The knight in the big world of American TV series

Chapter 2375

This has sparked outrage within the United States, to an extent that is beyond the comprehension of most people.

Almost all the media outlets are criticizing them. Who are they criticizing?

He curses everyone!
They're criticizing the government for being incompetent!
Call the president a piece of trash!

Calling allies despicable!
Screw the ungrateful vassals!
They curse the world for being ungrateful!
It was as if the whole world owed them something!
This perception... well, from the Americans' own perspective, isn't really wrong. Their arrogance and conceit aren't new.

The reasons behind America's arrogance and conceit are not complicated. From the perspective of arrogance, the United States has always regarded itself as a nation chosen by God, a view similar to that of Israel. Since its independence, the United States has risen the fastest among Western countries, ascending to the position of world hegemon in just over a century. This rapid development has led the United States to believe it has divine assistance. As its power has grown, Western countries have also regarded the United States as a beacon of democracy and a representative of the West, further fueling American arrogance, even to the point of being disdainful of others.

This combination of arrogance and conceit makes it easier to understand America's various international actions. The fundamental reason why the United States can wage wars and threaten other countries at will lies in its own formidable strength. In particular, America's massive military force is the cornerstone of its global dominance.

The history of the United States is rife with opportunism and exploitation. Despite its massive military, boasting staggering numbers—claiming 11 carrier strike groups with a 12 under construction, and a total naval tonnage exceeding 700 million tons, a figure that would leave Western nations speechless—the US possesses over 13000 aircraft of various types, including numerous fifth-generation fighters, making it virtually invincible in the air. Not to mention its more than 750 overseas naval bases, over 60 troops, and a nuclear arsenal capable of destroying the Earth multiple times over.

When it comes to arrogant people, many people will immediately think of Britain. Even today, if you go to Britain and stay for a while, most people will still find the British quite arrogant. A sense of superiority permeates the British, filled with economic, cultural, and military arrogance. They like to use their historical sense of superiority to view outsiders. In 1620, the arrogant British, due to religious differences, drove the early Americans aboard the Mayflower, a large portion of whom were Puritans. The Puritans attempted to change the original doctrines of Catholicism; they were the reformers of Catholicism. How could the existing ruling class allow revolutionaries to disrupt their world? Thus, the Puritans were brutally persecuted by the English Catholic Church, and many were forced to go to the remote, uncivilized North America, or rather, exiled there as criminals.

Surprisingly, the now incredibly arrogant Americans were once a class despised. Weren't the Puritans servants of God? Was their God any different from that of other Englishmen? Why were they persecuted and exiled by the arrogant British Catholic Church?

Puritans were accustomed to adhering to the traditional tenets of poverty and asceticism, upholding a simple lifestyle. Coupled with the adventurous nature of primitive Americans, and their tenacious and hardworking qualities, they established themselves in New England and North America.

Because of this beginning, the United States, which gradually became stronger, believed that their strength was due to destiny!
This has led to the development of a set of theories.

American exceptionalism!
American exceptionalism emphasizes the uniqueness of the United States in its political system, values, and historical trajectory, viewing it as "God's chosen nation" representing the highest form of human civilization. Its core tenets include: claiming that its political system (such as democracy) and social values ​​(such as freedom and individualism) are superior to those of other countries; believing that the United States has a "moral obligation" to promote its model globally, even resorting to intervention to achieve "political regeneration"; and asserting that the United States is not bound by international rules, often prioritizing domestic law over international law.

In popular culture, exceptionalism is often used to describe the myths surrounding America's reasons for and methods of success, and since entering the public eye, it has been interpreted from various perspectives. Some critics accuse American exceptionalism of being merely a form of national superiority, while others interpret it as a manifestation of American moral superiority, or as a perceived ideal of excellence that Americans possess.

Almost all views equate exceptionalism with being different. For example, James Wilson, a prominent American conservative thinker and former Harvard professor, interpreted American exceptionalism as follows: "The premise of American exceptionalism is that American political culture—that is, the shared beliefs and attitudes of Americans—is distinctly different from the political cultures of other countries. Exception does not necessarily mean that we are better than others, but rather that we are different. Strictly speaking, American exceptionalism does not refer to whether we are better than other countries, but rather whether we have always been different from other countries."

The "City upon a Hill" has long been seen as the source of American exceptionalism. In 1630, Winthrop moved his family to Massachusetts and was elected governor of the colony. During a sermon in 1630, he quoted the metaphor of salt and light from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:14: "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." This was to remind the Puritan colonists establishing the Massachusetts Bay Colony in New England that their new community would become a "City upon a Hill," attracting global attention. This tenet has been interpreted by later generations as the reason for America's "manifest destiny"—the United States of America and Americans hold a unique position in the world, being the first and only nation founded on the principles of freedom, individualism, equality before the law, and a laissez-faire market, providing opportunities and hope for humanity, and aspiring to be a model for other countries.

For the past 40 years, almost every American textbook has recounted this history, implying that American values, political system, and history are unparalleled and worthy of global admiration. The unique role the United States plays on the world stage is seen as destiny, a right bestowed upon it, as "God's chosen people." Over time, "the city upon a hill" has become a popular phrase among American politicians.

The shaping of the "City Upon a Hill" text in American society was a reinvention of its historical context. Its initial purpose was simply a vow made by Puritans to fulfill their faith, without any political implications of exceptionalism. Rogers elucidates the rupture between the "City Upon a Hill" text and its later "extended meanings" by tracing its textual development. The "exceptionalism" as understood in America today and the "City Upon a Hill" in its original context are not a linear historical narrative; a break exists. The initial intention of the "City Upon a Hill" proclamation was religious, reflecting the religious ideals and pure faith of the Puritans. It remained buried in historical symbols and forgotten until the 19th century, when it re-emerged as a "re-creation," particularly through Reagan's farewell speech, which constructed it for a political purpose, linking it to the "American spirit" and making it a symbol of American "exceptionalism."

