The global polling shows that respect for America and her Imperialistic Capitalistic Democracy is withering

The longer that little George occupies the White House, the lower our respect goes.  

No one in the world sees the war against Saddam as anything but a grab for oil.  But none of this phases George.  

It is entirely possible that by the time that Warmonger George leaves office, the respect for America abroad and the self esteem Americans have for themselves with reach levels which will surpass those at the end of the Jimmy Carter administration.  

What is interesting is that American self respect and self esteem suffers the most when we try to be the most peaceful and the most violent.

John WorldPeace
December 5,  2002

Suspicions rise abroad over U.S. foreign policy

WASHINGTON -- As President Bush continued to press his policy toward Iraq on Tuesday, an upbeat U.N. assessment on weapons inspections and a new global poll showed an increasing divide between how the United States and the rest of the world view American foreign policy.

Although the White House insists it is building a worldwide coalition to take on Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, a survey of 38,000 people in 44 countries finds increasing suspicion of U.S. motives abroad.

The growing anti-American sentiment is particularly pronounced in the Arab world, but also is widespread among traditional U.S. allies in Europe, according to the poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

"True dislike, if not hatred, of the U.S. is concentrated in Muslim nations," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center.

But Kohut noted that favorability ratings for the United States have fallen in 19 of the 27 countries where public opinion also was sampled in 2000, a list that includes nations on every continent.

Although Europeans generally back the U.S.-led war on terrorism and believe Saddam Hussein should be removed from power, they suspect the U.S. motive in Iraq is to get at its abundant oil supplies, the poll found.

More worrisome for the Bush administration, Kohut said, is dramatically slipping support for the United States in Turkey and Pakistan, two countries of strategic military importance.

A top U.S. defense official, Paul Wolfowitz, has been in Turkey this week trying unsuccessfully to persuade the government to allow a large number of U.S. troops -- possibly headed for Iraq -- to be stationed there.

Turkish officials cited public opinion for their wariness of allowing U.S. troops in their country. The Pew poll found that only 30 percent of the Turkish public viewed the United States favorably, down from 52 percent two years ago.

The Bush administration also views Pakistan as a key ally in its war against bin Laden's al-Qaida network, many of whom are now believed to be hiding in Pakistan after fleeing Afghanistan. But the poll found that only 10 percent of Pakistanis view the U.S. favorably, down from 23 percent in 2000.

Though President Bush said he remained skeptical about polls, he acknowledged that the United States has an image problem abroad.

"I understand the propaganda machines are cranked up in the international community that paints our country in a bad light," he said.

The president said he hoped the message would get out that the United States had improved life in Afghanistan by ousting the oppressive Taliban regime.

"The Muslim world will eventually realize, if they don't now, that we believe in freedom, and we respect all individuals. Unlike the killers, we value each life in America," he said.

The Bush administration has spearheaded a communications effort aimed at winning over the Muslim world through radio, television and other means.

The split between the White House and the international community over Iraq was evident this week when U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan rebutted the Bush administration's generally negative assessment of the weapons inspections process.

Annan said Baghdad was cooperating with the inspectors who have visited a number of sites including one of eight presidential palaces.

Earlier this week, Bush said the situation with Iraq was "not encouraging." And on Wednesday, the president refused to affirm Annan's optimistic take on the weapons inspections, saying, "we've been doing this for five days after 11 years of deception and deceit."

Though Bush administration officials hold that its allies eventually will come around to the U.S. point of view, Madeleine Albright, secretary of state under President Clinton, said the poll underscores the need for the White House to listen better to other nations.

Albright said the Bush administration did not help matters when it rejected a series of carefully negotiated international treaties. She added that the White House's initial reluctance to get involved in the Middle East peace process also exacerbated tensions with Europe and the Arab world.

The Pew poll found that Europeans view resolving the conflict in the Middle East as a more important priority than confronting Iraq

How can we manifest peace on earth if we do not include everyone (all races, all nations, all religions, both sexes) in our vision of Peace?

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