And then there's this
Sep. 9th, 2004 10:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
windelinaAgain, from Salon:
Last week, War Room reported that more than 80 percent of the citizens of Germany and France favored John Kerry in the November election. A poll released today by the University of Maryland in conjunction with an international survey company called Globescan shows support for Kerry all over the globe. The people of 35 nations favor Kerry by more than a 2-to-1 margin, according to the survey. "Asked how the foreign policy of President Bush has affected their feelings toward the US, in 30 countries a majority or plurality said it made them feel 'worse' about America."
The list of countries that disapprove of how America currently handles its foreign affairs is too long to print in full, and ranges from China to Britain to Argentina to Kazakhstan. Globescan's president notes that "perhaps most sobering for Americans is the strength of the view that US foreign policy is on the wrong track, even in countries contributing troops in Iraq."
Opposition to the Bush administration was not unanimous, however. Should Bush take a long vacation in January, the poll identifies three countries in which he can expect a moderately warm welcome: The Philippines, Poland and Nigeria
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I think this should be sobering to any American citizen.
This is not a poll of global leaders - this is a poll of the people of the world.
Like it or not, we are a part of the world and as Iraq has shown - going it alone doesn't work so well. (Please do not even bother to bring up the "Coalition of the Willing" which should be retitled the "Coalition of Countries willing to take US money but not willing to commit more than a token military force".)
Last week, War Room reported that more than 80 percent of the citizens of Germany and France favored John Kerry in the November election. A poll released today by the University of Maryland in conjunction with an international survey company called Globescan shows support for Kerry all over the globe. The people of 35 nations favor Kerry by more than a 2-to-1 margin, according to the survey. "Asked how the foreign policy of President Bush has affected their feelings toward the US, in 30 countries a majority or plurality said it made them feel 'worse' about America."
The list of countries that disapprove of how America currently handles its foreign affairs is too long to print in full, and ranges from China to Britain to Argentina to Kazakhstan. Globescan's president notes that "perhaps most sobering for Americans is the strength of the view that US foreign policy is on the wrong track, even in countries contributing troops in Iraq."
Opposition to the Bush administration was not unanimous, however. Should Bush take a long vacation in January, the poll identifies three countries in which he can expect a moderately warm welcome: The Philippines, Poland and Nigeria
* * * * *
I think this should be sobering to any American citizen.
This is not a poll of global leaders - this is a poll of the people of the world.
Like it or not, we are a part of the world and as Iraq has shown - going it alone doesn't work so well. (Please do not even bother to bring up the "Coalition of the Willing" which should be retitled the "Coalition of Countries willing to take US money but not willing to commit more than a token military force".)
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no subject
Date: 2004-09-09 12:00 pm (UTC)I don't think that's the case at all, but you're entitled to your opinion.
So, you believe it is best for your family for the rest of the world to dislike the US? How does this make us safer? Our policies and actions are turning the world against us. This can't be good for our safety, security or economy.
They may, perhaps, be turning the elites abroad against us (which I find a questionable proposition to start with, since most people who make this claim point to our "allies" France and Germany) but I believe we appeal to the common people much more than we repel the leaders.
For a country allegedly so reviled, we certainly seem to attract a heck of a lot of people and sell a lot of our dreams & visions overseas. Somebody obviously likes us.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-09 12:34 pm (UTC)It specifically states that only three countries were moderately in favor of our foreign policy, but you immediately go directly to France and Germany as being against us. One of the countries listed as against our foreign policy is BRITAIN - our big Iraq War pal.
And France is a long-time ally - we wouldn't exist if it weren't for France (Revolutionary War). There are long-standing ties between France and the US.
"Countries" here being used as shorthand for "people polled in those countries".
I'm sorry - but your rebuttal stems entirely from discounting the opinions expressed as being from "the elite". And supporting your opinion with "they still buy American". I deplore the man who owns Domino's Pizza because he's violently anti-choice, but I still buy Domino's once in a while because I like the taste.
I'm curious to know your reaction and thoughts based on this premise:
Suppose that this poll accurately reflected the views of the regular Joe citizen of each country. And suppose that 80% of the countries in the world ended up firmly in the anti-America camp.
What then would your response be? Would it still be to deny that it is relevant to the US that the rest of the world actively dislikes us?