The Decline in America's Reputation: Why?

[franksforum]

Wasn't quite sure where to post this and I apologize in advance if this is a duplicate. This is a committee reprint from the Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The link to the 47-page document in PDF format is below.

http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/42566.pdf


Executive Summary:

In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attack there was world-wide
sympathy and support for the United States. This was best summed up in
the headline in the French newspaper Le Monde—Nous sommes tous
Americains. (“We are all Americans now.”)

Since then, polls conducted by the U.S. Government and respected
private firms have revealed a precipitous decline in favorability toward the
United States and its foreign policy. The generally positive ratings from the
1950’s to 2000 moved to generally negative after 2002. As the very first
witness in a 10-hearing series with pollsters and regional analysts told the
Subcommittee—“We have never seen numbers this low.”

The reversal is unprecedented and widespread:
• A 45-percentage point drop in favorability in Indonesia; 41 in
Morocco; 40 in Turkey; and 27 in the United Kingdom;

• Among Muslims in Nigeria, favorable opinion fell 33 points, from
71 percent to 38 percent, within an eight-month period;

• A 26-point increase in Europe of the view that U.S. leadership in
world affairs is undesirable;

• Unfavorability rose to 82 percent in Arab countries and 86 percent
of Latin American elites now rate U.S. relations negatively; and

• 83 percent of countries in 2002 had a plurality of citizens judging
the United States favorably; by 2006 only 23 percent of countries
had a plurality saying that U.S. influence is positive.

While the United States can’t base its foreign policies on opinion polling—
either at home or abroad—this consistently negative view of U.S. foreign
policy is both a liability and a sign that something has gone seriously awry.
What happened? Why, as the question is often posed, do they hate us?

Comment:

Having leafed through the document, the answer seems to be one of two:

--We are hated for who we are.
--We are hated for our policies in the world which are perceived as hypocritical and in violation of our values.

And it's not just the Middle East that holds these views. The report cited a Russian high school text:

"American foreign policy is designed to dominate the strategic minerals of the Middle East through alliance with dictatorial regimes. In Asia and Latin America, it uses military force to threaten governments who challenge its commercial interests."

As a former US Navy Intelligence Specialist (IS), I would be interested in hearing any comments on this report.

[Stan]

And it's not just the Middle East that holds these views. The report cited a Russian high school text:

"American foreign policy is designed to dominate the strategic minerals of the Middle East through alliance with dictatorial regimes. In Asia and Latin America, it uses military force to threaten governments who challenge its commercial interests."

Russian high school text books ? Indeed, a profound source of unbiased thoughts there. Recall when Boris Yeltsin removed all the history books from Mother Russia (due to purported mistakes), only to be again replaced by Putin to (ahem) correct history

Check out what the North Koreans taught (still teach?) beginning with kindergarten regarding capitalistic America(ns). I agree, we are not the most popular nation on earth, but utilizing Middle Eastern disgust/thoughts, Russia's high school books and French journalists to create and substantiate a USG report seems shoddy.

[Fuchs]

This "Why?" is a rhetorical question, isn't it?

The U.S. foreign policy is the greatest problem in international affairs to date.
Iran, North Korea and even Syria combined are by comparison harmless.

You could make a representative poll in Europe:

Who shall remain leader of his country till 2020?

A) G.W.Bush.

A) The leaders of Syria, Iran, North Korea, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sudan, Turkey and Lybia.

Bush would lose, with certainty.
That's my perception.

Why? U.S. foreign policy.

[Steve Blair]

The US also exists as a handy whipping boy/scapegoat for various failings (foreign and domestic) on the part of many nations. Not to say that we don't make poor decisions at times, but we're also pretty handy for others to hang their bad decisions on.

[Fuchs]

I have a terrible feeling that "Why?" was probably a honest question and needs a more elaborate answer...


Lying to us in the U.N. assembly.

Invading a sovereign country.

Refusing co-operation in many international treaties.

Bullying and disrespecting even close allies.

Kidnap of free individuals overseas.

Violating captured person's rights by denying both criminal and POW rights.

Torture.

Heating up of international conflicts by threatening other countries (which is illegal).

Unnecessarily promoting a conflict with Russia.

Disrespect towards U.N.

Spying on corporations and individuals even in allied countries.

Huge arms sales into crisis regions, to both sides.

Repeated friendly fire on allied troops.

Repeated attack on civilians by fighter-bombers "in self defence" (few accept this justification)

Cheating the world economically.

Over-stressing natural resources with wasteful consumption and economic behaviour.


That's more than the Soviet Union had as foreign policy sins at its peak.
The U.S. government needs to learn respect, quickly. Powers who don't respect others cannot expect good relations.


@Steve:
That's a typical point of view of Americans. Fact is that this might apply to some countries, but has no relevance about the general situation.

[Steve Blair]

@Steve:
That's a typical point of view of Americans. Fact is that this might apply to some countries, but has no relevance about the general situation.

