Argumentative Essay On American Exceptionalism

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There exists a lot of controversy over the term “American Exceptionalism.” Not only was this debate prevalent many years ago, it also exists today. There are many aspects of American culture that can make it seem like the most superior country in the world, but also there exists many that make it seem otherwise. The term American Exceptionalism is a term that is used to strengthen a country. In times of peril and chaos, the most important action a country can do is to come together as one. Exceptionalism is not only a term for leaders to live by, but also is a term that equates to a sense of pride for the entire country.
This is exactly what political leaders during the time of the Cold War against the Soviet Union wanted citizens of the United States to do. In a speech that was meant to address the citizens of the United States, Ronald Reagan spoke out against communism and condemned the Soviet Union as the “focus of evil in the modern world” (Reagan). This is what Reagan and other political figures at the time were trying to do, as they were seeking ways for America to come together and form strong opinions against their enemy at the time. By speaking down to the Soviet …show more content…

Dugan’s poem “The Significance of Corn in American History” talks about the time period of the Puritans in America. After taking a closer look at the poem, Dugan questions America’s superiority by bring up the way in which our whole country was found. Specifically, Dugan is referring to the fact in how our founding fathers relocated the Indian tribes before us and stole our land. By calling our country a country founded by “dirty crooks” Dugan is putting in to question American Exceptionalism with this term (Dugan, 15). Although Dugan makes a valid point about the manner in which our country is valid, this is not to say that the political leaders of today represent the values of dirty

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