When I was little, some things heard on the news puzzled me. "Guerrilla war," of course. Even after the homonym was explained, I couldn't shake the original image.
Another was the news that some European government had "fallen" and that the country would get it's "xxth government since World War Two." How could you have a country with the government changing all the time?
Later, I understood more about parliamentary systems and how, when a party took over it was the same as one or the other parties here winning election. Still, like my unshakable thoughts of silverbacks in fatigues, the idea of Europe as a place where governmental structures "fell" with regularity stuck in my mind. It seemed a quaint, Old World kind of thing.
Like many, I grew up and my understanding of the countries and governments of Europe grew more subtle.
Like many, but not all; the childish, parochial condescension toward postwar European governments remains strong in America. Ask Donald Rumsfeld. And pick up some freedom fries while you're out.
The most ferric of current ironies is that the same people who claim to embody the Exceptionalism that justifies that derision now cheer bringing down our government. A tiny minority of a minority party are happily pushing us to the brink of default.
Think of it. They say they don't mind if, in a week's time, the United States of America pulls the blinds and hangs out the CLOSED sign.
They're happy to have us be like the Europe of my child mind. Sure, we're a "country" in that we have a language (okay, kind of) and a culture (also kind of) but real, grownup countries look at us with amused indulgence at best. "Isn't that cute, the way the little fella's pretending to govern himself?"
When it comes to our exceptionalism, I suppose, exceptions can be made.