I don’t know what it says about me that my response on January 6 was not shock and dismay at the event itself, but outrage at the subsequent navel gazing and hand-wringing.

Why do so many people find it so hard to believe that white nationalists were not only incited, but essentially permitted by authorities to stage a coup at the U.S. Capitol ? One word: exceptionalism.

And isn’t this another reason that international (read: traditional, neocolonial) aid fails? Because Americans/Brits/Europeans believe they are somehow different from other nations, and - by extension - from the people who comprise them? These are the same scenes we’ve watched play out in other countries time and time again. And when that happens, we express our [silently judgmental] disappointment with a shake of the head and say, What a shame. Their democratic institutions were too fragile. *Sigh* Such a young democracy, not yet full grown (subtext: not like ours.) Tsk, tsk. Such radical, frenzied supporters. Clearly they don’t understand the value of rule of law and peaceful transfer of power.

When in fact - there is no difference. Americans are just as susceptible to the lure of a “charismatic” authoritarian as anyone else. Politics as religion, hate and fear mongering through Us versus Them dogma works just as well in the U.S. This (literal) tribalism was embedded in our society long before Trump came along to give it a megaphone. And as I’ve said before, he’s just copying from a well worn dictator’s playbook.

So seriously. What else did we expect?

And now that it’s happened…ohhhh, the impunity.

Another word we love to throw around in the democracy, human rights and governance space. And here it is: no real consequence to date for the inherently racist lack of police preparation for and response to a self-coup planned and promoted weeks in advance. For the police who posed for selfies with members of a violent mob. For the insurrectionists who are still free, posting trophy pictures on social media. For the president who specifically called for them to head to the Capitol and “fight like hell,” or they wouldn’t have a country anymore.

It cannot be said enough: if this had been anything other than a mostly white male mob, it would have been violently repressed before it began.

Let’s admit it. We’ve been asleep on the job, lulled by a belief in our own goodness. Looking elsewhere, for other interesting messes to fix. Collecting per diem and planning trainings while our own country dissolved.

We are not exceptional, save perhaps in our hubris and our belief in the creation myth of America as a land of freedom and opportunity for all. Can we now agree that it takes just as much work to nourish and preserve our democracy as it does anyone else’s?

Ok then. Let’s do it.