No wonder people were so friendly in Ireland. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32108351/ns/politics Poll: U.S. image abroad surges under Obama Survey of 25 nations contrasts with views during Bush presidency WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's popularity has boosted America's image abroad even though deep suspicions about the U.S. persist in the Muslim world, according to a poll released Thursday. The survey of two dozen nations conducted this spring by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found that positive public attitudes toward the United States have surged in many parts of the world since Obama's election. Positive opinions about the United States have returned to higher levels not seen since before President George W. Bush took office in 2001. The Bush presidency marked a steep decline in U.S. popularity overseas, notably after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, because of a perception that the post-9/11 war on terrorism was targeted at Muslims. "The image of the United States has improved markedly in most parts of the world, reflecting global confidence in Barack Obama," the center said in its annual Pew Global Attitudes Report. The only exception was Israel, where attitudes toward the U.S. have dipped since Bush left office. The improvements "are being driven much more by personal confidence in Obama than by opinions about his specific policies," Pew reported. At the same time, several specific administration policies drew near universal acclaim, including Obama's pledge to close the Navy-run detention facility for terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the U.S. timeline for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, the survey found. The Pew report found that in 21 of the countries surveyed, an average of 71 percent of respondents had at least some confidence in the U.S. president's handling of world affairs. In 2008, when Bush was in the White House, the figure in those same countries was only 17 percent. Biggest shift in Western Europe The center said the most profound shifts came in Western Europe, notably in France and Germany, where confidence in Obama exceeds that for French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. In addition, U.S. favorability rose by at least 10 percentage points in 11 countries over last year, including in Latin America, Africa and Asia — largely as a result of Obama's election, the center said. Still, the poll registered continuing levels of profound distrust about U.S. influence and motives among Muslims, particularly in Turkey, Pakistan and the Palestinian territories. There, the report said, "animosity toward the (United States) ... continues to run deep and unabated." Attitudes toward America also rose slightly in U.S. allies Egypt and Jordan and registered some improvement after Obama's much-heralded speech to the Muslim world delivered in Cairo on June 4. But Palestinians appeared unmoved and Israelis were unimpressed, according to the findings. Indonesia, where Obama spent part of his childhood, was a major bright spot in the Muslim world. More than 70 percent of Indonesians expressed confidence in Obama, up from 23 percent for Bush in 2008. Nearly 80 percent of Indonesians were aware that Obama had lived in their country when he was a boy. Favorability ratings for Obama and the U.S. were also high in Kenya, where the new president's father was from. Ninety percent of Kenyans surveyed had a favorable opinion of the United States and 96 percent knew that Obama's father was a Kenyan, according to the poll. The poll, which surveyed nearly 27,000 people, also found: While the U.S. image abroad has largely improved, foreign populations are still concerned about what they see as unilateralism on the part of the United States and the economic and cultural influence that America exerts across the world. Foreign publics have largely negative views of their own nations' economies, especially amid the global economic downturn. Huge majorities see global warming as a serious problem. The polling was conducted from May 19-June 14, interviewing adults face to face in 18 countries and by telephone in the other seven. The number interviewed in each country ranged from 700 in Japan to 3,169 in China. All samples were national except for China, Pakistan, India and Brazil, where the samples were mostly urban. The margins of sampling error were plus or minus 3 or 4 percentage points in every country but China and India, where it was 2 points.
Let me get on topic...I forgot to... I could care less about other countries opinion of us overseas... Who gives a crap? Am I mistaken or is the war on terrorism not largely targeted as Muslim extremists? Oh, is it too politically incorrect to say that? Did I miss something? Maybe we here in the U.S. got that memo about the Muslim extremists but the people overseas didn't...who's fault is that? It's theirs. You can't do anything about the willfully ignorant. Wonderful, our image is built around a man, great. Forget the whole liberty, justice for all, freedom thing. No, it's President Obama. Yeah, this is gonna last... Once again, just great. It's the man. Not what the man does...but what you think and feel about the man...that's excellent... Am I making my point yet...that the whole world opinion thing doesn't matter much? We're basing it on how people feel about a man...yeah... Yeah...Obama's pledge for Gitmo...how's that working out? Oh, yeah, it's not...darn. But don't worry, he said he wanted to do it, so that's enough. Forget actually having to do it...no, that would be asking too much, he wants to do it and that's what matters. I don't even want to mention Iraq which President Obama had so little to do with that at this point he deserves neither credit nor blame. Which world affairs do they speak of? Surely not Iran...can't be North Korea...can we cite some, maybe? I'm done ranting, too tired. I don't know where the common sense is anymore.
