Posted June 24, 200519 yr Poll: China Image Scores Better Than U.S. By WILL LESTER Associated Press Writer June 23, 2005, 6:26 PM EDT WASHINGTON -- The United States' popularity in many countries -- including longtime allies in Europe -- is lagging behind even communist China. The image of the U.S. slipped sharply in 2003, after its invasion of Iraq, and two years later has shown few signs of rebounding either in Western Europe or the Muslim world, an international poll found. "The U.S. image has improved slightly, but is still broadly negative," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. "It's amazing when you see the European public rating the United States so poorly, especially in comparison with China." In Britain, which prides itself on its "special relationship" with Washington, almost two-thirds of Britons, 65 percent, saw China favorably, compared with 55 percent who held a positive view of the United States. In France, 58 percent had an upbeat view of China, compared with 43 percent who felt that way about the U.S. The results were nearly the same in Spain and the Netherlands, the Pew poll found. The United States' favorability rating was lowest among three Muslim nations that are also U.S. allies -- Turkey, Pakistan and Jordan -- where only about one-fifth of those polled viewed the U.S. in a positive light. Only India and Poland viewed the U.S. more positively than they viewed China. "Clearly, with or without this poll we know we have a public diplomacy challenge, and that challenge is not lessening by the day," said State Department spokesman Adam Ereli. He said the United States is trying to combat that image problem, citing the frequent travels of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was ending a six-day swing through the Middle East and Europe on Thursday. The poll found suspicion and wariness of the United States in many countries where people question the war in Iraq and are growing leery of the U.S.-led war on terror. "The Iraq war has left an enduring impression on the minds of people around the world in ways that make them very suspicious of U.S. intentions and makes the effort to win hearts and minds far more difficult," said Shibley Telhami, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Support for the U.S.-led war on terror has dipped in European countries like Britain, France, Germany, Canada and Spain, while it remains low in the Muslim countries surveyed, such as Jordan, Pakistan and Turkey. "The position of the United States as the one surviving superpower is to be assertive in responding in a world of terrorism. But in the rest of the world, there is a great wariness about that," said John Danforth, a former Republican senator from Missouri and a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. The poll found a positive reaction in European countries to President Bush's campaign for more democracy in countries around the world. People in Muslim countries were wary of the U.S. campaign, but supportive of the idea of democracy in their own countries. Madeleine Albright, secretary of state under President Clinton, said the poll results are troubling because leaders of democracies allied to the U.S. have to rally the public in their countries when supporting U.S. policies. The polls were taken in various countries from late April to the end of May with samples of about 1,000 in most countries, with more interviews in India and China and slightly fewer than 1,000 in the European countries. The margin of sampling error ranged from 2 percentage points to 4 percentage points, depending on the sample size. I'm not really surprised by this, the rest of the world doesn't really have any reason to hate the Chinese people, but us Americans are really that huggable. Anyway, at least we have Poland on our side. :disney
June 24, 200519 yr china is very smart about providing aid for very poor countries and thus gaining goodwill. also, it tends to direct most of its lethal activities on its own citizens, so other countries have little cause to complain. of course there is the small matter that they support the most noxious regime on the planet, that being kim jong il's dictatorship, but who cares about that except america, japan and south korea, who nobody likes anyway?
June 24, 200519 yr Not too shocking. Except the fact that Israel doesn't like us more than China...even though we're supposed to be close allies.
June 24, 200519 yr I find it hard to believe also that japan likes china more, considering they have a millenium old rivalry.
June 24, 200519 yr India liking us more is very interesting...thats the one country that should be a very close ally being the world's largest democracy. Yet we favor Pakistan more....
June 26, 200519 yr Everyone is just jealous of the U.S. 824527[/snapback] No, either they are growing worried about our increasing imperialism over the past 3 years, or they are just angry at us for something or another. I still find it hard to believe that Israel likes China better. If it wasn't for the U.S., Israel would never have existed, and would cease to exist without our support, most likely.
June 26, 200519 yr Author Everyone is just jealous of the U.S. 824527[/snapback] No, either they are growing worried about our increasing imperialism over the past 3 years, or they are just angry at us for something or another. 826335[/snapback] Maybe not many western European nations, but most people on the Earth want our lifestyle. Why else would we have more immigrants than any other country? Also, as I said earlier, this poll also strongly affects how other countries feel about the American people. We consume a huge percentage of the world's resources and most Americans don't care about the rest of the world.
June 28, 200519 yr It isnt exactly jealousy, but it has been common since the beginning of history, for people who do not belong to the dominant nation/state/culture to dislike the dominant group. It has nothing to do with the US over the last 3 years or our foreign policy. It has to do with a continuing trend after the fall of the USSR, where other nations do not like that fact that there is a sole superpower. they fear for their own stance and power. Nothing new here, yawn.
