Summary

The article criticizes the American notion of exceptionalism, contrasting it with the country's lower rankings in social mobility, life expectancy, and work-life balance compared to other developed nations.

Abstract

The author of the article, "Snowflake Nation," argues that America's belief in its own exceptionalism is misplaced and detrimental to its progress. Despite the idea of "American Exceptionalism," which suggests that the U.S. is uniquely better than other countries, the author points out that America ranks 27th in the Global Social Mobility Index, 46th in life expectancy, and is considered to have one of the worst work-life balances. The piece draws on personal experiences, such as the author's marriage to a Dutch citizen, to illustrate that other countries often provide better living conditions and social support systems. The article calls for America to acknowledge its shortcomings and learn from other nations to improve its socioeconomic and healthcare systems.

Opinions

The author believes that the concept of "American Exceptionalism" is a form of national narcissism that prevents the U.S. from recognizing and learning from the successes of other countries.
The U.S. is criticized for its low social mobility, despite the cultural narrative of the "American Dream," with most children unable to rise above their birth socioeconomic status.
The article suggests that the U.S. healthcare system is inefficient, as evidenced by high medical costs and a life expectancy ranking that is lower than countries like Cuba, despite higher per capita spending on health.
The author envies the work-life balance in the Netherlands, ranking the U.S. ninth-worst in this area, and implies that Americans work longer hours for less overall well-being.
The piece argues that America's refusal to learn from other countries, particularly those in Scandinavia and Western Europe, is a significant barrier to improvement.
The author expresses dissatisfaction with American political leaders who pander to the public's desire to feel exceptional rather than addressing the nation's issues honestly.
The author emphasizes the need for America to face its problems realistically and collaboratively, rather than denying them or seeking comfort in delusions of grandeur.

The World

Snowflake Nation

America’s misplaced pride will be the death of us all

Nobody likes the special little snowflake, right?

The special little snowflakes are derided for believing they are unique and more special than anyone else. They’ve been coddled and encouraged to see themselves as above everyone else, even if they’re honestly pretty mediocre.

Which is odd, because America is the supreme special little snowflake of the world. We have this belief we call “American Exceptionalism,” and it’s the idea that America is like no other country. We are unique. We are special. We are better.

We’re №1!

I’m sorry, but I’m married to a citizen of the Netherlands and have spent enough time talking to friends and relatives in Holland, Germany, and Belgium to see that people in those countries live better than Americans do.

Let’s look at a few things the U.S. is really proud of. We believe America is a place where hard work is rewarded. We talk about the American Dream. We talk about hard work paying off and people being able to give their children a better life than they had.

We talk about a lot of things.

Rags to Rags, Riches to Riches

We are a people that love to talk about how hard work can get you ahead, but it’s not really true. Most American children will try in vain to rise above the socioeconomic group in which they were born. Check out the World Economic Forum’s Global Social Mobility Index. The U.S. ranks №27. We’re №27!

“We’re №27” sort of lacks the ring of “We’re №1,” doesn’t it?

Life Expectancy

This is a good measure of not only our medical system but everything we do because so many hard-to-measure things show up in life expectancy numbers. We should rank close to the top, right? But we don’t.

We rank №46 in life expectancy. (Cuba is 45 — slightly better than us!) Yet we spend more per capita on medical costs than anybody else. Lots more. It’s not even close.

Work-Life Balance

This is pretty subjective, but I can’t disagree with the Netherlands being ranked №1. This tracks with what I see when I visit there. I envy my Dutch in-laws. They enjoy both their careers and their family and friends. They just live better than Americans do. By this ranking, America is judged ninth-worst.

What’s the first step to improving anything? It’s taking an honest look at where you are, what you’re doing, and what you might be able to change.

It’s true on the personal level and at the national level.

If you want to improve your health, you might see your doctor, get your blood pressure checked and decide to get more exercise and clean up your diet. You wouldn’t just declare that your health is perfect.

If you want to save more money, you would look at your expenses and income and figure out something you could cut in order to stash a few bucks in the bank. You wouldn’t just announce that your finances are the best ever.

If America wants to be better, we cannot just keep screaming, “We’re №1!” Nobody really believes in that anymore. Come on. Even the last guy said he wanted to make America Great Again. Even that dumbass knew America had lost much of its greatness.

My husband moved here 16 years ago just to marry me. He understood very well he wasn’t moving to a superior country.

He gave up a lot to come here. He works much longer hours for less money and has much more expensive and inferior health care. Not to mention giving up better food, better beer, and better chocolate — and his language, culture, and extended family. (This is why I work hard to make him happy. He really did give up a lot.)

However, he sees it as a mixed bag. There are things that are better here and there are things that are better there, he says.

The thing is, though, Americans refuse to learn from other countries because we are convinced we are already the best country in the world. This misguided belief is holding us back.

Plus, when we compare ourselves to other countries, we like to think about the developing world. We point to the troubled places in central America, where immigrants are desperate to move to the U.S. because America really is the land of opportunity compared to the places they’re leaving.

Yes, compared to places like Venezuela, we’re doing great. (And compared to the homeless lady sleeping on the street, I’m doing great.)

But we never compare ourselves to places like the Scandinavian countries or western Europe. (That would be like me comparing myself to Warren Buffett.)

Our Leaders Indulge Us

We have a history of electing leaders who soothe our little snowflake hearts. We don’t like being told we have work to do.

Jimmy Carter was defeated because he said we had problems to solve and we’d have to work hard to improve them. Nobody liked that. Ronald Reagan was loved for assuring us that we were just fine. It was “Morning in America” under him, other than those pesky welfare queens who were holding us back.

We always vote for the person who makes us feel good about ourselves. We are like a 350-pound man with diabetes and high blood pressure who changes doctors because he doesn’t like being told he needs to make some changes and finds a doctor who assures him he’s all good.

I don’t want to live in Snowflake Nation.

I don’t want to live in a place that’s in denial.

I want us to admit that we have problems and I want us to work together to solve them.

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