American Myths

The first myth is the myth of American exceptionalism. One can safely say that most Americans tend to be very patriotic. However, this sense of patriotism appears to be tainted by the notion that the United States of America is an exceptional nation. This belief that Americans are exceptional stems from the fact that as a people, Americans have achieved several exceptional goals. An outstanding American accomplishment is that the United States is the first and only nation to place Mankind on the surface of the Moon. This was an extremely ambitious goal that President John F. Kennedy set out to achieve. It was a particularly ambitious goal, since it required the expenditure of tremendous resources and the involvement of unfathomable human intellect. This was an attempt by Kennedy to prove to the Soviet Union, with whom we were wrapped up in the Cold War, that we were superior in math and science. Today, American high schools students are behind in math and science when compared with their Indian and Chinese counterparts. Therefore, despite major achievements by Americans, American exceptionalism is a myth. 

          There is a feeling among Americans that the United States is the richest country in the world. It is without question, that the vast majority of the United States population is included in the economic middle class. Furthermore, it is widely accepted that the American upper class, the so-called millionaires and billionaires, are the world’s most affluent consumers of goods and services. However, allow me point out that the United States government is currently bankrupt and drowning in about fourteen trillion dollars of debt, primarily to China. The ongoing fight between the White house and the legislative branch of the United States Government has caused Standard and Poors, the world’s most highly recognized bond rating service, to recently issue a warning that the United States government could be on the verge of losing its AAA rating. So there goes the “ full faith and credit” of the United States government. If politicians in Washington DC do not get their act together by August 2^nd, the United States Government could default on its debt. This would put the United States in a similar category with Greece, Portugal and Ireland. Therefore the United States being the richest country in the world is a myth.

          There is this notion that in America “all men are created equal” and as such all Americans are entitled to justice under the law. In the recent Casey Anthony murder trial, there was no justice for her daughter the victim two year old baby Caylee Anthony. In a few days Casey Anthony will be allowed to walk free. Even though the case against her was largely circumstantial, people around the world are totally outraged that a mother who killed her own child is allowed by the United States criminal justice system to get away with cold blooded premeditated murder. The shocking result of this case presents a convincing argument that the concept of “reasonable doubt” on which our system of justice is predicated, is far too vague for a “jury of our peers” to wrap their heads around. The result of the Casey Anthony murder trial exposes the urgent need for the overhauling of the criminal justice system in the United States. Also, please consider the ridiculously disproportionate number of Blacks and Hispanics who are incarcerated in jails and prisons all across America. Can this sad state of affairs be considered equal justice? Therefore, justice under the law for every American citizen is a myth.