Outside the US, a new poll suggested that the reputation of the US and its president is continuing to be hurt.
Surveys co-ordinated by newspapers in 10 countries found a majority of people saying their view of the US had worsened in the past two or three years, and there were often large majorities saying they wanted Mr Kerry to beat Mr Bush.
The rejection of Mr Bush was strongest in France, but majorities also backed Mr Kerry in Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Spain, South Korea and the UK. Mr Bush was preferred to his challenger in Israel and Russia.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3746338.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3722850.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/3737678.stm
Majority Of Americans Think U.S. Has Lost Respect Abroad. A poll from the Pew Research Center For People And The Press found that "two-thirds [of Americans surveyed] are worried about a loss of respect internationally by the United States and most think that is a major problem." [AP, 8/19/04]
Partly because Pew has a reputation for taking legitimate polls, and partly because the American news media seem to enjoy reporting what they see as errors in U.S. foreign policy, the findings got big play this past week.
"World Image of U.S. Declines," said a headline in The Washington Post.
"World Survey Says Negative Views of U.S. Are Rising," said The New York Times.
The Associated Press sent its wire story to members under the header, "World Survey: America's Image Slipping."
And Reuters took a slightly different tack: "Iraq War Threat Seen Fueling Muslim Ire Worldwide."
All in all, no matter which report you read, the news was not good for the United States.
Poll leaders mostly attributed the negative attitudes to either anger at U.S. policy toward Iraq or failures by the Bush White House to take the views of other nations seriously in its approach to foreign policy.
Former Clinton administration Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who chaired the board overseeing the poll, put it this way: "The numbers actually show that we are out of step in terms of our thinking about how people see us versus the way people actually see us."
Perhaps. But if you had a copy of the poll report in front of you, and you didn't have to rely on the media to tell you what it said, you would have found that while negative opinions of the United States were on the rise in most nations, those holding them remain a distinct minority.
Residents of Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Britain, Poland, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Indonesia and Venezuela, among others, gave the United States a favorable rating of 60% or better.
And in emerging democracies formerly under Soviet dominance — the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Bulgaria — favorable views were held by 70% or more.
Moreover, those countries that gave the United States an overall negative rating were mostly Muslim countries. No surprise there.
And note this nugget from the survey that got no mention in news stories: "For all the French criticism of U.S. policies, America's image in France has not declined over the past two years."
But the report also spun that fact negatively: "Still, French ratings of the United States continue to be among the lowest in Europe."
How low is that? Sixty-three percent favorable, according to the poll.
So what's to fret about? Well, we may be the world's lone superpower, but we do need friends.
Much antipathy expressed toward the United States might stem from that superpower status and the fact that many see us as having much more in the way of economic success than the rest of the world. There is a certain envy factor.
Overseas worries about war with Iraq are dragging the ratings down, but not to the point where we should panic.
For all the negativity out there, America remains the promised land for immigrants the world over. More people immigrate here annually than to any other country. Our image may be declining overseas, but immigration is not.
In 2000, more than 850,000 citizens of other countries around the world migrated here. According to the census, more than 28 million U.S. residents — or one in 10 — were born in another country.
Asked if President Bush was troubled by the poll results, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer noted that many positive aspects of the survey were largely ignored by the media.
"This is one of the most stark examples of a poll whose data showed one thing and whose instant analysis showed another," he said.
He's got a point.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/benedetto/2002-12-08-benedetto_x.htm
The ones listed are just the tip. And are the ones who have most depended on the US and our troops for their freedom. Kind of the “ what have you done for me lately “ attitudes of their people.
They see no reason for their troops to help another country gain its freedom.
They see no need to protect their country or neighborhoods from the terrorist.
Thankfully to me their leaders do.
With some exceptions such as the French who wanted no war so they could continue to profit from under the table deals.
I dislike other countries leaders for not helping free Iraq but not the countries or their people.
The world is better of that we and the other countries who did take out the Taliban, Saddam and his cronies.
It is best that we are fighting the terrorist in Iraq and Afghanistan rather than here or another country.
I feel for the peoples of both countries. The Afghan’s and Iraqi’s have been at war for many years. I hope they will begin to see an end to war and a brighter future very soon.
Can you imagine if the war was being fought here…
It would have been over very fast as about everyone would have done just what the folks on the flight over Pennsylvania did. Fought the folks trying to take away our way of life.
