American Exceptionalism, a concept that stands in relation to basic U.S. policy as the Facebook motto “Bring the World Closer Together” does to the mission of that corporate behemoth. Such taglines—“Workers of the World, Unite!” and “Liberté, égalité, fraternité” offer other examples—serve as a source of legitimacy while avoiding any reference to power. Rather than describing actual purpose, they disguise it. Take such slogans seriously and you can get away with just about anything, as the United States has done for much of its history.
