February 9, 2026
Stars, stripes, and spicy replies
America isn't exceptional – it's the exception
Charts say America’s the odd one out — comments say not so fast
TLDR: Not-Ship’s piece says the US is an outlier: quitting global pacts, worse health outcomes despite big spending, highest prison rates, and no paid parental leave. Comments clash—some call it cherry-picking and tout US strengths, others question mass incarceration and mourn lost tech—making the debate impossible to ignore.
Amanda Shendruk’s latest Not-Ship drop says America’s “exceptional” in the literal sense: atypical. With the US exiting 66 global agreements and leaving the World Health Organization (WHO), the charts come in hot—spending the most on health but living shorter, locking up more people than anyone, and offering zero paid parental leave compared to peers in the OECD (a club of mostly wealthy nations).
The comments lit up like the Fourth of July. One camp cried cherry-pick: “Look at GDP, Nobel Prizes, venture capital!” Others waved the flag of hard power—“military spending says ‘exceptional,’ case closed.” A big thread asked why America’s prisons are so full, spiraling into debates about laws, policing, and how other countries handle crime. The EU compare crowd insisted it’s unfair to match a continent-sized country to Denmark, while the doomers sighed that the US invented the tech but shipped it overseas and might be giving away AI. Memes rolled in: “Exceptional… at exceptions,” “WHO? World Health Unfriended,” and “Parental leave? We’ve got coffee and vibes.” It’s a stats-heavy story, but the vibe is pure internet: data versus pride, and nobody leaving without a hot take.
Key Points
- •The article reports the U.S. recently withdrew from 66 international agreements, citing the White House.
- •It states the U.S. will officially leave the World Health Organization on Jan. 22.
- •OECD comparisons show the U.S. spends more on health care but has lower life expectancy (2023) than peers.
- •The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate among OECD countries (2018), described as the highest globally.
- •As of 2024, the U.S. is the only OECD country without legislated paid parental leave.