This week in The New York Times—on September 11, no less—Russian President Vladimir Putin took issue with the idea of American exceptionalism. He wrote:

It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation. There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their policies differ, too. We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.

Yes, all humans are created equal—but not all nations are created equal. Heritage President Jim DeMint sent a letter to President Putin today explaining this idea.

Letter from Jim DeMint to President Vladimir Putin on American Exceptionalism

See the booklet DeMint enclosed for Putin: Why Is America Exceptional?

To learn more about the history of American exceptionalism—and President Obama’s stance on the issue—check out Rich Tucker’s post here.