President Biden recently declared the United States to be an “idea.” While seemingly innocuous, this statement reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of what truly defines America.
Many on both sides of the political aisle share this perspective, but is it accurate?
Let’s explore this notion and why it may be problematic.
Challenging Biden’s America: Why We’re More Than Just an Idea
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- Biden’s characterization of America as an “idea” oversimplifies the nation’s complex history and identity.
- Unlike the radical French Revolution, the American Revolution was more about preserving rights than creating a new world order.
- Viewing America as purely ideological has led to costly and dangerous foreign policy decisions.
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The Ideological View of America
Many see the United States as the “shining city on the hill” or the “indispensable nation.”
They believe America’s primary purpose is to spread democracy globally.
This ideological fervor often leads to a constant need for the country to be engaged in grand pursuits:
- Charging up San Juan Hill
- Storming Omaha Beach
- Racing to the moon
- Championing democracy worldwide
However, this view often overlooks the true essence of the nation – its people, customs, and traditions.
The American Revolution: Reform, Not Revolt
Contrary to popular belief, the American Revolution wasn’t about creating a new world order.
Instead, it was more about reclaiming the ancient rights of Englishmen that the colonists felt King George III was infringing upon.
As Edmund Burke described England’s Glorious Revolution of 1688-89, the American Revolution could be seen as “a revolution not made but prevented.”
The revolutionaries sought reform, not radical change. They built upon their British cultural and political heritage, modifying and updating it to fit their new American context.
They reformed rather than revolted, keeping what was good and discarding what was problematic.
The Dangers of Ideological Nations
When a nation becomes too devoted to abstract ideas, it can lead to dangerous consequences. Consider these examples:
- The French Revolution:
Unlike the American Revolution, it razed all prior social, cultural, religious, and political structures.
Churches became “temples of reason,” and people were executed for owning rosaries or sheltering priests.
- Recent U.S. Foreign Policy:
- The 2001 crusade to spread democracy in the Middle East cost trillions of dollars and thousands of lives, yet failed to achieve its goals.
- Nearly $200 billion was spent on “defending democracy” in Ukraine, a country that has suspended democratic elections.
These actions, driven by ideological fervor, often come at a high cost and yield questionable results.
The Alternative: America as a Living, Breathing Entity
Instead of viewing America as an abstract idea, we should recognize it as a complex tapestry of people, cultures, and traditions. This perspective allows for:
- A focus on internal improvement rather than global intervention
- Respect for other nations’ sovereignty and ways of life
- A more nuanced and realistic approach to foreign policy
As Joseph Sobran pointed out, nationalists who identify America with abstractions like freedom and democracy often believe it’s America’s mission to spread these ideals worldwide, even by force.
This mindset can lead to endless conflicts and interventions.
While ideals and principles are important, they shouldn’t define a nation at the expense of its people and culture.
America is more than just an idea – it’s a living, breathing entity shaped by its history, people, and experiences.
By recognizing this, we can work towards a more balanced and realistic vision of America’s role in the world and focus on improving ourselves one unit at a time, as Albert Jay Nock suggested.
Let’s strive to understand and appreciate our nation’s complexity rather than reduce it to a single, abstract idea.
This nuanced view will lead to better policy decisions and a more harmonious relationship with the rest of the world.
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