America's technological achievements and scientific merit praise (French - Archive)
Americans like the idea that the United States has a unique and exceptional between the two worlds, but, unfortunately, false.Stephen Walt *
Myth Three: "The success of the genius of America stems from the extraordinary"
The United States has a long record of great successes, and Americans tend to portray the rise of revelations as a superpower on the international stage, as a direct result of the genius of the political of the founding fathers, and the virtues of the special session of the U.S. Constitution, and reverence for individual freedom, creativity and seriousness of the American people. The logic of this narrative, assume the United States today for a special international status as a nation simply "exceptional."
There is a modicum of truth is in this version of American history. It's no coincidence that the immigrants came to America in large numbers in search of economic opportunities, has facilitated the myth that America's "melting pot" to absorb all the waves of immigration to the New World.
There is no doubt that the achievements of America's scientific and technological merit praise and credited with bringing them back to the openness of the American political system and vitality. But the success of America's former good fortune to see so much as refer to the "unique virtues" of its people.
The new American nation was lucky thanks to the blessed of the date and natural resources, and the possibility to navigate through the length and breadth of the rivers are navigable.
The American nation is fortunate because it was established in remote areas from the rest of the great powers, but she was more fortunate because the indigenous people of America were less advanced and very vulnerable to European diseases.
The American nation is fortunate because the major European countries were at war during the first phase of the date of a new republic, which facilitated the expansion of the length of the continent-wide, there has been more than the United States only after the other great powers have fought two world wars Illstin.
This interpretation and understanding of the rise of America does not deny that the United States did a lot of things right and correct, but it proves that the current status of the United States is the product of good fortune is as much a product of exceptional genius or "will of the divine."
* Professor of Political Science at the University of Harvard
Source: Foreign Policy