. >> greek exceptionalism.dn't win the newly-elected president any awe applause from his opponents on the right a striking contrast to his endorsement of this idea in his tuesday night address to the nation. take a hlisten. >> terrible things happen across the globe. it is beyond our means to right every wrong. but when with modest effort and risk we can stop children from being gassed to death and thereby make our own children safer over the long run, i believe we should act. that's what makes america different. that's what makes us exceptional. >> now, that political shift was not lost on vladimir putin or whoever wrote the op ed bearing his name in the "new york times." he wrote "i would rather disagree with the case he made on american exceptionalism. it is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional no matter the motivation." joining us a writer for the atlantic and bloomberg view. so why take on this american exceptionalism thing? i got to believe it's because he knew it would

value of exceptionalism, pat buchanan?in the reaction to putin's op ed piece, he put this down the smoke stack. he keyed off of what obama said on exceptionalism and he countered it with an argument which people all over the world believe. they are sick of hearing americans talk about we are the indispensable nation, as madeline albright said, we see further than ours, we're the sheriff of the world, we see first. he's not only appealing to the world. he's appealing to that half of the united states to whom president obama himself was appealing. i think he hit home. >> i think there was a little superpower envy there, as leader of a former superpower, now sees a moment for him to get back on the world stage, appropriately so, i might add. i welcome his involvement in an attempt to find a solution in syria. and in taking a poke at u.s. exceptionalism, i think, you know, he wants to make the point that the, it's not only the u.s. that can make things happen on the world stage, but when there's a humanitarian problem, basical

host: is that how you define exceptionalism? caller: it may not be where we are at here but i wants to say that the way we transcended things -- we don't know perspective and america. every nation on earth was born in blood. every nation on earth practiced slavery greed we have a strange idea that we only practiced slavery pit it existed in every culture on earth. native americans practiced in the caribbean, africans practiced it for thousands of year before the arabs enslave them. the arabs let the muslims for three centuries in the mediterranean, enslave many whites. everyone is a descendent of slaves. we transcended slavery and we try to transcend race, which we won't be able to do. trying to do that, which is an exceptional thing about us. next, anbert is independent in tulsa, oklahoma. what do you think? caller: good morning. let me say this. exceptionalism here on this continent came by the fact that it was stolen. a whole continent that was rich in natural resources. the completed, genocide, almost total genocide that kil

no advisor would denounce american exceptionalism in a message to americans. there was a backlash that weakened his case. he came across as very smart and very shrewed. >> many opposed to military action in syria. gun control and avoiding a government shutdown this month and creating jobs. does an uphill battle on rallying support put the president's domestic agenda at risk, john? >> a bit in the sense like washington tends to do one thing at a time. that is not right. it shouldn't be the case. it is often the case in washington. immigration reform was a huge question mark. he is trying to keep the government running. there is not on the horizon. there was supposed to be a grand bargain. he was supposed to get to the entitlements. the president was going to get to the tax questions in our government that are such a big question. forget about all that. the president is trying to keep the government open and keep the status quo with the republicans who run the house of representatives right now and get into the mid term election campaign. his health care law is

you think you are exceptionalism. i can see it being insulting to the world. that's what putin said. you use a term like american exceptionalism and the way our country is being treated now by russia, syria and other places and he talks about libya. he talks about the disaster of iraq. iraq is in a horrible civil war. it's blowing up all around with us spending $1.5 trillion and thousands of lives. iraq is a mess. we left with nothing including we didn't leave with the oil. afghanistan obviously is a disast disaster. he talks about it and people can't dispute it easily. >> i see a dynamic to the part of what's going on in syria and how to resolve it. i see it as a power play by president putin and russia to try to diminish the president of the united states and diminish the united states. they are trying to the look like great diplomats and they jab us about iraq, exceptionalism, afghanistan. there was nothing in there to make our president look like a leader. i thought it was putin trying to pay us back for something in a p.r. setting. >> that's why it was we

the britts believe in british exceptionalism and the greeks believe in greek exceptionalism.ntry and its role in history in the world. the united states remains the largest economy in the world. we have unmatched military capability and i think that we have a core set of values that are enshrined in our constitution, in our body of law, in our democratic practices and our belief in free speech and equality that though imperfect, are exceptional. i see no contradiction between believing that america has a continued extraordinary role in leading the world towards peace and prosperity and recognizing that that leadership is incumbent depends on our ability to create partnerships because we can't solve these problems alone. >> american exceptionalism. in the "crossfire" right now. joining us, the hosts of "crossfire," van jones and newt gingrich. newt, what do you think about putin's idea, putin's op-ed in which he criticized the president for speaking of american exceptionalism? >> if you read the op-ed carefully -- >> which all of us did. >> -- it is one of the great case studi

