Associated Press – June 27, 2007:
Unease with American foreign policy and President Bush has intensified in countries that are some of the closest U.S. allies and around the globe, while Russia and China also face growing international wariness, a survey released Wednesday said.
In one measure of Bush’s unpopularity, the poll showed he is less trusted on foreign policy than Russian President Vladimir Putin by allies Britain, Germany and Canada, even as faith in Putin has plummeted. About half in the U.S. say they have little or no trust in either leader’s conduct of foreign affairs.
As the U.S. has waged its war on terrorism over the past five years, its overall image has worsened. It has dropped from 75 percent favorable in Britain in 2002 to 51 percent now; from 60 percent to 30 percent in Germany; and from 64 percent to 56 percent in Mexico.
I expect that this will make not the slightest difference to Bush’s policies, foreign or otherwise.
America is never going to recover from this. I would never have thought 5 years ago that America would be the world’s next evil superpower. But it’s happened all the same. It will take some like Gorbachev did for Russia, to change the world’s opinion. Just another so-so leader will only allow America’s reputation to sink even further.
DRAFT JAY ROCKEFELLER!! 🙂
I spent 4 months living and working in Switzerland in 2002. The group I worked with was fairly left (journalists and such) The feeling I got from many Swiss was that they despised our aggression. What gave us the right to tell anybody what to do?
But, several confided in me that the threat of Islamic terror was great and that only the US had the willpower and resources to save the western world. So the loathing was more for public consumption. Remember these people lived on the edge of Nazi Germany and used their neutrality and wealth to protect them. They carry a lot of guilt for their inaction.
The recent elections in France point to a swing in the pendulum. Nations will begin to realize the severity of the situation we are in.
#3. What a joke. The Rockerfellers are in support of this Neocon imperialistic foreign policy not to mention the “Patriot Act”. There’s only one person for the job, Ron Paul.
One man may be able to do this with our help, Ron Paul.
He has my vote and support.
“The U.S. is still seen favorably in most countries surveyed, including India, Japan, Italy, Israel and many countries in Africa. American culture and technology are widely admired, and many believe a better life can be had by moving to the U.S.” Fix what mess? I’ll take the support of India, Japan, and Israel over most European countries.
“It has dropped from 75 percent favorable in Britain in 2002 to 51 percent now; from 60 percent to 30 percent in Germany; and from 64 percent to 56 percent in Mexico.” Yet those countries continue to elect governments that are friendly with President Bush. The situation with Mexico may have more to do with immigration policy than foreign wars.
For Germany: “According to the 2002 International Social Survey Programme across 35 countries, 56% of Americans are “completely happy” or “very happy” with their lives, versus 44% of Danes (often cited in surveys as the happiest Europeans), 35% of the French and 31% of Germans” (http://tinyurl.com/36a5wz). So don’t place your general discontent on the U.S. simply because your economic & social situation is lacking.
“20 percent in Jordan” I’ll take that. With regard to the Middle East, I’ve seen several polls asking citizens if they had a choice to immigrate to one country which one would it be? Top choice is almost always the U.S. with Canada claiming the number 2 spot.
Finally, the great thing about the neo-conservative ideology is that we don’t care what the entire international community thinks, only nations that help us form coalitions outside the mainstream community.
Pure idealogues rarely make good politicians–they just change the flavor of the disaster. No one running today shows the Machiavellian cleverness required of an effective American World Leader–or maybe one of them is?
I like President Bush. I am still grateful for him sticking it out and claiming the electing in 2000. You know we should not forget who started all this. They still want our money and our pr0n even if they do not want us to protect ourselves. You know in Gaza they shot AK-47s into a crowd of peaceful protesters to disperse it, they publicly executed and mutilated political foes. In Iraq they publish graphic howtos on using power tools for torture but no WE are the bad guys. You how much I really don’t care about this topic about as much as I do not care about the iPhone suppository our nation is receiving right now.
First (almost realistic) Choice: Al Gore
Second (almost realistic) Choice: Mike Bloomberg
Distant Third Choice: I’m still thinking Hillary. I’ve gone back and forth a lot and probably will continue to do so.
Bilbo Baggins would be better than all of those. Unfortunately, he’s a fictional character. There may be other better choices that are real humans. Unfortunately, by definition, wanting the job makes anyone a less than perfect option.
#8 – bobbo – “American World Leader”??!!? Maybe it’s time we abdicate on that role. Perhaps being the sole remaining super-power (and the resulting abuse of said power) is what is causing us problems.
#7 – mxpwr03,
Mind posting a link to that data? on issp.org, the only 2002 study shown was “Family and Changing Gender Roles III” . This doesn’t sound like the kind of study that would produce your data. Nor do any of the others.
Don’t think that picture is a little unfair — to Bozo the Clown?
Ron Paul – Registered Republican, still a Libertarian, and that means with the eternal Libertarian naĂŻvetĂ© of actually believing that industries do not need to be regulated to protect the public.
We’ve already seen enough of what corporations will do to poison, bilk and deceive the American public under the corporatist Bush regime – WITH regulations. The very last thing we need is the removal of what few remaining checks on their greed and amoral rapaciousness we have.
Gotta hand it to these people, though. Convincing middle America that grossly enriching the top 0.1% of the populace is actually in their own interest, despite the endless, disasterous evidence to the contrary, is an all-time masterpiece of propaganda.
