Rand Paul Polysyllabic Polyphony: "America Exceptional, But Not Inherently So."
Kentucky Republican Senate winner Rand Paul, in his acceptance speech tonight, tried to thread the needle for effete coastal libertoids who have been spooked by the God and Country appeal of his campaign.
While his views on abortion, state recognition of marriage, and most importantly the perpetual warfare state have led many libertarians (rightly in my view) to disown him, Paul, the son of gentle Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), at least has enough sense of monarchical succession (or would this be monarchical accession, since the Senate is to the House what chicken salad is to chicken shit?) to understand his responsibilities.
To wit: The notion of "American exceptionalism" is poison to supporters of Paul's father. So in his speech he declared that "America is exceptional, but it is not inherently so." It is the choice of freedom that creates the fragile exception, not a blood/soil birthright.
I think my fellow overeducated cosmopolitan parasites get too worked up about public displays of religiosity and/or patriotism. In any event, if you're going to display either it's better to use the non-rational as a spur to improve your own behavior (in this case, by pretending to slow the growth of government), rather than wielding your beliefs as a stick to hit other people and countries with.
Paul also described the Senate as the "world's most deliberative body." I always understood that one to be "world's greatest deliberative body," but I guess either would work. Unfortunately, sometimes they stop deliberating and pass laws.
