Jonah Goldberg and American exceptionalism

Jonah Goldberg, the token non-Communist at the LA Times, has written an interesting piece about the left's objection to the concept of American exceptionalism.

Now that Europe has turned its back — at least temporarily — on lavish Keynesian spending, folks like Beinart must turn to developing countries such as China and Brazil for inspiration. Countries that pay millions of workers pennies a day are not normally role models for the left. But, hey, if it makes Republicans appear backward, they'll give it a shot.

The only issue I have with exceptionalism (bragging) is that I can't get through a media day without hearing somebody say, "This is the richest country in the world." This is the most outrageous lie I have ever heard, and I'm tired of hearing it daily. Our elected leaders, Democrat and Republican, have amassed a FOURTEEN TRILLION DOLLAR DEBT for us. We are bankrupt, not rich.

Deficit spending is eroding the strength of the country, and will eventually reduce us to Third World status. Our current president is so addicted to overspending that when he saw that Republicans can now block future "stimulus" bills, he instructed the fed to start printing money round the clock.

We have a problem in the United States. It is catastrophic. It's not an oil spill, it's not a foreclosure rate, and it's not an unemployment rate. It's deficit spending. I'm not going to vote for anyone who does not openly and loudly demand that we have budget surpluses locally and federally, and that the surpluses be applied to debt. I'm willing to abstain.