One could also contend that popularity polls have no relevance on the general situation. Also, I'd say that your laundry list of policy errors could equally apply to the Soviets at their peak (in spite of your assertion to the contrary), or just about any major power at any given point in time. Nothing new there.

You're entitled to your opinion, of course. It's always easier to look on the US as the great evil without examining some of the poor policy decisions on the part of other nations that allowed this situation to come to pass.

[Fuchs]

Few great power in history were much liked, but many were respected and were influential with diplomacy.


Btw, when did the Soviet Union do this?
- Huge arms sales into crisis regions, to both sides.
- Cheating the world economically.
- Disrespect towards U.N.

I'm sure they did not this:
- Unnecessarily promoting a conflict with Russia.

[BRUZ_LEE]

It's always easier to look on the US ....

Having Greater Power means also having Greater Responsibility.

Or, to put it like this: The Foreign Policy of the US is somewhat more important than that of Madagaskar and will be therefore looked at more closely.

[Ken White]

...That's more than the Soviet Union had as foreign policy sins at its peak.

However since the USSR -- and a few others I cuold name in other times -- have engaged in exactly the same things to a greater extent than we ever have, you blew it when you added that.

With respect to your list, I suggest:

Torture. -- some, not systemic or widespread.

Heating up of international conflicts by threatening other countries (which is illegal). -- Illegal? How so? By what laws? Morally wrong in the view of some, perhaps but illegal? Nah...

Unnecessarily promoting a conflict with Russia. -- That's funny.

Disrespect towards U.N. -- that's even funnier. If you can produce any organization that does more to earn disrespect, please tell me what it is...

Spying on corporations and individuals even in allied countries. -- and you don't? Most other nations don't???

Huge arms sales into crisis regions, to both sides. -- Let me count the Leopards...

Repeated friendly fire on allied troops. -- Yep, we are trigger happy. Poor training, no excuse. Not even that it's a fact of war that can occur even with the best trained troops.

Cheating the world economically. -- Do Daimler and BMW know this?

Over-stressing natural resources with wasteful consumption and economic behaviour. -- that's possibly true; that's why Mercedes and BMW sell so many cars here.

The U.S. government needs to learn respect, quickly. Powers who don't respect others cannot expect good relations.

That's true. We can't.

[Fuchs]

@Wolfsberger;
That's a typical mistake that Americans do. The attitude is not anti-American, but anti-U.S. policy. The difference is crucial, and those who don't see it are blind to the real problem, excuse it away with the assumption that others are at fault.

I grant you, the US commits more than its share of screw ups. But that's what happens when somebody steps forward, takes a moral position, and actually tries to accomplish something in the real world.

Well, the problem is that during GWB's government there was no accomplishment, just ruins and wrecks visible.
It's quite obvious that this causes a decline of reputation and relations.

However since the USSR -- and a few others I cuold name in other times -- have engaged in exactly the same things to a greater extent than we ever have, you blew it when you added that.

With respect to your list, I suggest:

Torture. -- some, not systemic or widespread.

Actually, there's a zero tolerance towards torture in the civilized world.
The tolerance for torture is also limited in the USA, that's why the government alleges that waterboarding and other stuff is no torture.

Heating up of international conflicts by threatening other countries (which is illegal). -- Illegal? How so? By what laws? Morally wrong in the view of some, perhaps but illegal? Nah...

Article 2.4, Charter of the United Nations, signed by the USA and in force*.

Unnecessarily promoting a conflict with Russia. -- That's funny.

Not if you have less than an ocean between yourself and Russia. The major Euroepean countries want a good relationship with Russia, and U.S. foreign policy (ABM, influence in Ukraine and Georgia) is a significant troublemaker in that area.

Disrespect towards U.N. -- that's even funnier. If you can produce any organization that does more to earn disrespect, please tell me what it is...

Others respect it, U.S. doesn't => respect for U.S. declines. It's that simple.
Btw, the U.S. could leave the UN - and would lose most of what's left of its influence by doing so.
Maybe the respect for that institution is so low because the USA exploited the UN so easily for decades to further its own agenda.

Spying on corporations and individuals even in allied countries. -- and you don't? Most other nations don't???

The U.S. intelligence budget is on the same order as the defence budget of Germany. Seriously, quantity counts.
And I do strongly doubt that European intelligence services listen to domestic U.S. phone calls.

Huge arms sales into crisis regions, to both sides. -- Let me count the Leopards...

Both sides? The Greek got them, not the Turks. And that's a minimal conflict among allies. There are certainly no Leopard2 sales to Israel, Egypt and Saudi-Arabia at once. Maybe you can give a single example of Germany exporting to both sides of a crisis region?
I ask because arms sales into crisis regions are almost impossible for Germans at all...

Repeated friendly fire on allied troops. -- Yep, we are trigger happy. Poor training, no excuse. Not even that it's a fact of war that can occur even with the best trained troops.

That doesn't change that certain people dislike it strongly, that's what this thread is about.

Cheating the world economically. -- Do Daimler and BMW know this?

I'm not aware what you refer to, but Daimler and BMW certainly didn't exploit the world financial system by financing their consumption with self-printed money. Daimler and BMW also didn't cause a single world economic crisis because of greed.