Bless our Troops…
Good post Bob.
Janie
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110004801
i find this EXTRAORDINARILY upsetting......
here's why....
Ronald Reagan was LOVED by the media..why, because he showed them respect.....they work VERY long hours following him around...
i could spend hours clipping GWBush's wisea$$ remarks to the media...they are in the white house transcripts....endless #'s of little quips that basically say -I am somebody and YOU are a peon...F911 made use of this too, Bush did it all the time.....now that it's election time he wonders why he is unpopular...
this goes to the heart of the matter IMO...
With the exception of Fox, I think most of the news organizations favor liberals(I hate that word, but can't think of another way to describe it...sorry).
Personally, I would like to see McCain run in 2008.
Janie
Bush constantly puts the journalists down...
the only reason he is even still in this race is that we are at war...and he has played on fears...
think about it.....he makes fun of Kerry for "responding" to polls.....
as if this isn't a politicians job....
and he claims he is strong enough to make the UNpopular decisions and see them thru.....
right, that's how you get ELECTED....funny he got elected last time without the popular vote, so why not????
i mean he knows what's right for the world and ALL the rest of US are idiots...LOL
and he NEVER makes any mistakes????
you guys LIKE this?????
BUSH: Bob, we relied upon a company out of England to provide about half of the flu vaccines for the United States citizen, and it turned out that the vaccine they were producing was contaminated. And so we took the right action and didn't allow contaminated medicine into our country. We're working with Canada to hopefully -- that they'll produce a -- help us realize the vaccine necessary to make sure our citizens have got flu vaccinations during this upcoming season.
Chiron is a US corp..the vaccine factory is in Liverpool....
and we don't buy drugs from Canada remeber????they aren't safe?????
[This message has been edited by glassman (edited October 15, 2004).]
quote:
Originally posted by glassman:
come on....
you don't become a politician if you don't want attention...Bush constantly puts the journalists down..
i honestly have SERIOUS problems with most liberal policies.....
sometimes you have to lose a battle to win a war...
itsux....
these guys are pretty smart people and they are not liberal http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=206
Surveys for the Pew Global Attitudes Project were conducted February 19-March 3, 2004 in nine nations under the direction of Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Telephone interviews were conducted among a nationwide, representative sample of 1,000 adults, 18 years of age or older, in the United States, 500 in Great Britain, 504 in France, and 500 in Germany. Face-to-face interviews were conducted among a nation-wide representative sample of 1,000 adults in Jordan, 1,002 in Russia, and 1,017 in Turkey. The sample in Morocco (N=1,000, ages 18-59) was exclusively urban, and the Pakistani sample (N=1,242) was predominantly urban. Face-to-face interviews were conducted in both nations.
For surveys where the sample size is 1000 or more (U.S., Russia, Jordan, Turkey, Morocco, Pakistan) one can say with 95% confidence that the error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 3.5%.
For surveys where the sample size is approximately 500 (Great Britain, France, Germany) one can say with 95% confidence that the error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 5%.
More details about the survey methodology are available on page 40.
Non-response in telephone interview surveys produces some known biases in survey-derived estimates because participation tends to vary for different subgroups of the population, and these subgroups are likely to vary also on questions of substantive interest. (In order to compensate for these known biases, the sample data are weighted in analysis.)HMM
Anyway i agree that the muslims like us less but that is expected right now.
[This message has been edited by tigertony (edited October 15, 2004).]
I believe that mistakes have been made, from way back when until the present...but I also feel like these extremists look for a reason to blame somebody else for whatever cause they decide to take on from one day till the next....and we are the bullseye of their target, largely due to our stance on Israel, among other things.
Janie
quote:
Originally posted by glassman:
how do we change that Janie?
[This message has been edited by futuresobjective (edited October 16, 2004).]
DQR, have you actually been among the toiletless? I have to say, that if you have, you are lucky to have made it back out with that attitude. Of course, that might also explain why our popularity has failed of late,too.....
Secondly DQR, there is a slight problem with saying we rule the world....we have the power to destroy it, true, but that is not leadership....
our dependance on oil is definitely an impediment to our world "dominion"
Kate...as a matter of fact, Clinton's escapades in the oval office were not even newsworthy in most of the world...what was newsworthy was that we got so freaked out about it......i was living in an international community at the time....the general attitude was "what's the big deal?"
