*In the art of diplomacy and promotion of peace? Most definitely not. The art of diplomacy has all but disappeared from the foreign policy playbook of the U.S. and has been replaced by the doctrine of hubristic arrogance. The greatest example of this misguided foreign policy doctrine can be found in the events surrounding the Syrian crisis when Mr. Obama struck out on the issue of diplomacy and Vladimir Putin his a grand slam home run.
*In the condition of our national infrastructure the best among the developed world? Not even close.
*Does America possess the world's #1 economy? Yes, it still does even though it's predicted that China will surpass it in the not too distant future, largely because U.S. corporations have outsourced millions of jobs to it. So, if we are #1 in GDP, then why in the world are we lagging so far behind the world in so many categories as mentioned above?
That's easy to answer. The tremendous wealth that this economy produces is largely held by the wealthiest of Americans, that 1% who lack for nothing; a very large portion of Americans do not benefit from that great wealth, especially those who work for the minimum wage. This is a country of extreme wealth at the top and not much left for the middle and lower parts of the income spectrum. And that's why America has so many problems that seemingly have no solution.
I would think that, by the evidence presented above, that America severely lags behind the developed nations and, in some cases, the entire world, in so many important categories to the point that it doesn't even qualify for consideration as being exceptional.
That's depressing enough but now let's take a look at the other, opposite, interpretation of exceptional, which includes policies and actions which can be considered to be offensive and even destructive, i.e., exceptionally bad; where does America stand?
*In the number of invasions, occupations and wars initiated? We're #1, We're #1!
*In the building of a world empire of military bases? Yes, we have over 1,000.
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