What makes America exceptional is its belief in its exceptionalism. We chant “We’re number 1” as if incantations are self-validating. But among rich countries, the United States ranked 40th on childcare, according to a June 2021 UNICEF report. Among 72 industrialized countries, the United States ranks 35th in mathematics. Perish reality.
New Mexico does not tout its exceptionalism: best not to. In healthcare, the state frequently ranks 50th. Although New Mexicans think well of their schools and teachers, the public school system usually ranks 50th. Although the Las Cruces school board mantra is “It’s All about the Kids,” students struggle to achieve mediocrity—that is, 50%—on proficiency tests of basics in reading and mathematics. Perish reality.
Readers of my blogs going back over a dozen years will recognize that I have cited this figure many times. No doubt, they are as bored by it as I am. But boredom should not obscure the fact that leaders in Las Cruces and Santa Fe have shown themselves indifferent to educational mediocrity—of course, the teachers are as mediocre as the students—or incapable of improving public education. What counts for them is the employment and enrichment of teachers, not the education of students.
What is exceptional about America is that its people deny the reality of prevailing conditions. The foregoing and similar numbers in country-wide health care, childcare, other social services, public education, public safety, and income equality make a joke of the first words of the Constitution “We the People” and the central words of the Pledge of Allegiance “one nation.” America does little enough for its people and what it does depends on the many “identity” nations to which its people belong.
Thus arises the question—why? The answer is that many Americans, mostly white Christian Republicans spend much of their emotional and mental energies on meddling in the lives of others. They work to make others be like them or live like them—or else. Thus, say, the Republican legislation to abuse members of the LGBTQ community; the Constitution may define them as American citizens, but, in many Christians’ opinion, they are second-class citizens. So, instead of addressing the challenges confronting America, mostly white Christian Republicans expend their energies and talents in culture wars. The Jackson confirmation hearings revealed that Republicans are roused to unsettle “settled law” in four areas of asymmetric culture-war aggression:
They oppose abortion. So they should not have one, not legislate against abortion. Pro-choice advocates do not urge legislation requiring pregnant women to have an abortion. (They could: what about laws requiring women to have abortions if fetuses have birth defects requiring long-term remediation at public expense?)
They oppose contraception. So they should not use contraceptive devices or medications, not legislate against them. Pro-contraception advocates do not urge legislation requiring men or women to use such devices or medications.
They oppose same-sex marriage. So they should marry someone of the opposite sex, not legislate against it. Same-sex-marriage advocates do not urge legislation requiring men to marry men or women to marry women.
They oppose interracial marriage. So they should marry someone of their race. Interracial-marriage advocates did not urge legislation requiring people of one race to marry someone of another race. (Jail for Ginny and Clarence?)
Three points about this opposition to “settled law.” One, it trashes stare decisis; it is, strictly speaking, the antithesis of conservatism; and it destabilizes the legal system. Two, legislation against any or all of these practices solves no national problem. Three, truce can be achieved if everyone would agree to let others be free to make private personal choices for themselves. One version of the Golden Rule urges such respect for others: do not unto others as you would not have them do unto you.
Republicans talk the game of individual freedom and personal responsibility but are compulsively hypocritical in opposing both freedom and responsibility. Their legislation proposed or passed to enforce behavior in what are properly personal life-style decisions are the antithesis of both freedom and responsibility.
But Americans so much love to meddle in matters irrelevant to their lives as they live them that they do not realize or accept that Republican leaders use these culture-war items to rile them up and to distract them from their determined efforts to eviscerate programs in health, social services, and education which affect their wellbeing. Although the GOP refuses to disclose its agenda for the 2022 elections, it has not changed its traditional positions. Its core commitments remain: out-source to the states, reduce, or eliminate Medicaid and Medicare; privatize Social Security or let it go bankrupt; cut federal funding for medical research; and reduce federal spending on education.
Racism motivates and underlies almost all Republican domestic (and some foreign) policies. Republicans refuse to admit discriminatory past practices and their enduring after-effects, which have left minorities disadvantaged and disproportionately reliant on public services. Thus, their furious resistance to Critical Race Theory for exposing the facts to Americans. The almost all-white Republican Party views those services as race-oriented transfers of money or other resources from whites to blacks. The Party does not care that many more whites than blacks are beneficiaries of the same services. In their crabbed mindset and stingy morality, Republicans believe that it is better to have no programs than to have programs which benefit blacks despite also benefiting larger numbers of whites. Just such thinking led southern communities to close whites-only municipal swimming pools rather than open them to blacks as required by the Civil Rights Law of 1964. Plainly, Republicans prioritize “them,” not “We the People.”
Democrats want to fund beneficial public services; Republicans want to fund the military. The result is likely to be the traditional compromise which underfunds social services and overfunds the military. The result: America is likely to slide lower in the rankings. We might end up aspiring to be 40th.
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