America is a country that has risen from a humble beggening to being a a powerful country. There are opertuniteis offered in America that arn't offered anywhere else in the world. It is one of the wealthyist most influential contries in the world. If this is how you define exeptional then America is exeptional. However, these are not the only criteria I use to look at American exeptionalism. I do not beleive that America is the City upon a Hill that Winthrope proclaimed it to be. Bigotry is still common in America. Prejudices, supposedly wiped out with the Civil War, are still common throughout the country. In every city, homeless can be found on the streets. People die every day because they cant afford healthcare. In many countries these problems wouldn't occur because every citizen has healthcare is. America has come a long way from its humble roots however it still has a far way to go before it becomes truly exceptional.
Dylan, I agree with everything but your comments on American poverty because most of these people that you are referring to have decided on how they wanted to live their lives, which put them into their current conditions. Not all, but some of the homeless are drug addicts, alcoholics, or poor and are like this because of the lack of will to work, mental disabilities, etc. However, some of these people have made the right decisions, but have fallen to misfortunes and tragedies.
ReplyDeleteWhile I completely agree with Dylan, I think you are still playing too much on stereotypes, Quan. Most people are homeless because misfortune and tragedy has fallen on them. Only few people today are homeless because of drugs or alcohol. Many become addicted to drugs or alcohol because of their situation. As for a lack of will to work, it is a too often used stereotype that homeless people are lazy. Most want to find a job, but in today's economic times, employers are hesitant on hiring. Many homeless people don't know where to turn for a job. The majority of homelessness is caused by governmental incompetence and an overinflated and competitive economy.
ReplyDelete