Kate, i also need to know, why is it that you think God loves you, Bush and or America more than anybody else???
It is not my place to judge another's FAITH Kate, but another person's acts show the truth and proof of their faith.....
Acknowledging one's own place as a sinner is the true sign of the faithful......and i don't see it, as a matter of fact, i can pull dozens of quotes that prove he is unrepentant....
if you look back in all of MY political posts, you will see that i have been looking for and asking for help in looking for, a tiny tiny sign of contrition in Bush....nobody has brought ONE not one single tiny smidgen...
he has a lot of excuses BUT,there are NO excuses for this....
[This message has been edited by glassman (edited October 16, 2004).]
quote:
Originally posted by Kate:
Glass, I don't know where you have ever gotten the idea that I think God loves Bush, and us, more than others, when all I ever get done saying, is that we should love the Iraqi people the same as ourselves, and help them! What does the President have to apologize for? Does he have absolute proof that what he did was wrong? Do you know for a fact, that you are 100 percent correct yourself, in this forum?
Kate, i KNOW i mistakes, and i admit them...
Bush refuses to acknowledge that he makes mistakes........
that is my point....
and yes, i have heard many of his staff admit that they made mistakes and then retract those statements...
I challenge you and anybody else that is voting for Bush on religious principles to show me one single WORD of his own contrition in the last 4 years........and if i am wrong i'll be happy.....cuz i don't want to be correct about this.....
from the site that you linked Kate....
the end times....
And toward the end of the meal, one of our friends rose to share a story, to tell us how he, a gentile, and his friend, a Jew, had (unbeknownst to the rest of us) walked down to the Sea of Galilee, joined hands underwater, and prayed together, on bended knee. Then out of his mouth came a hymn he had known as a child, a hymn he hadn't thought about in years. He got every word right: Now is the time approaching, by prophets long foretold, when all shall dwell together, One Shepherd and one fold. Now Jew and gentile, meeting, from many a distant shore, around an altar kneeling, one common Lord. Faith change lives. I know, because faith has changed mine."
Kate, if you are really well-versed then i don't need to quote to you the relevant verses......but i encourage you to review them
[This message has been edited by glassman (edited October 16, 2004).]
I don't know what you are getting at! Are you of the mind, like one of my friends, that believes that the Jews aren't going to heaven? If you are under that misconception, I have to point out to you, that the Jews are God's chosen people, and if they accept the Lord as Savior, as anyone does, Muslim, Buddist, whoever, than they will be sitting right there beside us in heaven! Let me in on your thoughts here, so I don't get it wrong!
A study of history will show that even though this country was founded by God-fearing Men, they were resolute in the idea of the separation of Church and State.
Consider this in the context of the King of England being the head of the Church....
as far as the plan Bush is following?
the Jews have something to say about it too.. http://www.jewishsf.com/bk000721/usbushjesusday.shtml
and so do the Moslems....
most importantly of all Kate, i see you can't find the contrition to demonstrate the physical manifestation of Bush's FAITH.
I have been looking and waiting for this for a long time....
i fear we will continue to look and wait for a lot longer...
those are the verses i want you to look into.......
the end times are predicted regularly and often, Kate.....
and the predictions have all been wrong so far.....
somebody always seems to be making a lot of money from them too....
[This message has been edited by glassman (edited October 17, 2004).]
As for President Bush supporting Israel, I totally agree with him, because Israel is the "Apple of God's Eye" according to His Word! I don't want to mess with God, do you??
However much people try to seperate the church and state, they never really can completely remove it. As any law is created by man who gains his ethics and morals through his religous beliefs or lack there of (athiest), therefore any law, idea, or though, truly does come down to those beliefs as it is being molded further. just my opinion, but it is a hard line to draw.
Kate, satisfying the prophecies thru contrivance only makes a mess, it doesn't trigger the return.....
and so far, i see only words.......
the sad part is that people are actually voting based on this hope.....
[This message has been edited by glassman (edited October 17, 2004).]
[This message has been edited by timberman (edited October 18, 2004).]
[This message has been edited by timberman (edited October 18, 2004).]
quote:
Originally posted by glassman:
Kate, President Bush has been directly asked more than 5 different times that i have seen to give one example of a mistake he has made.
He refuses.
