Alonzo Hamby on American Exceptionalism

Many of you by now know one of dcat's iron-clad rules: If my advisor, mentor, and friend Alonzo Hamby takes the time to write something, you can be certain that it is worth reading closely. Over at History News Network he has taken on the topic of American Exceptionalism with his typical insight and grace. I'm not certain that I entirely agree with him -- Hamby falls on the side of embracing the idea of American exceptionalism or something close to it -- largely because my own comparative work has led me to be instinctively wary of such arguments, but also because I usually want to steer clear of the political agenda that often lurks behind such assertions. But as he has done so often, Hamby has me rethinking my beliefs and looking at the question in a different way. That, I know, is exceptional.