This fascinating piece of work by Ronald Thompson cautions readers of the false belief that the United States is destined to spread its unique gifts of democracy and capitalism to other countries and that this kind of thinking is perilous for Americans and the rest of the globe. The author contends that America and its refusal to acknowledge its own past has led to a jaded nationalism and a terrible foreign policy that has separated and alienated the country from the rest of the world.
By following the rise of American self-esteem from the founding of the republic to the present day, Thompson shows how America's special status has been consistently overstated and, more recently, distorted. While there are undeniably unique aspects to American history and political philosophy, these have always been impacted by European thought and experience more so than Americans are prepared to admit.
Keep it 100 provides a lively and contemporary critique of how America's supposed exceptionalism has led it astray not just internationally but also nationally. It covers all of the above and more in a slightly satirical manner, injecting some much-needed humor into the mundane.
