Exceptionalism

It's interesting how a simple thing as a costume change will cause a firestorm of controversy.

This past year Wonder Woman went through a costume change. I didn't think much of it, really. It's just another in a long line of costume changes for super heroes. Though the jacket they put her in did look like it would provide some meager protection from scrapes, and would provide something that a lot of the typical super hero costumes didn't, namely pockets. Got to carry around that key to the bus locker where they put their street clothes somewhere... And down the cleavage isn't always the most comfortable place.

However, people hated it, because it changed her iconic look. Yeah conservative leggings and a leather jacket is SO much worse than knee-high boots, scanty star-spangled briefs, and a shoulder and cleavage exposing bustier.

There are people, however, who are so indoctrinated by the divide and conquer politics of today that they absolutely HAVE to inject the "evil liberal agenda" into EVERYTHING that doesn't agree with them, or they hate.

Somebody said that the evil liberal man-children who are running DC, nowadays, are so offended by the idea of American Exceptionalism, and wish to kow-tow to the PC-infested world, that they intentionally removed the American symbols from Wonder Woman's costume. "They're "revamping" Wonder Woman's look, because any HINT of American exceptionalism or patriotism makes them ill."

When I read that I had to facepalm.

American Exceptionalism seems to be a blanket label by a lot of people who think that America is better than everybody else, and everybody else should be more like America. Sure it can be seen as patriotic, but there are people in the United States who take this idea and run with it as far as they can go. This idea goes hand-in-hand with intolerance and bigotry, in a lot of these cases. They tend to think that "America is better than you, and should do what it wants." The problem with this is that Americans are seen as bullies, boors, and arrogant jerks, because of this thought process, even by other Americans.

The idea of "we're better than you, so we do what we want" lends itself to a world of abuse. And it is abused by the divide and conquer politicians on both sides.
Both sides think they know what's best, both sides want you to side with them, and will use patriotism to get you to do so. And both sides will use mud-slinging, and name-calling to get you to stop thinking for yourself, and just follow along. Both sides want you angry, and not using your head, and both will play to your prejudices by depicting the other side via stereotypes.

The problem with the "us vs them" mentality, however, is that eventually there isn't a "them" to be against.