just as i believe the british believe in british exceptionalism and the greeks believe in greek exceptionalisms totally different than how he is talking now. does it frustrate you? do you think it is him saying i have some popularity issues? i need some backing and i need to play more to the other side of the aisle? >> it is a cheap popularism. there is a distinct difference between patriotism and nationalism. the reality is that usa chants and flag waving does nothing to gain to get serious about the real issues threatening our very democracy. poverty i believe is threatening our democracy. i believe that poverty is a matter of national security. and once again we get past this war of words between obama and putin. we have to focus on the real issues which is that in this country, the gap between the have gots and the have-nots continues to widen. and we have to do something between rich and the rest of us. this is not sustainable. if we keep advancing this notion of american exceptionalism, but not getting serious about what is going to implode our country. >> the word american exceptionalis

what rule does this american exceptionalism, this idea that we're special play in foreign policy. >>rican exceptionalism is an idea with a very long history and it has to do with the religious basis of the country. with our institutions, with our special history. with the universal principles that we stand for. but right now, practically, american exceptionalism means that the peace is secured through the presence of american power around the world. for example, the freedom of the seas is guaranteed by the united states navy in a way that in the same way that in a previous century, it was guaranteed by the british navy. and if we were to stand down, or move back, the result would not be spontaneous peace. it would be anarchy. if you, if you like somalia, somali pirates, you would see a lot more of them absent the u.s. navy. so american exceptionalism means right now that we're the only country with the ability to deter a bunch of bad guys if doing a bunch of bad things in all sorts of different areas. >> but bill, quickly, does that mean we have a responsibility to intervene any plac

what i don't agree with the american sense of exceptionalism and most americans don't most americans are proud of their country and proud of themselves as russians are but it doesn't mean that we're all exceptional as i think that there is a strain of exceptionalism in the united states but would say maybe even in your country one could find a little bit of that i think that what is important is what you just said that we need in our expressions particularly in public even though we have criticisms of each other and it's important obviously if we have criticisms to express them i think respectfully and politely and we ought to try to find ways as politicians find it very difficult to do to find the areas of common agreement we have a lot of people in this country over the years have come either to distrust or dislike president putin but that doesn't represent the national opinion that represents the opinion of individuals you are probably bombarded with many different opinions on the part of the united states most of them with respect to president putin that these days have been unfr

and what you're talking about comes right back to this question of american exceptionalism. clinton is still crying because he didn't go into rwanda like bosnia. and if you believe in american exceptionalism, that you have a moral authority because america is the moral compass of the world, if you believe in that, then you have to enforce it. >> all right. and that's where we're going to have to leave it for now because we have to take a break. stay with us. we will come back with more here in the world this week. >> welcome back. before we resume the world this week, a sample of the stories we will be following for you at the top of the hour. in new dehli, death sentences for the four men convicted of the brutal gang rape and murder of a young woman last december. hopes of a syria peace conference soon. so say americans in russia on day two of talks in geneva. trying to stockpile damascus' chemical weapons arsenal. dream deferred orbiter memory, the memory of the jols accords yet to bring a -- oslo accords yet to bring a lasting deal between israelis and palestinians. and e

exceptionalism but i wonder if it puts american diplomacy at odds of american public discourse because on one hand british and always have to retire a bad idea of america special of all but in diplomacy you can't really advance anywhere without recognizing the equality of your opponent whether it is indicates of russia or in the case of syria for example and when it comes to the united states of america secondly outlawed the syrian government the syrian president as a legitimate partner in negotiations when i think that we've been concerned by some of the actions that president putin has taken to promote russian nationalism and some of what he's criticizing may be the other side of the coin i don't know i say that with deepest respect because i'm an admirer of many of the things that president putin has done but i think that we ought to go back to the negotiating table and the negotiating table between russia the united states and my experience has almost always been a place to resolve issues on the basis of a realistic understanding of the situation and the production of practical inn

down in texas it was exceptionally hot during the weekend, and exceptionally across dallas.t now they're getting much needed rain in dallas, so it's cooler than it was throughout the week. 98 is the expected high in dallas, which is definitely an improvement. across the southwest we're expecting more rain. we had flooding in las vegas yesterday, and luckily that is moving north today. >> she was this close, just two miles to go. american long distance swimmer diana nyad has nearly reached the coast of key west, florida. she's the first person to swim from cuba to key west without a caning. this is her fifth attempt to swim from cuba to key west without a cage, a sweat suit or flippers. she wanted to prove that at 65 years old it's never to late to chase your dreams. once again, only two miles left to go. thank you for watching al jazeera. we have more news at the top of the hour. next, helping people with wearable robots. "techknow" is next. instead they use ipads almost >>> welcome. i'm here to talk about innovations that change lives. we're going to explore the intersectio

