backs Down From Opposition To Same-Sex Marriage" by Zack Ford.

Article: "Study Funded By Soda Industry Concludes Diet Soda Helps People Lose Weight" by Tara Culp-Ressler.

Tweet: "Don't fall into trap of mental health argument. We need better MH but this kid had the top shrinks. It didn't matter. It's a bigger problem." - Michael Moore .

Case: "District of Columbia v. Heller", 2008.

 

Article: "The Second Amendment was Ratified to Preserve Slavery" by Thom Hartmann.

Speech: "Patrick Henry to the Virginia Ratifying Convention (June 24 1788)".

Article: "Virginia Ratifying Convention: June 16, 1788." (Article 1, Section 8).

Article: "Debate in Virginia Ratifying Convention", 14 June 1788.

Quote: "I was struck with surprise when I heard him express himself alarmed with respect to the emancipation of slaves" - James Madison".

Book: The Constitution a Pro-slavery Compact: Or, Extracts from the Madison Papers, Etc by James Madison.

 

Talk Radio News Segment:
- Bob Ney 

Book: "Sideswiped: Lessons Learned Courtesy of the Hit Men of Capitol Hill" by Robert Ney.

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Site: Governor Free Don Siegelman.

Article: "TRNS News Notes- 5/28/14" by Victoria Jones.

Article: "TRNS News Notes- 5/27/14" by Victoria Jones.

Article: "Obama delays deportation review to give immigration bill a chance" by Christi Parsons, Kathleen Hennessey.

Article: "Major banks under investigation for ties to Mexican drug cartels" by RT.

Article: "Holder Signals Criminal Charges Coming Against Some Banks" by Tom Schoenberg.

Article: "Credit Suisse Pleads Guilty in Felony Case" by Ben Protess and Jessica Silver-Greenberg.

Article: "FTC calls for clampdown on data brokers" by Gina Chon.

Site: Disconnect.

Hour Three: Ukraine...what's next?
- Stephen Cohen, The Nation Magazine 

Book: Soviet Fates and Lost Alternatives: From Stalinism to the New Cold War by Stephen F. Cohen.

Article: "Cold War Against Russia-Without Debate" by Katrina vanden Heuvel and Stephen F. Cohen.

Article: "Ukraine unrest: Dozens die as Donetsk airport retaken" by BBC.

Article: "Chechens join pro-Russians in battle for east Ukraine" by Courtney Weaver.

Article: "The business behind Ukraine's new billionaire president" by legitgov.

Article: "'Kept in dug-out, tied up with sacks on heads': Russian journos on Ukraine detention" by legitgov.

Article: "EU Puts Off More Sanctions as Russia Accepts Ukraine Vote " by Ewa Krukowska and James G. Neuger.

Article: "Ukraine clashes: dozens dead after Odessa building fire" by Howard Amos and Harriet Salem.

Article: "Obama: 'I Believe in American Exceptionalism with Every Fiber of My Being'" by Jon Queally.

Article: "Russia and China strengthen trade ties with $85 billion oil deal" by RT.

Article: "Jack F. Matlock, Jr." by Wikipedia.

Article: "The U.S. has treated Russia like a loser since the end of the Cold War." by Jack F. Matlock Jr..

Article: "Kissinger: Putin likely didn't plan to bring Ukraine situation to a head" by Jason Miks.

 

Article: "Big ten food companies emitting as much as the "world's 25th most polluting country"" by Oxfam.

Article: "North Carolina Bill Would Make Revealing Fracking Secrets a Felony" by Zo� Schlanger.

Article: "A Call to Arms: An Invitation to Demand Action on Climate Change" by Bill McKibben.

Article: "Groundwater radiation levels breach limit at Fukushima plant" by DPA.

Article: "Radiation-stalling 'ice wall' will be built under Fukushima" by Liat Clark.

Article: "5 Strange Facts About the Pentagon's Anti-Zombie Plan" by Stephanie Pappas.

  

Thursday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET 

Hour One: Billionaire pay gone wild
- David Selig, Selig & Associates 

 

Hour Two: Solar...game changer for global warming?
- Rhone Resch, Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) 

 

Hour Three: Big Energy...using Big Tobacco's 3rd world playbook
- Michael T. Klare, The Race for What's Left: The Global Scramble for the World's Last Resources 

 

Hour Four: Hey Detroit: running water is a human right!!
- Maude Barlow, Council of Canadians / Blue Future: Protecting Water For People And The Planet Forever 

 

PLUS...on the road with the March for Democracy
- Kai Newkirk, 99Rise 

 

 

BIG announcement...
- Sam Seder, Host of the Majority Report / Co-host, Ring of Fire Radio 

 

Hour Six: Could you be fired for being tax delinquent?
- Judson Phillips, Tea Party Nation 

 

And, the best of the rest of the news and your calls right here on...

 

The Thom Hartmann Program...your media support group for "we the people"...

Friday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET 

It's Friday and it's Brunch With Bernie...America's Senator...Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will be here talking about all the important issues of the week and he'll be taking YOUR calls too...

 

Plus, it's Anything Goes Friday...your turn to pick the topics we talk about...what's on your mind?

 

And, the best of the rest of the news plus your calls right here on...

 

The Thom Hartmann Program, Occupying The Media 3 hours a day 5 days a week" for "we the people"

 

And don't forget...Democracy is NOT a spectator sport...it begins with you...

Thank you for being part of our ever growing community for News, Debate and Opinion on the Thom Hartmann Program.

 

Click here to subscribe to the Thom Hartmann Newsletter.
 

Sincerely,

Pre-order Thom's forthcoming book, Death in the Pines: An Oakley Tyler Novel now!

Should Edward Snowden be granted clemency?

Vote here!

Buy Thom's newest book now!
Also on Kindle

"Crash of 2016" website

Watch Thom on: - MSNBC's The Cycle
- CNN's Crossfire
- Democracy Now!

Full Show 5/28/14: Is America Exceptional Anymore?

Tonight's "Lone Liberal Rumble" discusses how to fix America's gun violence problem, Obama's latest foreign policy speech and how median CEO pay has now surpassed the $10 million mark. And in tonight's special edition of "Conversations with Great Minds" Thom talks the Koch Brothers with Mother Jones Magazine's Daniel Schulman, author of the new book "Sons of Wichita: How the Koch Brothers Became America's Most Powerful and Private Dynasty."

Ukraine - What's Next?

Let's Amend the Constitution...

BIG Announcement...

No Such Thing as a Political Savior

The True History of the 2nd Amendment

No Guns Doesn't Mean More Crime

Not One More! Send Congress a Postcard...

The Thom Hartmann Program - May 28, 2014 p2

The Thom Hartmann Program-May 28, 2014 p1

Free excerpt, read whole book for free at Truthout, buy the book!