Put another Repug back in the White House, and watch America become Mexico City – and guess what, suckaz? You’re gonna be outside the walls along with the rest of us peons and beggars, despite what your heroes promise you.
It’s not only an American problem. The balance of power has been shifting since the fall of the Soviet Union. America has always been a bit on the reactionary side due to it’s isolation. Our biggest problem is a large government/industry with a lot of power based on protecting it’s citizens from communist, or the latest boogeyman. People on the whole do not like to surrender power/control.
7–Excellent post on a number of subjects, none of them responsive to the question posed. and btw, too simple to just dismiss those who criticize us and move on to “new friends.” Thats how you “don’t learn” things real fast.
10–Again, its a response to the question posed. I also don’t think being the “American World Leader” means that such leader would initiate invasions of other countries for who still even today knows what reasons. A smart American World Leader must figure out how to form coallitions in the world==not just pander to their red neck christian base. But for fun:
Gore–30 year record of vanilla pap. No leadership shown at all.
Bloomberg–maybe. Dont know him well enough. I do like people who have not grown up as politicians.
Hilliary–alienates too many people to be effective.
Baggins–didn’t pay enough attention. Do you have a foot fetish?
So, from the above, Bloomberg it is. Better an unknown than a proven failure.
3. Yes, draft Rockefeller into the Marines, NOW! We need some neocons to get a taste of their medicine.
3. Oh sorry you meant as a candidate. Yeah, sure , do you know anything about the Rockefellers neocon plan? Cripes.
America has already lost its world leadership role, most Americans don’t realize it yet. The European Union is kicking our butts in education, technology, the economy, the environment and technological infrastructure. Tony Blair retires from PM and is invited to negotiate peace deals in Lebanon. 10 years ago it would have been an American.
What we need is a non-globalist President. The US still has huge amounts of potential, but it is being wasted by corruption and unnecessary wars. We need to get the hell out of the rest of the worlds business and start focusing on our own.
17–America and therefore its President has global interests whether we like it or not. It would be “nice” to think we could be isolationist, but that is a dream long past.
No, the issue is how to better interact with the world. Not “lead” it, not pretend to ignore it.
Ah, mark? Buddy? I’m not sure how, exactly, to break this to you, but – y’see, John D. Rockefeller IV, a.k.a. ‘Jay’, is a liberal Democrat, and a populist at that. He also happens to be one of the only honest men in Congress.
Gawd knows who you thought I was talking about…
19—“He also happens to be one of the only honest men in Congress.”
You post so uniformily insightfully, I only wish this was true. I think the process to get and stay in Congress is “by definition” corrupting of mere mortals. If you think any of them is honest, you just haven’t looked hard enough. I don’t know him at all, but I could accept he is the best of the group==but not honest as used in a context outside of Congress.
#19 Fishy Lauren
Jay is a shill, he’s in congress for the public image of his family. BTW, the neocon movement is actually the liberal democratic movement of the 60’s.
Here is a quote from uncle Dave in his 2002 Book entitled Memoirs
“For more than a century ideological extremists at either end of the political spectrum have seized upon well-publicized incidents such as my encounter with Castro to attack the Rockefeller family for the inordinate influence they claim we wield over American political and economic institutions. Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as ‘internationalists’ and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure — one world, if you will. If that’s the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it.”
21–Lauren will defend herself, but she didn’t at all criticize Dr Paul for being a Repug. I didn’t know Dr. Paul was a flight surgeon. Makes me like him alot more except for that anti-choice position of his. A libertarian who is against the right to choose? What???? —– Texas????
Just another honest politician.
Nevermind.
#22, Stars and Bars
You must be a proud member of the morani.
Here is a quote from uncle Dave in his 2002 Book entitled Memoirs
Quoting a passage from a family member who does not share the same beliefs is stupid. Very stupid.
Jay Rockerfeller has something Republicans as a rule don’t, integrity. Which is why you want to paint a Democrat with the same tainted brush rightly deserved by a Republican.
BTW, the neocon movement is actually the liberal democratic movement of the 60’s.
That just proves how stupid you are. The Liberal (or Hippy if you will) movement of the 1960s was about coming together. The neo-con movement is about division.
Bill Richardson and Al Gore have the experience for the international scene. Either could easily win my support.
The current Republicans all seem to be tripping over each other to show they are meaner bad asses in the “War on Terrorism” then the next.
Is that a Photo-Shopped picture of George Bush or of Johnny Carson?
#25 – I wouldn’t have said this several years ago, but recently I’ve come around… Sure, Gore and Richardson are great choices, and one of them is actually running… But I could back Joe Biden if I thought he had a reasonable shot.
Right now Richardson is my guy… But that’s because I can afford to back the guy who won’t win.
Eventually I’ll have to get in line and march behind the leader
#26 – Tom Smothers aka the dumb one
19. Uh Lauren, Rockefellers in the CFR. Understand, I dont believe there is a whit of difference when it comes to Dems vs Repugs especially when it comes from a dynasty like the Rocks.
23. bobbo- Dr. Pauls position on abortion is tainted by the fact that he is an obstetrician and responsible for bringing thousands of tiny Texans into this world. So, we could hold THAT against him, sorry Bubba, just yankin.
30—Thanks for the info. BTW, that Shane guy runs a website reviewing Dr. Paul. Good info there.
I respect all Drs and especially OB/GYN’s alot. That does not excuse anyone from imposing their preferences on other people by force of law. He runs “as a libertarian” but votes like a born-again?
Nope, don’t buy it.