The United States is a vast country whose territory was plundered from indigenous peoples through force and brutal genocide policies. After World War II, the United States became the most powerful country in the world, and since then, the bloodshed it has wreaked around the globe has resulted in the direct or indirect deaths of millions of people, most of whom were innocent civilians.

The United States' militarism and double standards are closely related to its ideology of "Manifest Destiny" and the derived "American exceptionalism." In its pursuit of territorial expansion, institutional expansion, and sphere of influence, ultimately becoming a global hegemon, the US has consistently promoted "Manifest Destiny" and "American exceptionalism," thereby shaping its national consciousness, constructing the logical foundation of its foreign policy, and providing a veneer of "legitimacy" and "moralization" for its global expansion and dominance. Under the concept of "Manifest Destiny," the US should, in accordance with this "destiny," conquer and transform barbaric races and backward regions, without hesitation, even through bloodshed, violence, and militarism; maximizing the development of capitalism is the only way for the US to lead the "democratic world" into the "millennium," and the US should obtain global political and economic dominance under the call of this "destiny." Whether it's "assuming global leadership responsibility," "creating a new American century," "leading the world for another hundred years," or even "America First" and "America's return," these are all interpretations of "manifest destiny" and "American exceptionalism" in different eras. They all reveal a hegemonic mentality of self-importance and a tendency to interfere with the strong and take all.

The United States' sense of "destiny" and "exceptionalism" has led it to habitually interfere in the affairs of other regions, countries, and nations with a "chosen one" mentality, forcing them to accept American-style democracy and implementing exploitation and oppression through an unfair and unjust global distribution system. In his book *A New Foreign Policy: Beyond American Exceptionalism*, American economist Jeffrey Sachs points out that "American exceptionalism," which posits that the United States is different, is a "dangerous illusion" that turns the US "into a rogue state," posing a danger to both the US itself and the world.

The United States, claiming to be "God's chosen people" to reshape the world, expanding its influence through "divine intervention" and relying on "American exceptionalism" for its militaristic ambitions, exposes its underlying racial, world, and governance perspectives as hierarchical, binary, and authoritarian. This dog-eat-dog logic ignores the common interests of all humanity and is incapable of proposing solutions to global problems from the perspective of improving the well-being of all humankind; it will inevitably be rejected by history.

But the problem is... people's minds can't be changed overnight.

It's important to understand that the United States has never felt there was anything wrong with launching those wars; in fact, the vast majority of people believe that they are the righteous side!
This gave rise to a strange way of thinking.

That's what the whole world owes the United States!

For example, many Americans believe that Americans were the saviors of the world during World War II!
You all owe us!
And then there are those foreign wars.

We have brought you civilization and freedom, how can you not be grateful?
So when the betrayal happened so blatantly, many Americans couldn't accept it.

How could you do this!

How could you betray the great American Empire?
Of course, rather than being angry, they were more... panicked!
It's important to understand that while arrogance is one aspect, it doesn't mean they are completely unaware of the many sins they have committed over the years!

Putting everything else aside, the Americans themselves are well aware of the thief-like discipline of American soldiers!
They are genuinely afraid of retaliation!
When they were powerful, they did things without any scruples.

The United States is utterly ruthless. For over two centuries, it has been abusing the world. Its origins lie in piracy; it established itself in North America through plunder, massacring over 70 million Native Americans, seizing their land, and subsequently killing over 100 million Black people and millions of Chinese. After its founding, it continuously used military and financial means to invade and plunder other countries, and employed underhanded methods to steal intelligence from various nations, all in an effort to undermine others and maintain its hegemonic status. It is the root cause of global turmoil and the disruption of peace.

No matter how deeply America tries to hide its anxiety, it can't conceal its underlying panic. Frankly, America's problem isn't external threats, but rather its own aging imperial cycle. Look at all its current actions—every single step is a means of prolonging its existence. Overseas military presence, dollar hegemony, financial exploitation—all for the same goal: preventing its decline. Letting go wouldn't just mean falling to second place, but a direct plunge into the abyss. They know this better than anyone. America's game is essentially a carbon copy of the British Empire of yesteryear. A different face, but the same formula: colonization. As long as you allow US troops to establish a foothold in your territory, the flag flying high is useless; sovereignty becomes merely decoration. US overseas bases are like straws, filling the world, sipping everything from resources to political decisions into Washington. The problem is, this imperial model is incredibly costly. Maintaining military presence, a global presence, and obedient allies—all require what? The dollar. The dollar's hegemony is like a blood vessel, monopolizing global settlement rights and then reaping wealth in return—a seemingly flawless deal. However, upon closer inspection, it's actually a vicious cycle of "military protecting the dollar, and the dollar supporting the military." The military safeguards the dollar's status, and the dollar, in turn, fuels military spending. The cycle appears stable, but it's actually fragile.

When the decline of the old empire could not be stopped, it disintegrated and was left with only one life—to be devoured by other great powers!

The once-mighty "Empire on which the sun never sets," boasting that the sun would forever shine on British territory and its colonies worldwide, is now busy appeasing Northern Ireland's independence movement. Europe, the birthplace of various imperial powers, has, in modern history, engaged in so much infighting that all Europeans fear the emergence of large, neighboring states, resulting in its current fragmented state. Some European countries are barely larger than county-level cities in central or northern China. Because the United States was built on deception, fraud, and theft, they are terrified of losing control of their decline and facing retaliation. The more they walk in the dark, the more afraid they become of encountering ghosts; no one understands the law of the jungle better than the United States!