and this is how i think of american exceptionalism.all rich democracies with the most amount of children in poverty weather the stingiest welfare state weather the notion that we can't be each other's dmeerp times of crisis. that's american exceptionalism. and we're out of line with the rest of the world. the irony here -- and i think this is a great organizing opportunity for progressives -- the highest rates of food stamp are in the reddest -- food stamps are in the reddest districts in america. and the reddest districts in america. so if we are not talking to the folks in those districts about what their members of congress, what their representatives are doing, how it will affect their very live, we're missing a huge opportunity to transform this conversation. >> it's the question i asked earlier about guns and why, for example, newtown doesn't shift the political calculus. i guess i have the same question here. why doesn't the dissent of some of the middle class and working class into ti over the course of this great recession, wh

been american exceptionalism that stood up to the nazis and stopped the murder from the nazis and it was american exceptionalism that stood up to the soviet union and freed hundreds of millions from behind the iron curtain. so putin is right to be concerned about american exceptionalism. >> he walk at that -- you talk about this. >> there is an ideology that comes from the teachers lounge that says goliath must be defeated by david and the united states is the goliath. but we must either be dwighted or become david without the sling shot. president obama is building a case for republican presidency that the republicans never could have done on their own. it's as if karl rove is wearing an obama mask and wearing it himself. the shrinking stature is making way for the scary adult. the reagan that came after carter. right? >> i don't know. >> i don't know. look, for decades, the grownups were running the gop. we're running washington. the people like me, the far right, used to be called fringe, i guess we're considered fringe, but the grownups have grown old. they're clinging to the not

just as i suspect that the brits believe in british exceptionalism exceptionalism and the greeks believe in greek exceptionalism i'm enormously proud of my country and its role in history in. this remark reflecting common sense diplomacy human decency made the right wing in america go insane mitt romney who is looking at a presidential bid and now is the president obama was our apologies for the way. the phrase apology tour was picked up and used thousands of times of right wing media from fox so-called news to right wing radio to the pages of conservative newspapers and magazines and nothing could be further from the truth but president obama was expressing was the humility of a great nation exemplified in george washington's farewell address and in the treaty of tripoli written during the washington presidency and signed a year later by president john adams the treaty of tripoli one of our nation's first said as the government of the united states is not in any sense founded on the christian religion as it has in itself no character of m. and maty against the laws religion or tranquili

and now you have putin saying this guy is going overboard with american exceptionalism. >> russia is a declining mange power that has a permanent seat on the unup security council. so any idea that we are exceptional in a way that allows us to use force without going to the security council is obviously going to be rejected. china said the same thing. probably france and britain, too. they are very jealous of this, major powers have a veto on the security council. for us to suggest that we are above that drives them crazy. >> what's exceptional is where we've come in the last week with vladimir putin -- who would have thought vladimir putin is the man who is bailing out barack obama? gwen: we've been so busy watching their body language at international meetings, when knew they were talking on the side. and there is something revealing about the way this week played out. at the beginning, the president asked the republican speaker of the house and republican majority leader to endorse this, they said yes. even the peacenik democratic majority leader in the house, nancy pelosi said ye

the message is that i was just mentioning, particularly what he had to say about american exceptionalismch during the president's speech some were disappointed that he seemed to be pandering to those who are jingoisticic and constantly talk about american exceptionalism. a whole school of thought the more you talk about how exceptional you are the more questions you raise about who you are. >> some nerve writing that in an american newspaper. not the best audience. "the washington post" is reporting that the u.s. is delivering weapons to some syrian rebels. when you look at that combined with these new diplomatic efforts, does this essentially mean that the military strikes are really off the table now? >> well, it would seem that way. but it would also seem that the united states meaning the white house was looking for a way out of the confrontation that was about to occur and the embarrassment at the very least of congress saying no to authorization. as far as the small weapons are concerned, there are those who would say that there should be more involvement who say it's too little to

