Military Review English Edition November-December 2013 | Page 111

MR LETTERS
Taking Exception to
Presentation of American
Exceptionalism

James Jay Carafano, Vice President, Defense
and Foreign Policy Issues, The Heritage Foundation—In “The Myths We Soldiers Tell Ourselves”
by Lt. Col. Peter Fromm, U.S. Army, retired; Lt.
Col. Douglas Pryer, U.S. Army; and Lt. Col. Kevin
Cutright, U.S. Army (Military Review, SeptemberOctober 2013) claims “the myth of American exceptionalism” permeates the U.S. military.
The authors write that this “usually occurs when
Americans apprehend the empirical fact that they
enjoy remarkable freedoms and prosperity and
transfer those accomplishments of their forebears
into feelings of personal superiority.” They go on
to assert, “Instead of perceiving their heritage as
a lucky accident, they irrationally perceive it as a
personal virtue and a sign of their own superiority.”
Their argument shows a misunderstanding, both
of what American exceptionalism means and how
it was born.
Americans are exceptional not because we think
we’re better than others, but because we know our
country is different. The United States was founded
on a universal truth, as expressed in the Declaration
of Independence: all are created free and equal. No
other country is dedicated to the principle of freedom and equality as we are. All other countries are
founded on things such as ethnic traits or adherence
to a particular religion.
Our unique founding explains why anyone can
come here and become an American; you don’t
have to be concerned about your race, religion, or
color. You simply have to adopt our creed: liberty,
equality, and government by consent.
Further, American’s heritage isn’t “a lucky
accident,” as the article puts it. The framers of the
Constitution knew exactly what they were doing—
allowing the people to govern themselves according
to common beliefs and the rule of law. Luck has
nothing to do with it.
American service members are, almost by definiMILITARY REVIEW ? November-December 2013

tion, the tip of the spear. They represent our country
overseas and carry forth our founding ideals. They
live out those founding principles every day, often
in the most difficult circumstances imaginable.
They, like the country they serve, are exceptional.

The Myths We Soldiers Tell
Ourselves
Lt. Col. Allen B. Bishop, U.S. Army, retired,
Arnold, Neb.—I write to urge those who care about
the Army to read “The Myths We Soldiers Tell
Ourselves” by Lt. Col. Peter Fromm, U.S. Army,
Retired; Lt. Col. Douglas Pryer, U.S. Army; and Lt.
Col. Kevin Cutright, U.S. Army (Military Review,
September-October 2013).
General Officers come under frequent attack, but
almost no one doubts their commitment. Because
the deep cultural change the authors call for can
only come from the top, it is especially needful
that our generals read, distribute, and put forward
the rationale of the writers. Only generals have the
power to replace the myths with more considered
judgments aspiring to the truth.
A general in uniform comes as close to being
the “absolute prince” the authors refer to as anyone
in our society ever comes. They are accorded
“unlimited deference” in the cult that military
command has become. At any hour generals can
say to this man “come” and he comes, and to that
man “go” and he goes; they convene court martials;
they decide who gets promoted; they determine
the culture in the Army. What a general does or
approves—explicit or implicit—is good to go. It’s
pretty heady stuff.
So much so, that Secretary Robert Gates looked
wistfully over his own leaf rake’s handle at the
military aides raking the leaves in Chairman Mullen’s yard next door. Our society places great trust
and confidence in a flag officer. It’s not clear that
the record justifies the trust.
Despite their responsibility for celebrating and
carrying out democracy’s high ideals, generals, as
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