Americans worry about their image in the world

[T_i_B]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=559672

Seven out of 10 Americans are worried about the worsening of their country's image around the world, suggesting that global dislike of George Bush and his foreign policies could have an impact, albeit indirect, on the outcome of the presidential election.

That is the most striking finding of a new set of polls released yesterday by the Globscan group and the University of Maryland. Of Americans polled, 40 per cent said that foreign antipathy to the US was a big problem, and 30 per cent "somewhat of a problem." Although almost three-quarters said world opinion would have no impact on their vote. But 18 per cent said they would be more likely to vote for the candidate preferred by most people in the world - who in 2004 is overwhelmingly the Democratic challenger John Kerry.

According to a separate Globescan survey of public opinion in 35 countries, in 30 of them a majority wanted Mr Kerry to win, on average by a more than two to one margin. Only in Poland, Nigeria and the Philippines among countries surveyed was Mr Bush preferred. In two others, India and Thailand, opinion was more or less split.

Everywhere else however, from Europe and Latin America to Asia and Africa, Mr Kerry is the desired winner, by far. Support for him is particularly strong among traditional US allies, even those who joined the Bush coalition in Iraq.

[Liberal Veteran]

1. Oh, NOW they worry????????

Must resist urge to type nasty words to express my exasperation.

[Fovea]

2. Too late

n/t

[LiberalVoice]

3. I will say again...

There is not a single country IN THE WORLD who's majority is not sure whether or not to trust * except America(And Israel of course). We are the ONLY country who doesn't know of all the lies, the murders, the greed, the treasonous acts, the warmongering, the globalization, the fear inducing, the environmental destruction, the WAR CRIMES, the mass graves in Afghanistan, the mass graves that are sure to be uncovered in Iraq, the puppet governments we install. And the most sickening thing to me is that WE aren't sure he's going to lose in Nov.

[mbperrin]

4. Don't worry about our image!

Everyone else is sure we're crazy-wacko-terro-crypto-fascists.

And I see little evidence for any other belief.

[thomas_a]

5. The World Can Kiss My Butt!

I loath Bush and everything the Republican Party stands for and that is why the world can kiss my butt!

While many, many Americans have been resisting Republicanism the rest of the world has undermined our efforts to battle the greatest threat the world has seen since the German Nazi party.

The British took to the streets by the thousands to protest a visit by Doofus but have yet to take any action to unseat their Mussolini wannabe Tony Blair.

Nelson Mandela made a great show of leaving South Africa when Bush came for a visit but yet telephoned Bush lackey Arnold Schwarzenegger to congratulate him on becoming governor of California.

The Dutch, the Poles, the Norwegians and the Italians all joined in the Republican party's invasion of Iraq. Poland is an understandable case. Historically it has been pinned between more powerful neighbors and it is understandable that it would seek a powerful but distant patron. The rest of them are just trying to compete with the British in the Mussolini II competition. Even the anti-war forces direct their outrage against Bush rather than their own governments who happily follows him.

Even in France, whose government has bravely stood up to the Republicans, people flock to the cinemas to view the Republican propaganda of Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Americans of conscious have nothing to be ashamed about in front of the rest of a world that has intentionally or unintentionally aided and abetted the Republican party.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

8. That's and interesting take on things.

[Maple]

11. Pardon me?

People all around the world have protested Bush, AND their own governments, but he's your leader whether you personally voted for him or not.

The only countries to hold elections in the meantime have rejected participating in Iraq.

So short of invading you, and practicing 'regime change' ourselves, there's little else we can do about it.

[thomas_a]

14. There is much you can do

We are trying to kick our Hitler wannabe out of office. If you live in the United Kingdom, Norway, Italy, Denmark or the Netherlands kick that little Mussolini II that you call your prime minister out of office. The Spanish did it and you can too. The Republicans will be much more limited in the actions they can take without support from abroad.

Be more selective in the American entertainment products you enjoy. Movies with Republicans like Bruce Willis are nothing other than propaganda designed to show Republicanism as heroic, or at least benign. Learn who the Republicans are in Hollywood and boycott their movies.

Stop cheering for Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Terminator was a movie. The man is not a hero. He is nothing more than a cigar chomping, steroid saturated evil minion of Bush. When Austria put his image on a postage stamp it causes me to wonder if the country's Nazi past is not past at all. If you are Austrian write a letter to your government stating that you think that a postage stamp honoring Arnold Schwarzenegger is an inappropriate action on their part.

Boycott American goods and services. If powerful corporations like Nike, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Boeing, International Harvester and General Motors see a sharp drop in their international sales owing to the policies of the Bush administration they will quickly use their considerable influence to force him from office. International consumers can change things in the United States. Every bottle of Coke opened is a piece of shrapnel in the body of an Iraqi child.

So yes, short of invading the United States there is much you can do.

[rfkrocks]

6. I don't think its too late but

the problem is most Americans could care less about how the world perceives them-I disagree with this poll-the new american GOP dominated government is built upon disdain of other countries and we only do "nation building" when the GOP feels like attacking another country. With Shrub we have an incredibly uninterested, some use the word dumb, man whose lack of interest or curiosity in things is a fatal defect to a country that deals with so much of the world. I hope whenever the country wakes-up our old friends welcome us back.

[Ganja Ninja]

7. If there were any question about the partisan nature of ...

Bush's support this answers it. It isn't just vengeful liberals angry about the 2000 election that oppose him. The whole world opposes him. The only support he has is from his base of self proclaimed conservatives. People that are deluded, brainwashed, raciest, religious and gun fanatics or greedy corporate bosses.

[liberalmuse]

9. Worried about our image?

Hell, I'm worried about our nation's future and the future of human civilization. We're going down the road of...the closest thing I know to compare it to is Hitler's Germany or Stalin's Russia--neo-facism/neo-feudalism. Only this time, there won't be a coalition/alliance powerful enough to stop us, unless China, Russia and N. Korea ban together and decide to take us out with their nukes.

228 years of struggling toward the ultimate American dream of freedom, benevolence and democracy and one evil nincompoop puppet takes us down in 4. It's just f*cking sad, is what it is.

[UpInArms]

10. well said liberalmuse

:kick:

[hatrack]

12. No, REALLY?!?!?!?!

Color me FLABBERGASTED!!!!!!!

[shrike]

13. Then vote Bush out!

Jesus Christ, sometimes I wonder what it's going to take to make people wake up.