Critique of American and Romanian Exceptionalism

Sava Adelina-Ioana
American exceptionalism in ideas. The origin of Euro-Atlantic difference
Dr. Hab. Anna Pec
!"th of #o$ember% !&'(
)n the present essa* ) +ill first discuss about the American exceptionalism through ,odfre*
Hodgson-s critique from The Myth of the American Exceptionalism% and secondl*% about Romania
in the period .ust after the second /orld /ar and ho+ it +as absorbed b* the malignant%
exceptional thining. 0oth American and Romanian exceptionalism +ill be anali1ed through
Alfred Adler-s ps*chological theor* about the complex of superiorit* and inferorit*% in this +a*
being easier to obser$e the $icious characteristic of exceptionalism% +hich is not harmful onl* for
the countries +hich are considerated deca*ed% but also for the 2exceptionalist2 countries +hich
are trapped in it. Adler-s theor* help us b* going bac to the roots and see ho+ all started and
+hich are the main reasons of de$eloping such a recless and sometimes absurd +a* of thining.
American exceptionalism is the +a* of thining +hich express that the 3nited 4tates not
onl* that is the richest and po+erful countr* from the +orld% but also 5politicall* and morall*
exceptional6. Exceptionalism is seen +ith e$il e*es because it maes us ignore other countries-
contribution in the de$elopment of politics% and especiall* in the de$elopment of democrac*. )t is
hard to sa* that fairness +as uni$ersal in a place +here sla$er* and racial segregation +ere
allo+ed. Hodgson explains this phenomena b* anali1ing the Americans beha$ior from the
beginning of their histor* b* bringing into question some of their practices or performances and
sho+ing ho+ the* considered them unique% be*ond compare% exceptional% but as a matter of fact
the* +ere .ust imitating the old Europe-s actions and transfering them as a m*th the* created the
exceptional image of America. 7or a better understanding of principle of exceptionalism% an
American and Romanian histor* re$ision is needed and also mentioning the factors on +hich this
theor* is based% namel*% to disentangle the m*ths.
4tarting +ith America% +e all ha$e the tendanc* to consider it the 5nation of nations6 or
5the in$incible nation6. /e are used to supraestimate its people e$en from the beginning% +hen
the ones +ho stepped on the 8ne+ land6% decided to form a nation because the* too the great
decision of lea$ing Europe and established themsel$es in a ne+ place +here to li$e peacefull*%
based on equalit* and freedom +here an*one could ha$e a decent life% and all these being
possible because the* ha$e defeated their greatest enem*% the ,reat 0ritain. The* also succeeded
to create a ne+ constitution9 the most liberal of them all b* +hich the* abolished sla$er* and
ga$e rights to +omen. #ot onl* then +ere the* so extraordinar*% but also e$en in the second
/orld /ar +hen the* pro$ed to be an organi1ed countr*% taing good care of their finances and
defeat the enem* in order to sa$e man* li$es and to gi$e them a second chance at life. )n brief%
this is the stor* about America that in a$erage is no+n b* e$er* person% but ,odfre* Hodgson
gi$es us another perspecti$e of the same stor*.
) +ill gi$e some gradual examples of the de$elopment and metamorphosis of actions +hich
led to exceptionalism from the mentioned boo% as it follo+s: he started to critici1e .ust from the
2
beginning% more exactel* from the Pilgrims% sho+ing us that the* +eren;t unique in their +ish of
religious freedom% but *ou could ha$e find the exactel* same desire in the +hole Europe
communities +ho +ere fighting for the same rights. Also% <ohn /inthrop and Richard 4altonstall%
the founders of =assachusetts didn;t act guided b* some american impulse% but their education%
piet* and culture +ere originated from Europe% as Hudgson mentioned% the* +ere 5in the core
belief of European ci$ili1ation6. Another thing that +e must admit is that it +as much easier to
acquire and o+n land in America% than in Europe% because once the* arri$ed there% reliesed from
the ing and clearing the land of #ati$e Americans% di$iding the land to e$er*one didn;t consist a
problem. Also% in America% being equal had a different meaning% it meant to be sociall* equal%
more exactel*% that the poor man +as equal +ith the rich one from the 5personal dignit*6
perspecti$e% e$en if there still +as the ob$ious material inequalt*. 7urthermore% the author sa*s
that from the beginning% the American +ar against England +ouldn;t ha$e been +on b* the
Americans +ithout the help from 7rance. E$en +hen +e tal about the American constitution% +e
can;t sa* that it +as $alid based on purel* American ideas% because the 7ounding 7athers +ere
inspired b* the European Enlightenment% the essential ideas coming from <ean-<acques Rousseau
and <ohn >oce.
