What Makes an American an American?, Common Culture or Common Ideals

[Deltacom]

What Makes an American an American?, Common Culture or Common Ideals



I just reviewed Pat Buchanan's newest book, State of Emergency, with the idea of starting this thread.

Buchanan argues that common cultural elements (in his view, those derived from Western Europe) -"race, faith, ethnicity, and history" (page 248) are what make a nation. He rejects what he calls a propositional nation, that is, one held together by ideals such as liberty and self-government derived from the constitution and laws. He says that the latter view is held by people like historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.

From very early on in British American settlement, Americans have expressed both a commitment to a vision of an American exceptionalism that makes us unique as a people and we have sought to exclude or suborn those we deem not to embrace mainstream values or share cultural identity.

I disagree with those who argue that American-ness is defined closer to ethnic nationalism than civic nationalism. Although many of the traditions that dominate the foundation of our society from British civilization (language, common law, property rights, protected freedoms, representative government) being of British descent does not make more American than others.

The strongest bond holding the United States together through its history is a civic nationalism. People of the United States are expected to share a commitment to a certain set of ideals and values. There is a strong heritage of property, freedom of religion, free speech, a rule of law that respects individual freedoms, democracy, and an expectation that hard work will be rewarded by opportunities.

Questions for Debate:

1. What is the strongest glue that holds Americans together as a nation, cultural or political belief factors?

2. Which is a more important idea - "from many one" or "from one many."

3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of multiculturalism?

[Botnst]

Common laws derived from common vision of liberty.

[TX76513]

The United States comprises people of many races and many religions, all of whom have had ancestors who have spoken many different languages, from almost every corner of the world. Furthermore, a person may come to the United States from anywhere in the world and become an American and be fully treated as an American in the eyes of the law after acquiring citizenship. And while there may be individuals who say that so-and-so is not a “real” American because of his race, religion, or original language, this is a “particularist” attitude that runs counter to the general spirit and principles upon which the United States of America was founded.

[pj67coll]

Originally Posted by Deltacom

Questions for Debate:

1. What is the strongest glue that holds Americans together as a nation, cultural or political belief factors?

I'd say cultural. But amongst the politically involved how do you separate politics from cultural factors?

2. Which is a more important idea - "from many one" or "from one many."

From many one. The other way simply leads to dissolution.

3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of multiculturalism?

There are no advantages. Everything is a disadvantage. See the anwer to point two above.

- Peter.

[kerry]

If you look at race, faith, ethnicity and history from the point of view of a Native American, they have nothing in common with Pat Buchanan. Since I think Native Americans, are Americans, arguable more American than European immigrants, I have to think that none of those factors unites Americans. I'd say the uniting factor is a geographical boundary and a unified legal system. I don't think the unified legal system is a result of a common vision of liberty because the legal system of the United States was a modern capitalist legal system, imposed on pre-modern Native Americans without their consent for the most part.
I don't think it's a question of whether we should or shouldn't think of the world in multicultural terms, it's inevitable given the current porosity of national boundaries and the availability of transportation that 'ethnicity' will disappear in the not too distant future.

[tankdriver]

Originally Posted by Botnst

Common laws derived from common vision of liberty.

Yeah.


From many, one is of course more important.

The advantage of multiculturalism is that it mitigates identity politics. That's also its disadvantage.

[Idolotor]

Our founding fathers had these freedoms in mind as a basis for all American rights to be founded on. This is what makes America AND Americans exclusive and GREAT! >

Freedom of Speech

Freedom of the Press

Freedom of Religion

Freedom of Petition

Freedom of Assembly

Associated with these five freedoms are two others.

Freedom of Association

Freedom of Privacy

[suginami]

From my education I received for my first degree in Linguistics, I'd have to include language.

I took one linguistics class which taught us that the primary purpose of language is to inculcate your culture.

[azimuth]

Originally Posted by Idolotor

Our founding fathers had these freedoms in mind as a basis for all American rights to be founded on. This is what makes America AND Americans exclusive and GREAT! >

Freedom of Speech

Freedom of the Press

Freedom of Religion

Freedom of Petition

Freedom of Assembly

Associated with these five freedoms are two others.

Freedom of Association

Freedom of Privacy

Freedom to keep and bear...



I think common ideals create a common culture.

[LaRondo]

Nothing should ever be "common" about America, culture, ideals and everything else. Unless this is recognized America will just be another "common" place on this globe.

Theme for an Imaginary Western

[kip Foss]

You are starting with a bodgie premise, i.e. that Pat Buchanan has an opinion worth listening to. The man is a flaming right wing bigot, raciest and hypocrite. He is so Christian that he can't even spell tolerance.

What he is trying to say is that since America was initially settled by Northern Europeans Christians that if we are to be considered true Americans it is these ideals in which we should believe. If you don't believe this way (read as look, or speak, or talk, or believe this way) then you can not be considered a true (read as a WASP) American.

[Botnst]

Originally Posted by kip Foss

You are starting with a bodgie premise, i.e. that Pat Buchanan has an opinion worth listening to. The man is a flaming right wing bigot, raciest and hypocrite. He is so Christian that he can't even spell tolerance.

What he is trying to say is that since America was initially settled by Northern Europeans Christians that if we are to be considered true Americans it is these ideals in which we should believe. If you don't believe this way (read as look, or speak, or talk, or believe this way) then you can not be considered a true (read as a WASP) American.

He can't be a WASP. He's Roan Catholic.

[kerry]

Originally Posted by Botnst

He can't be a WASP. He's Roan Catholic.

That's one thing about Buchanan that doesn't make sense to me. The general principles of US politics seem so Protestant that his southern European Catholicism doesn't fit very well. Edward Abbey's similar argument seems more convincing coming from Abbey.
But even though Buchanan's not a WASP, he's clearly a bigot.

[Botnst]

Originally Posted by kerry

That's one thing about Buchanan that doesn't make sense to me. The general principles of US politics seem so Protestant that his southern European Catholicism doesn't fit very well. Edward Abbey's similar argument seems more convincing coming from Abbey.
But even though Buchanan's not a WASP, he's clearly a bigot.

Clearly.

[Gurkha]

Originally Posted by kip Foss

You are starting with a bodgie premise, i.e. that Pat Buchanan has an opinion worth listening to. The man is a flaming right wing bigot, raciest and hypocrite. He is so Christian that he can't even spell tolerance.

What he is trying to say is that since America was initially settled by Northern Europeans Christians that if we are to be considered true Americans it is these ideals in which we should believe. If you don't believe this way (read as look, or speak, or talk, or believe this way) then you can not be considered a true (read as a WASP) American.

As a non Christian, I have been told that couple of times, if you don't believe in the lord, you ain't an American.