June 28, 200519 yr India is and will be a good best buddy to have. Rock on, India. 824342[/snapback] In spite of the fact that they have nothing going for them militarily.
June 28, 200519 yr Everyone is just jealous of the U.S. 824527[/snapback] No, either they are growing worried about our increasing imperialism over the past 3 years, or they are just angry at us for something or another. I still find it hard to believe that Israel likes China better. If it wasn't for the U.S., Israel would never have existed, and would cease to exist without our support, most likely. 826335[/snapback] imperialism??? give me a break
June 28, 200519 yr India is and will be a good best buddy to have. Rock on, India. 824342[/snapback] In spite of the fact that they have nothing going for them militarily. 829393[/snapback] They do have nukes...
June 29, 200519 yr Yeah, since nuclear warfare is the norm in global conflicts 829700[/snapback] It's a big bargaining chip though.
June 29, 200519 yr Author I'm sure Muslim fundamentalists are SOOOO jealous of American lifestyle. 830718[/snapback] Muslim fundalmentalist are silly and shouldn't have any place in world politics. The should just build huge walls around they're countries and continue to live in the middle ages until they're ready for modernization. However, they have this lovely thing called oil.
June 29, 200519 yr I'm sure Muslim fundamentalists are SOOOO jealous of American lifestyle. 830718[/snapback] Muslim fundalmentalist are silly and shouldn't have any place in world politics. The should just build huge walls around they're countries and continue to live in the middle ages until they're ready for modernization. However, they have this lovely thing called oil. 830723[/snapback] Neither should Christian Fundalmentalists. But we have one of them in the white house right now. They are two sides of the same coin and both should be shoved off into the closet. Seriously there is many reasons why the world community doesnt like us recently. Bush and his actions within Afganistan (should of been done but that place now is a death trap of civil war waiting to happen), Iraq ( blood for oil works for some republicans well). The instability of our own recent elections yet claiming such in many other places recently. Our disreguard for the EU growing strength and comments the white house has made about them. The actions against the UN and blatant lies we placed within there are always good. Our disreguard for the world courts (something we founded btw) and speaking of it poorly now that it isnt useful for us to follow it. Our blatant ignorance of international law in the recent administration. Yes the US is doing an Imperialist attitude recently since 2000 elections (or stealing of the election then). Either way, it will pass as it often does. It isnt the first time we have had war criminals in the Us. Look at Vietnam, a few folks Bush tried to make in his cabinet are wanted for human right's abuses : shrugs:
June 29, 200519 yr Neither should Christian Fundalmentalists. But we have one of them in the white house right now. They are two sides of the same coin and both should be shoved off into the closet. Seriously there is many reasons why the world community doesnt like us recently. Bush and his actions within Afganistan (should of been done but that place now is a death trap of civil war waiting to happen), Iraq ( blood for oil works for some republicans well). The instability of our own recent elections yet claiming such in many other places recently. Our disreguard for the EU growing strength and comments the white house has made about them. The actions against the UN and blatant lies we placed within there are always good. Our disreguard for the world courts (something we founded btw) and speaking of it poorly now that it isnt useful for us to follow it. Our blatant ignorance of international law in the recent administration. Yes the US is doing an Imperialist attitude recently since 2000 elections (or stealing of the election then). Either way, it will pass as it often does. It isnt the first time we have had war criminals in the Us. Look at Vietnam, a few folks Bush tried to make in his cabinet are wanted for human right's abuses : shrugs: 830764[/snapback] Excellent post. You make some good points there. Unfortunately, our country has become very hypocritical over the past five years. We don't care at all about international law, most likely because no one is going to try and enforce it on us. However, the U.S. founded the World Court, and helped to create the U.N, yet we turn our back on them.
July 5, 200519 yr Actually the UN has damned itself. The iraq issue did not hurt the UN, in fact it was the best thing that could have happened to it. Something of this proportion needed to happen so that everyone can see that something needs to get done. After the impotence of the UN in rwanda, east timor and other similar situations, it has proven that the security council veto system is inept. If the SC isnt reformed, it isnt the US's fault that the UN is menaingless, it is the UN's fault. Furthermore, without the US the EU wouldnt be growing as it currently is. The EU depends almost entirely on our military technology and physical presence. If the US were to deprive the EU of that, they would not have the funds to continue their economic growth. Regardless of the rhetoric, the US and EU are currently in a symbiotic relaltionship in which one cannot exist without the other, and both entities are well aware of this. By the way, EU growth is good for the US not bad.
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