American Exceptionalism- State of the Union 2011

American Exceptionalism: Opinions that explain how America is different from other nations.


Source: Huffington Post (they have text from the entire speech plus the full video)


1. "It's no secret that those of us here tonight have had our differences over the past two years. The debates have been contentious; we have fought fiercely for our beliefs. And that's a good thing. That's what a robust democracy demands. That's what helps set us apart as a nation."

2. "We believe that in a country where every race and faith and point of view can be found, we are still bound together as one people; that we share common hopes and a common creed; that the dreams of a little girl in Tuscon are not so different than those of our own children, and that they all deserve the chance to be fulfulled. That, too, is what sets us apart as a nation."

3. " We have never measured progress through these yardsticks (stock market roaring back)alone. We measure progress by the success of our people. By the jobs they can find and the quality of life those jobs have to offer. By the prospects of a small business owner who dreams of turning a good idea into a thriving enterprise. By the opportunities of a better life that we pass on to our children. That's the project the American people want us to work on. Together."

4. "Meanwhile, nations like China and India realized that with some changes of their own, they can compete in this world..... But Remember, for all the hits we have taken and for all the naysayers who think that we will decline, America is still the largest, most prosperous economy in the world. No workers are more productive than ours. No countries have had more successful grants, more patents to investors or entrepreneurs. We're home to some of the best colleges and universities, where more students come to study than any place on earth."

5. "What's more, we are the first nation founded for the sake of an idea- the idea that each of us deserves a chance to shape our own destiny. That's why centuries of pioneers and immigrants have risked everything to come here..... The future is ours to win, but to get there, we can not just stand still. As Robert Kennedy told us, 'the future is not a gift, it is an achievement.' The future of American freedom has not been about standing pat. It has required members of each generation to sacrifice, struggle, and meet the demands of a new age."

6. "In America, innovation doesn't change lives. It's how we make our living."

7. "That's what Americans have done for 200 years: reinvented ourselves."

8. "Maintaining our leadership in science and technology is crucial to American succes."

9. "We have many differences in policy, but we believe that all rights are embellished in the Constitution. We may have different opinions, but we believe in the same promise that says this is a place where you can make it if you try. We have many different backgrounds, but we believe in the dream that says this is a country where anything is possible. No matter who you are or where you are from."

10. "We do big things. From the earliest days of our founding, America has been the story of ordinary people who dream big things. That is how we will win the future."

11. "The idea of America endures. OUR destiny remains OUR choice. Tonight, more than two centuries later, it is because of OUR people that OUR future is hopeful. OUR journey goes forward and the state of the union is strong."