It is insane to ask and expect a current president to do such a thing. Completely insane. it should not be asked, and no answer should be expected. It is a sign of weakness, and that is one thing no country in any position can afford. People need to get over it. really.
quote:
Originally posted by glassman:
there's plenty of insanity going around FO....
admitting to OBVIOUS mistakes is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of insecurity or stupidity....
I disagree. It is a sign of weakness. Not only on the military level, but on a global scale. There is nothing to be insecure about. As far as stupidity goes, well, I guess it is all a matter of opinion. I see nothing on that level that could be admitted to. But like I said its all just opinion.
plenty of Bush's staff have admitted to the errors....only Bush himself refuses....
he is the one trying to represent himself as pious i am just observing FACTS.
[This message has been edited by glassman (edited October 18, 2004).]
how could i possibly be deceived Kate? i'm only asking for one simple sign, and if you are as well-versed as you claim, you know why......
i hear plenty of excuses being made for him and by him, but you know excuses are no good in this one thing Kate.....because if it's not the right time, there will be hell to pay.....
[This message has been edited by glassman (edited October 18, 2004).]
[This message has been edited by futuresobjective (edited October 18, 2004).]
secndly FO, i just listened to another speech by Bush where he clearly MISrepresented Kerry's words AGAIN...
this has been my major complaint the whole campaign....read thru my posts....i can hear, and i can read, and i hear two completely different stories....
[This message has been edited by glassman (edited October 18, 2004).]
[This message has been edited by glassman (edited October 18, 2004).]
[This message has been edited by futuresobjective (edited October 18, 2004).]
Don't you get tired Tin? I mean Glass?
Now... I say that partly joking and partly serious... I don't think you will ever really know what you want to know. You can read every book out there, but then you will have to do research on each and every author, trying to determine their motives. Then of course, knowing that you still have more research to do trying to find if their facts where accurate... you get the idea... I am sure you know by now its never ending...
what I am trying to say is sometimes the best thing to do is take things at face value. Good luck...
[This message has been edited by futuresobjective (edited October 18, 2004).]
quote:
Originally posted by glassman:
yes, i do get tired, i don't like having to try to sort through all of these statements looking for the truth...
i never intended to do so much DD on this, but it seems that there is so much disinformation out there...
So much disinformation, so little time to copy and paste and call your own.
Please tell me the latest "Talking Point" hot off the news wire from B. J. Kleenton's azz.
Glass I know you are still holding to this notion that you are perceived as a liberal republican on this message board.
I want to inform you that this is not the case.
We all know you are yet another commie convinced that dishonesty is the way of the world.
You truly think we are incapable of knowing you are a party line democrat.
You will defend the civil war till the day you die as a war against slavery.
You will always see tomorrow as worse than today.
You will only see the war on terrorism as a figment of "Their" imaginations... perverbally.
9/11 was deserved... wasn't it?
How dare those bastages be capitalists in those buildings?
How could they not see they were wrong?
Glass, wake up buddy, we all know who you are.
You are the guy in the left lane doing five under the limit. Heart beating like a caffiene addicted shrew.
This country was not forged by nor maintained by nervous shrews.
Push limits.
Define your own borders.
We will excell because we are more than our fears.
quote:
Originally posted by DiQuiRiesco:
So much disinformation, so little time to copy and paste and call your own.
Please tell me the latest "Talking Point" hot off the news wire from B. J. Kleenton's azz.
Glass I know you are still holding to this notion that you are perceived as a liberal republican on this message board.
I want to inform you that this is not the case.
We all know you are yet another commie convinced that dishonesty is the way of the world.
You truly think we are incapable of knowing you are a party line democrat.
You will defend the civil war till the day you die as a war against slavery.
You will always see tomorrow as worse than today.
You will only see the war on terrorism as a figment of "Their" imaginations... perverbally.
9/11 was deserved... wasn't it?
How dare those bastages be capitalists in those buildings?
How could they not see they were wrong?
Glass, wake up buddy, we all know who you are.
You are the guy in the left lane doing five under the limit. Heart beating like a caffiene addicted shrew.
This country was not forged by nor maintained by nervous shrews.
Push limits.
Define your own borders.
We will excell because we are more than our fears.
LOL DQR, still upset that we took away all of your slaves?
better watch out, they can vote now, and i hope i catch YOU personally trying to stop them again.....
quote:
Originally posted by glassman:
LOL DQR, still upset that we took away all of your slaves?better watch out, they can vote now, and i hope i catch YOU personally trying to stop them again.....