Commentary: Americanism and Its Enemies

A pointer to David Gelernter's thoughtful essay in the January 2005 issue of Commentary magazine, "Americanism and Its Enemies," in which the author traces the religious origins of American exceptionalism and analyzes the current phenomenon of anti-Americanism in that context.

Anti-Americanism has blossomed frantically in recent years. Nearly the whole world seems to be pock-marked with lesions of hate. Some of this hatred focuses on George W. Bush, but much of it goes beyond the President to encompass the supposed evils of America and Americanism in general. In its passionate and unreasoning intensity, anti-Americanism resembles a religion--or a caricature of a religion. And this fact tells us something important about Americanism itself.