As we watch the continued decline of the dollar, to it’s weakest point in 30 years, against most of the world currencies, including its largest weekly loss since November 1988; what about the other indicators of the US standing in the world?
According to the latest report, issued 27 june 2007, from the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project, there’s a growing sense of unease around the world concerning the direction and influence of not only the US, but also Russia, and China.
A 47-nation survey finds global public opinion increasingly wary of the world’s dominant nations and disapproving of their leaders. Anti-Americanism is extensive, as it has been for the past five years. At the same time, the image of China has slipped significantly among the publics of other major nations. Opinion about Russia is mixed, but confidence in its president, Vladimir Putin, has declined sharply. In fact, the Russian leader’s negatives have soared to the point that they mirror the nearly worldwide lack of confidence in George W. Bush.
more below the fold…
These results clearly depict a growing distrust with the leadership and the direction of US foreign policies, vis-a-vis Iraq, Afghanistan, and the increasing lack of support for “the global war on terror“.
Not only is there worldwide support for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, but there also is considerable opposition to U.S. and NATO operations in Afghanistan. Western European publics are at best divided about keeping troops there. In nearly every predominantly Muslim country, overwhelming majorities want U.S. and NATO troops withdrawn from Afghanistan as soon as possible. In addition, global support for the U.S.-led war on terrorism ebbs ever lower.
[…]
Anti-Americanism: Deeper But Not Wider
In the current poll, majorities in 25 of the 47 [53%…not a glowing endorsement] countries surveyed express positive views of the U.S. Since 2002, however, the image of the United States has declined in most parts of the world. Favorable ratings of America are lower in 26 of 33 [79% a very negative trend] countries for which trends are available.
The U.S. image remains abysmal in most Muslim countries in the Middle East and Asia, and continues to decline among the publics of many of America’s oldest allies. Favorable views of the U.S. are in single digits in Turkey (9%) and have declined to 15% in Pakistan. Currently, just 30% of Germans have a positive view of the U.S. – down from 42% as recently as two years ago – and favorable ratings inch ever lower in Great Britain and Canada.
We have obviously lost the aura of the beacon of hope and force for good that had, rightly or wrongly, been attached to the US for much of the period from the end of WW ll, up to the election [sic] of Bush 43 in 2000, not only in the ME, but among our oldest allies.
Among key U.S. allies in Western Europe, the view that the U.S. acts unilaterally is an opinion that has tracked closely with America’s overall image over the past five years. Ironically, the belief that the United States does not take into account the interests of other countries in formulating its foreign policy is extensive among the publics of several close U.S. allies. No fewer than 89% of the French, 83% of Canadians and 74% of the British express this opinion.
U.S. policies also are widely viewed as increasing the gap between rich nations and poor nations. This is even the case in several countries where the U.S. is generally well regarded. In addition, this is one of the few criticisms of the U.S. that is widely shared around the world and with which a plurality of Americans (38%) agree.
The complete survey is available HERE [html format…pdf’s available].