India for one. Obama is tightly roping the country in; India's already made some concessions on nuclear pacts and in case you haven't noticed, is completely in line with the Afghanistan policy despite the fact arch-nemesis Pakistan is chiefly involved. For YEARS, India has been viewed as a country with the potential for a strategic coup; largest democracy in the world, key strategic position in case of contingencies with unstable Central Asian countries or God forbid, China and etc. It seems like Obama is breaking new ground in this key alliance. http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0721/p08s01-comv.html Let's see, what else...oh, hey, Russia! http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124827294717972187.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Oh wait, what about Syria? http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/world/middleeast/04syria.html If you want, I can give more. Hopefully you live up to your moniker and don't ignore the evidence before you.
I look forward to the good reads, I really do. And no, I don't ignore evidence, which also means I can't ignore things like North Korea and Iran. President Obama has his hands full.
Well, in case you hadn't noticed, some idiot labeled them as part of an Axis of Evil, so yes, I suppose normalizing relations with them will be pretty difficult.
I wouldn't desire "normalized" relations with countries like those, I'd just like them to stop being a threat to those around them, and possibly to us. I'm not sure what's wrong with calling evil, evil? For diplomacy's sake? Iran and North Korea don't care about diplomacy.
Then what are you worried about? Iran and NK more or less have that kind of "you hurt me, I hurt you worse" kind of relationship with the States already...short of an invasion, there is little to nothing the President can do to make them less of a threat, in your perspective anyways.
Not true, but I'm too tired and sick to argue my perspective right now, and I still have to read those articles! I will take up this fight later! It's been fun and your "moniker" should also include logic somewhere, you're pretty good with it yourself.
Couldn't go anywhere but up considering we had an 8-year disaster known as George W. Bush. Whether you like it or not, Bush's catastrophic failure as president is exactly why Obama is where he is.
I think that's true...not taking anything away from Obama's charisma, but they way Bush was regarded here in the U.S. and around the world, we could have elected a stick and the stick would have been more popular.
And how do you propose to stop them from being a threat to others? Without getting a normalized relationship? Attacking them? You are not sure what is wrong with calling them Evil???? Really? Furthermore you also do not see what is wrong with the perception that the war on terror was a war on muslims?? You trully are trying to be as ignorant as some other posters on this board.
You might not care but as even GW Bush found out World opinion does matter. We are the strongest country but we can't do everything alone and in an interdependent World we need cooperation from other countries for things like the economy and national security. Pissing off other countries is usually not a good strategy.
I don't know...I'm ignorant...Sanctions? Yeah, if they were enforced and they worked. Look at some of the stuff the U.N. actually tries but never succeeds at. You don't have to attack them...Why do people on this bbs do that? You tell them something and they jump to the other extreme end of the spectrum just to make a point...I never once said attack anyone, I never once hinted at it. But you certainly don't need a normalized relationship because these people don't want a normalized relationship. North Korea would take our money if we just threw it at them and then they'll act like they're good for a while...while they continue their weapons programs...These people are liars, I could care less about having "normalized" relations with them. When they show themselves to be human, then we can have "normalized" relations with them. Yeah...not sure what's wrong with that...keep waiting for it... ....yeah, still not sure what's wrong with it. Look buddy, I'm not talking about India...or France, I'm talking about Iran and North Korea...those people who lead those countries are evil. Should I apologize for that? Nah. Furthermore, I knew somebody would misread what I said so please go back and read it. What I said was, if I'm not mistaken, it is a war almost entirely aimed at Muslim extremists. I even bolded extremists the first time I made the post so people wouldn't mistake me for a Muslim hater. People have got to see the difference between Muslims and Muslim Extremists. Now, I do see a huge problem if people around the world think that the war on terror is just aimed at Muslims, however, if they have a problem with the fact that the war on terror is aimed at Muslim extremists, then that's their problem. Well, if that's what you think, I'm not trying...I already am. These are just my opinions. Don't let them ruin your day.
Once again, there's a disconnect. Fortunately, for all of you, I'm not the President. Because I could care less what other countries think of us, especially countries who persecute their people and still believe in stoning. Now, not caring about what other countries think of you doesn't equate to "let's piss off people in other countries". I never once said that, I never said to do that. I say do what's best for the U.S. (because that's exactly what other countries will do for themselves, they won't do anything less), because we are the only country that will look out for us, #1 priority.
And let me just add that I don't feel guilty for that...I don't believe in making other countries angry for the sake of making them angry. Who would? I believe in doing what's in the best interest of our country, and other countries can like it or not like it. Should we try to do whatever we do in the best way to minimize any problems with other countries? Definitely. Should we compromise on what we do to maybe help relations with other countries. Maybe a little. But should we ever hesitate to do what's in our best interest even if countries will dislike us? No. Some people will always hate us. Some we have to win over. Some we can never win over.