lectured by pat pat on exceptionalism is an honor that i'm happy to bear on behalf of the united states>> fair enough. we would lake to hear your opinion on this. if you go to faceback or twitter, you can weigh in on our fair back question. i'll let newt take it away. >> is america the most exceptional nation? 66% say no. >> so the debate kneads to continue online at cnn.com. join us tomorrow for another edition of cross fire. erin burnett starts right now. >>> three stories breaking and developing. a six-alarm fire engulfing the famous new jersey boardwalk that was destroyed by hurricane sandy and just finished rebuild. we'll go alive to the scene. governor christie is alive. >>> plus, syria degrees sign on to the weapon ban. >>> and deadly in addition in colorado continue to rage tonight. you see that scene there. one of the most incredible rescues you have seen. three

it is american exceptionalism that stood up to the nazis and stopped the murder and american exceptionalismd hundreds of millions from behind the iron curtain. putin is right to be concerned about american exceptionalists. >> the best response i have heard to that article. let me ask you in terms of our perception in the world, this is not an area where russia had much influence over the past four decades. now they have a foothold there and we seem to be given a back seat here. what are the long-term prospects of democracy in the middle east? i don't see a good prognosis here. >> it is a dangerous time. one of the principles that's been true from time immemorial is bullies and tyrant bs don't respect weakness. the administration's policy consistently has been not to further u.s. national security interests. at the end of the day that was most problematic with the syria proposal. it was according to the president he wanted the u.s. military to, quote, defend international norms and make a statement. it's not the job of the military to make statements or defend international norms. our sailor

he was inconsistent with saying he was supporting democracy and of american exceptionalism. you usually fail the class for lying and that is what is ultimately going to happen. >> take them down and look at president obama and give him a grade on leadership this week. he's certainly had his moments in the sun to say the least. well, wow. tough school. elle, i start with you. question. is that incomplete. >> his semester is not over yet. i think that the president is trying to keep us out of war. i don't know if he will suck sowed or the plan great. it is like the hokeypokey. putting our drones in and troops out. and shaking it all about. i don't pretend to fully understand his plan. >> he don't either. it isoc. >> it is not true it yes and premature to be grading people. >> matt fmenus? >> on and test you can't give multiple answers to the same question. and so in that accepts he didn't get it right and he tried to skip the glass completely by going around congress and happily the american people insifted he do that. >> jesse jane. >> i look at it like a marine. my leadershi

i would rather disagree with the case he made on american exceptionalism and stating that the unitedcy is what makes america different and it is what makes us exceptional and it is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation. well, i would rather disagree and i would invite to you consider the words of another foreign leader, winston churchill. back in 1943 when europe was in peril and the united states intervened in the second world war, the price of greatness is responsibility, said the british prime minister. if the people of the united states have continued in a mediocre station, struggling in the wilderness, absorbed in their own affairs, and a factor of no consequence in the world, then they might have remained forgotten and undisturbed beyond their protecting oceans. one cannot rise to be in many ways the leading community in the civilized world without being involved in its problems. without being convulsed by its agonies, and inspired by its causes. this is a difficult moment for the united states. it is only difficult be

he questions what president obama calls america's exceptionalism in an op-ed piece in the new york timese can stop children from being gassed to death and thereby make our own children safer over the long run, i believe we should act. that's what makes america different. that's what makes us exceptional. [ male announcer ] this is claira. to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for her, she's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with her all day to see how it goes. [ claira ] after the deliveries, i was okay. now the ciabatta is done and the pain is starting again. more pills? seriously? seriously. [ groans ] all these stops to take more pills can be a pain. can i get my aleve back? ♪ for my pain, i want my aleve. [ male announcer ] look for the easy-open red arthritis cap. >>> breaking news development. want to go to moscow where jill dougherty is covering the development here. we understand there was an interview that bashar al assad gave to russian television, russia 24, making some news here. what's the headline, jill? >> reporter: well, i'd say tha

it's exceptionally dangerous.olks, i was on the fence before this but now it's clear we've got to bomb syria. i mean massive air strikes and just o to stick it to putin i say we use lesbian pilots flying the enola gay. we'll beack. back. >> stephen: welcome back, everybody. my guest tonight is an intelligence analyst whose work at both the cia and the fbi, that means both of his shoes are phones. s please welcome philip mudd. (cheers and applause) thank you for coming on. all right, philip mudd, 25 years in the intelligence world. deputy director of the cia's counterterrorist center from 2003 to 2005 then became the fbi senior intelligence advisor. and you have a book entitled take down, inside the hunt for al qaeda. >> right. >> stephen: do we really take down al qaeda or should it be called spread out inside the scattering of al qaeda. >> i think if you looked at the adversary we face 12 years ago it bear those resemblance to what we see today. the problem is we don't face the al qaeda group today, we face the r