Another important thing is that the American historian% ,ordon /ood% +as claiming that
their re$olution lead to anti-sla$er* and to +omen;s rights% but this is also an exageration. /e
must not forget that there +as alread* an anti-sla$er* mo$ement in 0ritain% made b* a 0ritish
.udge% >ord =ansfield% +ho abolished sla$er* in '??! in the Somerset judegement. Also% it is
incorrect to sa* that there +ouldn;t ha$e been a mo$ement for +omen;s rights if the Americans
hadn;t been proclaiming it% because some countries +ere alread* ahead America% such as #e+
@eeland in '"A(% Australia in 'A&! or 7inland in 'A&B% and the list can continue.
/e also need to remind about the interfiu of 3.4. in the second /orld /ar. =ost people
ha$e the impression that America entered in the +ar to help the remnant of <e+s% but actuall*
the* entered in the +ar because the* +ere attaced b* <apanese at Pearl Harbor% and +e must be
conscious that neither the Roos$elt% nor the Churchill administration +ere interested in the mass
murder% but their main goal +as to defeat the #a1i ,erman*. /e also can;t compare the after-+ar
econom* from America and Europe% because America +as not affected b* the +ar% but actuall* it
+as enriched b* it% this period representing the rise of their econom*.
3
Cf course that there are also e$ents that belong and are specific .ust for America% but that
doesn;t mean that +e ha$e to exaggerate% and supraestimate them as much as +e are in the danger
of affecting the rest of the +orld.The +riter-s point +asn-t to present America as 2exceptionall*
bad2% but to sho+ us a realistic imagine of it% to pro$e us that lie other countries% America is also
imperfect.
The second part of this essa* is about the Romanian exceptionalism. This case started to
be researched onl* for a short period of time. >arr* /atts% an American historian started to chec
Romania-s past% especiall* from the Cold /ar period. He began to research this sub.ect because
2Romania has sho+n a remarable courage2% as >arr* /atts pointed out% and if *ou thro+ an e*e
on the map *ou can see that it +as almost impossible to def* the po+er of =osco+ +hile *ou
+ere surrounded onl* b* communist countries. )t is not imaginable that such a small countr*
could ha$e such a beha$ior and could protect herself b* the 4o$iet arm*. )t is said that the def* of
the 4o$iet po+er +as made b* Romanians to gi$e legitimac* to Romania-s regime. Ceau escu
era too a mediation polic* and often to bloc out the 4o$iet influence. The historian presents a
Romanian paradox +hich contains t+o points. The first one is that Ceau escu tried to be
independent from =osco+ and from the /arsa+ Pact9 and the second one is that he ased the
countries that signed this pact to de$elop their social and economic polic* and he also militated
that these countries should .oin #ATC-s desarmation efforts. Ceau escu often said that: 2The
course of action doesn-t need the 4o$ietic leadership an*more. /e can find some other acceptable
methods.2
The beginning of 4o$iet distancing didn-t start +ith Ceausescu% but +ith the first
communist president% ,heorghe ,heorgiu-De.. He +as a discreetl* anti-4o$iet politicall*. Thans
to De.% Romania became the onl* /arsa+ Pact countr* from +hich both 4o$iet troops and D,0
ad$isors +ere actuall* +ithdra+n during the Cold /ar. Ceau escu further de$eloped Romania-s
autonomous foreign polic*% challenging 4o$iet claims to hegemon* and attracting /estern
economic aid. )n the Ceau escu era% Romanian Eexceptionalism; +as promoted in all fields.
Romanians learned that in the international arena their countr* +as one +ith a role of utmost
importance. Cn the !"th of August% the ne+spaper 2>umea2 dedicates a +hole article to
re$ie+ing the 2manifestations of esteem and appreciation" that president Ceau escu and the
Romanian people had recei$ed from all o$er the +orld. )n the economic field Ceausescu +as
4
allegedl* follo+ing the policies initiated b* ,heorghe ,heorghiu-De.% acno+ledged for his
efforts to tae Romania out from absolute 4o$iet control and for ha$ing resisted the 4o$iet
proposals for economic speciali1ation. 0eing a producer of primar* products and ra+ materials%
such economic speciali1ation +ould ha$e ine$itabl* relegated Romania to being the 5gas station
and breadbaset6 of the more de$eloped communist countries.
Again% all these things +ere misunderstood% because at the beginning Ceau escu might
succeeded to fool the other countries% but at the end e$er*bod* reali1ed that his fantes* couldn;t
ha$e been fulfilled because e$en though Romania started to de$elop economicall* and to bound
international relations +ith both Democratic ,erman* and )srael% +hich +as unusual for a
communist countr*% it didn;t reach enough po+er to be completel* independend and instead of
mantaining this course of actions% it gathered around it enemies and the consequence +as the
slaughterous death of Ceau escu couple.