(Is it possible to have quotes non-italic and comment quotes in italic?)


Re-electing GWB didn't help and electing McCain would most likely increase the problems, but there's a chance that a turnaround under Obama would pretty quickly delete the troubles. This is possible because the problems are connected to policy and politicians, not to the nation by most who despise the USA today.
The Arab world is an obvious exception to this, though.

*:
"Article 2
The Organization and its Members, in pursuit of the Purposes stated in Article 1, shall act in accordance with the following Principles.

1. The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members.

2. All Members, in order to ensure to all of them the rights and benefits resulting from membership, shall fulfill in good faith the obligations assumed by them in accordance with the present Charter.

3. All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.

4. All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations."

[J Wolfsberger]

I have a terrible feeling that "Why?" was probably a honest question and needs a more elaborate answer...


Lying to us in the U.N. assembly.

Invading a sovereign country.

Refusing co-operation in many international treaties.

Bullying and disrespecting even close allies.

Kidnap of free individuals overseas.

Violating captured person's rights by denying both criminal and POW rights.

Torture.

Heating up of international conflicts by threatening other countries (which is illegal).

Unnecessarily promoting a conflict with Russia.

Disrespect towards U.N.

Spying on corporations and individuals even in allied countries.

Huge arms sales into crisis regions, to both sides.

Repeated friendly fire on allied troops.

Repeated attack on civilians by fighter-bombers "in self defence" (few accept this justification)

Cheating the world economically.

Over-stressing natural resources with wasteful consumption and economic behaviour.


That's more than the Soviet Union had as foreign policy sins at its peak.
The U.S. government needs to learn respect, quickly. Powers who don't respect others cannot expect good relations.


@Steve:
That's a typical point of view of Americans. Fact is that this might apply to some countries, but has no relevance about the general situation.

... to your list is that the anti-American propaganda campaign has been obviously effective.

To take just one point, "Disrespect towards U.N.," I have held the UN in contempt since Biafra. Self righteous posturing on nearly every humanitarian crisis since has only confirmed my opinion.

My point on this one, and I could make one similar on each of the issues raised, is that someone should explain, using concrete examples of quantifiable alleviation of human suffering, just exactly why the UN deserves any respect?

I grant you, the US commits more than its share of screw ups. But that's what happens when somebody steps forward, takes a moral position, and actually tries to accomplish something in the real world.

[skiguy]

... to your list is that the anti-
I grant you, the US commits more than its share of screw ups. But that's what happens when somebody steps forward, takes a moral position, and actually tries to accomplish something in the real world.

Very well said!

Hasn't our reputation in Africa significantly improved mainly because of our assistance with the AIDs crisis?

I think most of this alleged "hatred" is just jealousy, envy, and respect. JMO.

[Surferbeetle]

This "Why?" is a rhetorical question, isn't it?

The U.S. foreign policy is the greatest problem in international affairs to date.

Fuchs,

Your list and comments are interesting and worth thought. Holding up Russia as a contrast to the US is perhaps reflexive given our past history, however I would steer you towards an book entitled "The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers" by Paul Kennedy (ISBN 0-394-54674-1) published back in 1987 for additional comparison/contrast material. (I welcome any references, German is fine, that you are willing to share)

German history and methods as recorded in the history of the Catholic League and Protestant Union in proto-Germany during the 1600's appear to have some interesting similarities to things we see on a marco-scale today. Human nature seems to be constant despite geographical and temporal location in my eyes.

What is your proposed solution to the inequities of today that you see?

Regards,

Steve

[davidbfpo]

Executive Summary:

In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attack there was world-wide sympathy and support for the United States. This was best summed up in the headline in the French newspaper Le Monde—Nous sommes tous Americains. (“We are all Americans now.”)

Since then, polls conducted by the U.S. Government and respected private firms have revealed a precipitous decline in favorability toward the United States and its foreign policy. The generally positive ratings from the 1950’s to 2000 moved to generally negative after 2002.

Many of the comments do not explain why the 9/11 sympathy evaporated, but list all sorts of causes and arguments. Yes, the sympathy for the USA was never really that evident with "the man on the street" in many countries and I exclude a string of democratic countries (not just Western Europe and the usual suspects e.g. Japan).

In those democracies, like the UK, "the man in the street" knew he and she were the target for the terrorists. Not our governments behind their defences, who rarely use public transport and wander the streets.

The declaration of a GWOT I suspect started doubts, no-one views a potentially never ending war with relish. When military might is easily visible, a power largely unknown and understood to the viewer - the costs simply appear too much.

Imagery and image just disappeared. Instead "shock & awe" in Afghanistan, then Iraq and frankly stupid tactical or were they strategic decisions, e.g. a kidnap attempt in Italy comes to mind.

America in my opinion, aided by countless visits, wants to be loved or admired. For many reasons most Americans look inwards first and cannot understand why others do not love them.

Have to think what is needed to change this, answers make take time!

Anyway that's my point of view.

davidbfpo