The Decline in America's Reputation: Why?

[J Wolfsberger]

Isolationism is all well and good, and you're right, it's an old US tradition, but I suspect that if you were to try it in practice, your economic situation would make today look like paradise. You might be able to do a form of social isolationism, but certainly not economic isolationism. Sorry JW, but you're stuck with interacting with the rest of the world whether or not you like it .

I was agreeing with Sam's prediction, not advocating. The point I was getting at is that I think we'd make the attempt. Having done so, when it didn't work out, we'd lurch way to far in the other direction.

Just to add to the confusion.

[marct]

I was agreeing with Sam's prediction, not advocating. The point I was getting at is that I think we'd make the attempt. Having done so, when it didn't work out, we'd lurch way to far in the other direction.

Just to add to the confusion.

LOLOL - okay, got it and I think that's exactly what would happen .

[Ken White]

To include Fuchs' (but not snapperhead who has contributed nothing other than pseudointellectual bon mots). Though I have to admit most of you take the issue more seriously than do I. We have been on the nasty list for most of the world for most of our existence. Rarely, we are if not loved, either accepted or respected -- but mostly we're slammed. I've seen so much of it here and there I don't pay much attention to it. It goes in cycles. That's why I think this is sort of important:

Originally Posted by Steve Blair:
There's also a segment, I think, that likes the idea of having the US "handy"...in other words sitting quietly on the sidelines yet willing to come when called (with money and/or military force if needed) to deal with things that others don't want to deal with directly. The fact that from time to time we don't want to play in that role makes them nervous. The roots of much of this are quite deep, and there's enough of it to go around.

To which Marc responded:

I'm honestly not sure if it's that or not .

I submit that Steve is correct.

At the ripe old age of 14, I was in China (B.M. - Before Mao) and a British Officer pointed to a "Yankee go home" graffiti on a wall. I told him I was from Kentucky, so that didn't apply to me and he was totally uncomprehending. That was the beginning of a revelation. Very few people in the rest of the world can understand the US (many in the US don't understand it...), Canadians probably come closer than anyone but even they think we're beyond tacky and really rather weird (both truths). Surprisingly, I think Asians understand us a little better than do Europeans. So too do South Americans, many of whom harbor some earned resentment toward us -- but they all still want to come here. We totally baffle most Europeans I've met..

Given the fact that we contributed to the defeat of Germany in two wars, Japan in one; we effectively forced the British and French out of the Colonial business and messed up Suez for them and have managed to annoy most nations in the world at one time or another in pursuit of US interests and you have plenty of reasons for us to be on many a nasty list. Add to that a really ignorant and pathetic media face to the world which tends to emphasize our clownish side coupled with the fact that we're big and over prone to try to throw our weight around when it is to our benefit and ignore those issues that are note seen as beneficial (always with an eye to domestic politics) and we're seen an inconsistent and somewhat hypocritical pain in the tail too many. That is unlikely to change.

So are we.

In the immortal words of J Wolfsberger:

...I think we'd make the attempt. Having done so, when it didn't work out, we'd lurch way to far in the other direction.

Just to add to the confusion.

Yep...

[patmc]

That is a pretty good one paragraph summary of it. Well put.

Given the fact that we contributed to the defeat of Germany in two wars, Japan in one; we effectively forced the British and French out of the Colonial business and messed up Suez for them and have managed to annoy most nations in the world at one time or another in pursuit of US interests and you have plenty of reasons for us to be on many a nasty list. Add to that a really ignorant and pathetic media face to the world which tends to emphasize our clownish side coupled with the fact that we're big and over prone to try to throw our weight around when it is to our benefit and ignore those issues that are note seen as beneficial (always with an eye to domestic politics) and we're seen an inconsistent and somewhat hypocritical pain in the tail too many. That is unlikely to change.

So are we.