Another thing is that Ceau escu taled numerous times about the democrac* in Romania%
for example% at a meeting +ith the European Comission he climed: 5The democrac* from
Romania is much superior than the democracies presented here b* the pre$ious speeers.6
#onetheless Romania;s image in Europe +as presented as a democratic one% the truth is that the
citi1ens +eren;t treated lie+ise% but much +orse b* not ha$ing sufficient food% e$en if the* had
the mone* to bu* it% or not being allo+ to lea$e the countr* or not ha$ing the freedom of
expression% children being forced to learn l*rics and poems about Ceau escu and his +ife% or to
+atch at the same TF programme in +hich +as al+a*s presented Ceau escu or stories about his
life but this also onl* for a couple of hours because e$en the electric po+er +as al+a*s shut
do+n in the e$enings. )n this period% one of Ceau escu-s +ish +as to create the new man and he
influenced Romanians so much% that the* +eren-t capable to distinguish bet+een their
contemporaneous conditions and ho+ the* should li$e% or +hat rights should the* ha$e. Andrei
Ple u% a Romanian +riter once said: 2The truth is that the Re$olution from -"A too us b*
surprise. /e +ere addapted to that dictatorship st*le of life more than +e ha$e expected9 +e
didn-t ha$e the illusion of a possible change and +e didn-t reflect about no other alternati$e
regime6. The point here is that Romania +as occupied for a long period of time b* different
po+ers from almost each countr* that sourrounded it% and the* +ere al+a*s considered inferior to
others% their masters made them feel po+erless and b* the time Ceau escu came% the* began to
5
belie$e in themsel$es% recei$ing an identit*% but at the end the* +ere so absorbed b* this image
and didn-t reali1e that their po+er +asn-t enormous and their countr* +as not e$en b* far the
most influencial state% neither from Europe% nor from the +orld.
At first +e ha$e to understand that exceptionalism-s existence is not sudden% but it
increased on multimple la*ers of continue disappointments% in the end demonstrating +hat
amount of deception gathered the nations o$er the time. The same lie in the human-s case% the
states created a certain frustration +hich led it to absorb as much po+er as it +ill demonstrate to
others that the* don-t present +eaness% moreo$er% that the* can be on the top of them all.
)n both American and Romanian cases% +e can find a belief that the people from this states
ha$e an appurtenance either +ith deities% or +ith other h*storical characters% more or less
realistic. As +e all no+% Americans consider themsel$es as 5chosen b* ,od6% a unique nation
+ho has nothing in common +ith the others. /e can also sei1e something similar in Romania%
but in this situation% considering that it +as the communist period and in$ol$ing religion +as
forbidden% the* came up +ith another idea. )n this period the Dacian m*th appeared% and most
scientists began to publish theories +hich pro$ed that Romanians ha$e a pure Dacian origin.
Romanians compared themsel$es +ith Dacians% because the* in turn had man* conflicts +ith
exterior po+ers and fight for their state no matter +hat. This theor* has also a nationalist accent
because both Dacians and Romanians +ere situated on the same theritor*% permanentl* fighting
for independence. This principle also +ent too far% b* proclaiming Dacians the cradle of
European% and +orst% the +orld ci$ili1ation.
7rom both ideas +e can obser$e a source of acute inferiorit* complex% +hich tries to
o$ercome it b* exposure to theories +ithout a scientific basis and tend to degenerate into
ridiculous and fantasist assumptions% den*ing the past in fa$or of fulminating theories.
At the end% ) +ant to highlight the fact that exceptionalism is an ordinar* +a* of thining
and it can be adopted b* e$er*one% no matter the place. The Americans +eren;t the first to
consider them exceptional% but +e can find it e$er*+here in the histor*% for example +e all no+
the tells about Romulus and Remus being fed b* a she-+old% or about <oan of Arc or in the
ancient times +hen the ,reece considered themsel$es nobles% and others +ere carr*ing the name
of barbarians. =ost nations% too% ha$e belie$ed in their qualities and historic destinies and
cherished national m*ths.
6
0ibliograph*:
,odfre* Hudgson, The myth of American exceptionalism% Published b* Gale 3ni$ersit* Press%
!&&A% PD7 document9
>arr* /atts% Fereste-ma, oamne, de prieteni! "a#$oiul clandestin al $locului so%ietic cu
"omania, Published b* RAC% !&''9
>arr* /atts% &ei dint'i %or fi cei din urm(! "om'nia i sf'r itul "(#$oiului "ece % Published b*
RAC%!&'(9
)rina-=aria =anea% http://www.iwannawatch.co/2011/01/confessions-of-a-shopaholic-2009/
Cprea =irela% e%elopment discourse in "omania) from Socialism to E* Mem$ership% !&&A%
PD7 document9
7
8