Topic: John Winthrop

The concept of American exceptionalism is traced back to John Winthrop’s "City upon a Hill" sermon, which Ward argues has been perverted into a sense of national arrogance. She references General Smedley Butler’s book "War Is a Racket" to illustrate how the U.S. military is often used as a corporate security force for oil interests. A comparison is drawn between Butler and Ron Paul as military veterans warning the public about the costs of interventionism.