American Exceptionalism and American Innocence

A People's History of Fake News - From The Revolutionary War to The War on Terror

By: Roberto Sirvent, Danny Haiphong, Ajamu Baraka - foreword, Glen Ford - afterword

Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon

Did the U.S. really “save the world” in World War II? Should black athletes stop protesting and show more gratitude for what America has done for them? Are wars fought to spread freedom and democracy? Or is this all fake news?

American Exceptionalism and American Innocence examines the stories we’re told that lead us to think that the U.S. is a force for good in the world, regardless of slavery, the genocide of indigenous people, and the more than a century’s worth of imperialist war that the U.S. has wrought on the planet.

Roberto Sirvent and Danny Haiphong detail just what Captain America’s shield tells us about the pretensions of U.S. foreign policy, how Angelina Jolie and Bill Gates engage in humanitarian imperialism, and why the Broadway musical Hamilton is a monument to white supremacy.

©2019 Roberto Sirvent and Danny Haiphong. (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Foreword © 2019 by Ajamu Baraka. Afterword © 2019 by Glen Ford.

Thought Provoking Perspective on America

At the crux of this book, the author points out the many fallacies associated with the perception that America is a beacon of hope and a force of goodwill for all countries to follow. Simply put, America doesn’t practice the values and democratic views externally through its foreign involvement, internally. The very foundation of America was of exploitation to promote the expansion of American capitalism. It’s always been a matter of protecting and expanding the system. Any perceived threat to it, has and still is moved to be eliminated.

Eye opening

What a fantastic eye opening piece of work. It was just simply amazing! Would highly recommend

Still processing

Challenges everything, however; you're left with the question of whether a permanent change in the situation is possible because of the impossibility of the total system change that is called for in the book. Capitalism isn't the end of history but there should be some care in how to dismantle it. Understanding that the uniquely United States form and it's barbarism is so closely tied with it founding in slavery comes with a new understanding when the role of inherited wealth is explained. When you understand that the bigotry and violence is from the favored group in this country to every other group, you see how concentrated power amongst people with a shared identity is an idea that is unhealthy for the species survival. Any form of government that wishes to sustain itself as a gift to all mankind will have to focus on removing or checking the unhealthy urge that drives our species death instinct. This seems to be much simpler than philosophers have made it, as it is the want to push others beneath us or the singular ego. You see this destructive urge so strong that it destroys all from top to bottom. Might be a bit over simplified, as this is only my first read. The book has thrown many of my previous thoughts into question.

Fascinating new thoughts that are right in front of our eyes

Thank you for making me think about new ways our government could work and what we take for granted. As in our current climate, if you say anything often enough it becomes the truth even if it isn’t.

Thorough and uncompromising

While some may object to Sirvent’s and Haiphong’s findings, the historical and empirical evidence is both academic and critical of our current sociopolitical state. I think it’s imperative that the concept of American Exceptionalism be critiqued and exposed for the deceptive qualities it imbues, but I’m biased.