What does American exceptionalism really mean?

Nearly the entire world uses the metric system of measurement, but the USA is the exception, making it difficult for most of the world to follow what we’re talking about when we discuss measurements if things, and requiring that we spend time and money converting units of measurement from what the rest of the world uses to our own unique standard.

All the world’s developed nations use some form of single-payer healthcare coverage except the USA. As the exception, we use an employer based system and for-profit insurers. This added cost hurts our companies in international competition. Further, in comparing how the two models work, the US is at the very bottom of the developed world in healthcare outcomes and leaves over 50 million of its citizens uninsured, but still healthcare costs each American citizen a far greater percentage of our GDP than the more effective single-payer systems of the rest of the developed world. As the preceeding link shows, we pay far more for healthcare per capita than any other nation on Earth. Obamacare may do a bit to improve this, but those who crow most loudly about American Exceptionalism are also determined to destroy Obamacare, whatever the cost.

Most developed countries pay a good living wage to their hourly workers, but we are the exception. Our American Exceptionalism crowd bemoans even having a minimum wage law, despite the fact it’s so low our hourly workers can’t live on it. They want the minimum wage eliminated, claiming the cost of it devastates corporate profits, and we can achieve full employment if corporate elites are able to pay far lower wages than the current minimum wage. Better the taxpayers chip in for food stamps and medicaid so our corporate CEOs can earn 50 or 100 times as more than the CEOs of our companies in our major trading partners. CEO pay doesn’t impact corporate costs, only hourly worker pay counts.

Remind me, what is it exactly that we Americans are exceptional at?