Mathematical Exceptionalism

           During the 2008 elections in the US, `American exceptionalism' - the idea that america is special and so what holds for the rest of the world does not hold for the US - had become a campaign issue with Sarah Palin as the face. 

           Mathematicians often work in the setting of a Science and Engineering research institute. This leads to friction - the needs of mathematics are somewhat different for reasons good and bad. Mathematicians keep trying to convince others that they are `different'. 

           The disturbing side to this - when coming from mathematicians,`different' really means ... . In other words -  Mathematical exceptionalism.