Posts Tagged ‘American Exceptionalism’

The holiday season is here again. Thanksgiving. Then Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s. This is the time of year when families still come together. They kick back and relax. Many even talk, and when they talk, most will tell stories. Adults will share with kids the achievements and the antics of moms and dads, aunts…

We celebrated Presidents Day on Monday. It’s no longer George Washington and Abe Lincoln, men of vision, courage and achievement — heroes, to use a term that is now out of favor. Presidents Day just blends them all together — Harry Truman with John Tyler and Thomas Jefferson with Chester Arthur. It’s better that way.…

Thanksgiving is a good time to consider the many faces of America’s abundance. With a few notable and troubling exceptions, our prosperity is secure and things are getting better. In the words of environmental writer Gregg Easterbrook, “Most indices of U.S. life have been positive for years, even decades.” Examples: The environment is improving. By almost…

Hiroshima and Nagasaki are in the news, and for good reason: They mark the first use of nuclear weapons — to bring an end to World War II — and the dawn of the nuclear age. I was 6 years old when the bomb was dropped and the war ended. Five of my uncles and…

WASHINGTON — By a score of 1-0, Norway upset Mexico on Sunday in the first game of the World Cup played at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. The festive opening ceremonies were followed by a terrific soccer game — the best I’ve ever seen. The game was played on a steamy afternoon before a capacity…

Many of the youngest members of the twenty-something generation are graduating this month in commencement ceremonies all over America. But this year, something is different. This year, Americans also are celebrating the 50th anniversary of D-day, which marked the beginning of the end of World War II and the struggle against fascism. The spirit of…

Economic news continues to improve. It began during the last three months of the Bush administration, when US economic growth led the industrialized world. Some observers are even beginning to talk about an “American resurgence.” Economic indicators are clear . Unemployment, now at 6.4%, is down sharply — the largest one-month drop in 10 years.…

Thanksgiving is a good time. It’s a time for celebration and a time for reflection. Most cultures celebrate a thanksgiving — an autumn festival where friends and family come together to thank God for plentiful crops, good fortune and other blessings received during the year. So too in America. That’s why this week is a…

The appeal and spread of American culture ‹American TV programs (including news and entertainment, movies, music, paperbacks, videocassettes, CDs, fast food and fashions ‹ is one of the truly astounding features of the last half of the 20th century. Aspects of this fascinating story were the subject of a recent roundtable at the American Enterprise…