I’m mainly taking issue with the “machinery of freedom” claim and the idea that the US is uniquely free. I would say the US is more free than average, but it’s hardly exceptional.
The US gave women the right to vote in 1919, whereas Australia had it since 1902, the UK had it in 1918, etc. And of course, there wasn’t universal right to vote until the civil rights movement.
Looking further back, while slavery was widespread, many other countries were much better than the US on this issue: the uk (no saint) banned it in 1807, over half a century before the US went to war with itself over the issue.
I’m happy to credit washington with support of democracy, but this idolisation just seems a little weird to me.
I’m mainly taking issue with the “machinery of freedom” claim and the idea that the US is uniquely free. I would say the US is more free than average, but it’s hardly exceptional.
The US gave women the right to vote in 1919, whereas Australia had it since 1902, the UK had it in 1918, etc. And of course, there wasn’t universal right to vote until the civil rights movement.
Looking further back, while slavery was widespread, many other countries were much better than the US on this issue: the uk (no saint) banned it in 1807, over half a century before the US went to war with itself over the issue.
I’m happy to credit washington with support of democracy, but this idolisation just seems a little weird to me.