Simon Winchester : America 's military patrols the world , unlike that of any other nation . He says the belief in American exceptionalism goes back to the frontier days . The idea is that we are a beacon for freedom and democracy around the globe. Winchester : When Lewis and Clark passed by -- and just near where the base is now , Lewis wrote in 1804 of having seen `` an emence snake ... that gobbles like a turkey '' -- Vladimir Putin could learn a lot about exceptionalism if he studied U.S. history .
Simon Winchester : America 's military patrols the world , unlike that of any other nation . He says the belief in American exceptionalism goes back to the frontier days . The idea is that we are a beacon for freedom and democracy around the globe. Winchester : Vladimir Putin could learn a lot about exceptionalism if he studied U.S. history .