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Subscribe to RSSGlobal overall confidence in and attitudes toward the United States have slipped since the beginning of President Barack Obama's presidency, a new survey of 21 countries by the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project showed.
But while confidence in Obama -- and with it the United States -- fell, people in a large number of countries continued to say they were confident in the president's foreign policy leadership, according to the poll. This did not hold true among many in predominantly Muslim countries, among them key American allies.
Pakistan's decision to convict a doctor who helped the U.S. track down Osama bin Laden was met with outrage in the U.S. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
In Europe, favorable attitudes toward the United States fell seven points from 2009 to 60 percent in 2012, and 10 points in Muslim countries, to 15 percent.
Confidence in Obama himself in Europe declined six points during the same period to a still-robust 80 percent. But the study showed fewer than three-in-ten in Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey and Jordan expressed confidence in Obama.
Confidence in Obama plummeted 24 points to 38 percent in China.
As United States and Western nations pull out, China seeks role in Afghanistan
Since Bush, a 'real improvement'
Opinions about the United States were not close to historic lows, however, according to Richard Wike, associate director of the Pew Global Attitudes Project.
"It is worth keeping in mind when talking about Obama and America's image, he is still considerably higher than during (the presidency of George W.) Bush," Wike said. "In 2009, we generally saw a real improvement in America's image (and) in general that pattern still holds."
With Obama's presidency, the biggest improvements in the United States' image occurred among Europeans, with people in France, Spain, and Germany registering a positive view of the U.S. that is at least 20 percentage points higher than in 2008, the study showed.
Opinions about the United States also got a big boost in Japan, where 72 percent expressed a favorable opinion of the country, up from 50 percent four years ago. America's image in Japan improved dramatically in 2011, thanks in large part to relief efforts following the March earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of that country.
Sen. Chris Coons shares his thoughts about the United States' handling of Chinese dissident situation.
But a major sore point for many was the United States' ongoing drone-strikes policy. In 17 of 20 countries surveyed, more than half disapproved of American drone attacks targeting extremists in countries such as Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.
Report: Obama embraces disputed definition of 'civilian' in drone wars
About a year after he ordered the Abbottabad raid that killed Osama bin Laden, just seven percent of Pakistanis have a positive view of Obama, the same percentage that voiced confidence in President George W. Bush during the final year of his administration.
"Obama's effect that we've seen on America's image in much of the world really hasn't happened in many of the predominantly Muslim countries that we survey," Wike said.
Another shift in opinion came with the world's view of China in the economic balance of power. Among the 14 countries surveyed each year from 2008 to 2012, 45 percent said the U.S. was the world's top economic power in 2008, while just 22 percent said China. Today, only 36 percent said the U.S. was the leading economic power, while 42 percent said it was China.
The Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project surveyed 26,000 people in 21 countries from March 17 to April 20.
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Must agree that the USA Constitution, Thomas Jefferson et al, show some of the huge leaps in civilization, rightly accredited to those rational minded patriots. For instance, Article VI on the NO religious TEST for representative Office, or, Article 1: section 9 that ditched seizing office by Nobility Birth right, as in Monarchist rule, or, the Bill of Rights, the First Amendment on freedom of religion and freedom of speech.
These are civilizing institutions for humanity that took the world out of the Dark Ages where fundamentalist, superstitious, backward institutions, shaped needless terror, oppression, and tyranny on their own people, and created wars on their neighbors.
A sketch of influential beliefs in Europe that opposed "liberalism", freedom of conscience outside of doctrinal Canon law, and freedom of speech, is passionately given by Pope Gregory VI (1832) in 24 imperatives on how to save your soul from eternal damnation.
In contemporary times, people can still remind our leaders of US leadership, which took direct action in the naval Battle of Midway June 1942, and the European Marshall plan to rebuild sustainable institutions. and not only infrastructure, from a destroyed western Europe of WWII and its connections with WWI. The US lead the elimination of a vile, institutional abuse of human rights [eg The Waffen-SS/Himmler & co] and sought a respectful diplomacy with the allied USSR regime. The Lend Lease Act (USA) was not a charitable bail out of Europe, but did open the possibility of a USA industrial production powerhouse (not the banking sector) to deliver a civilizing outcome.
Over the last three decades, and more, Corporate America has merged entities (downsized jobs) and outsourced its industrial base to overseas nations, therefore, US jobs and local technical know-how on industrial sites has disappeared offshore. The banking sector as a percentage of GDP is dominant, whilst the heavy industrial sector opportunities have plummeted according to many publications (eg Kevin Phillips, ex Nixon advisor, or, Joseph Stiglitz, former World Bank chief, and Nobel prize winner in economics, and their citations, or a simple Google search). This is hardly news, but the lack of stimulus from the largest of Corporations can only draw parallels with the same reasoning found in the Great Depression years of the 1930's, and how elected "government(s)" and their Presidents became the scapegoats through the media.
The Bin Laden, Islamic fundamentalism, and Islamic sectarianism, like any other fundamentalism (including wacky religious leaders coercing "christendom" dogmas into their sheep) should not taint multicultural expressions of civil beliefs. Nations like Pakistan that harbor terrorist "freedom fighters", will push your boundaries, and your leadership (which ever President is in Office) must do the job of leadership. President Obama and his team, has Respect with a capital "R", (from friend and foe). Make no mistake on this point.
The faddy "opinion polls", have their own Corporate agenda. Despot regimes who impacted on the findings of such polls, are as good as historical "polls" which reported on the populace in the Third Reich, or Stalin's supporters, and what they thought of the USA, or, its institutions since the 1790's. Statistical "polling" science isn't a fortress that protects the democratic institutions set up by Thomas Jefferson et al. since their corporate products have layered agendas, aside from whether or not their "sample" has predictive integrity for civilized legislation or some corporate product.
Maybe debating strategic ideas from sources like Kevin Phillips, or even Warren Buffet, may persuade some major Corporate Cultures out of their cowboy, non regulated hype, which had the demonstrated consequences in Lehman Brothers, the US Banking Aristocracy bail-out, and their global G20 impacts, and the current global recessions. Do you think that "Credit Default Swaps, Collateral Loan Obligations, and derivative leveraged contracts", amongst other instruments, in creative finance, are going to drive the US economy (largely a Private, Corporate, non government sector, economy as a percentage of GDP) into a new phase of growth, stability and security for its own national interest ?
Fox News and News Corporation is hardly a rational source of objective information on political hot potatoes, or vote grabbing issues, like "Debt" in its various forms. Basic economics shows that the Corporate private sector, is by far the larger proportion of the total economic pie (GDP) compared to the government sector. Therefore, logically, a national total "debt" will be proportioned in the total economy with this basic, national pie chart. When US exports do not pay for US imports, in order to maintain a first world quality of life for its citizens, there is a foreign sourced US deficit (debt) which accumulates yearly. Why blame a President exclusively for US current account deficits run by the private Corporate sector mainly?
A major observation is the underplayed fact, that Corporate America has ratcheted up private corporate balance sheet debt over three decades: why is this debt laid before a President exclusively ? When US corporate banking products failed on a global scale in 2008/2009, and had the potential to trigger a Global Depression without a "bail out", how is that entirely the "government's" fault ? Why didn't other Corporate sectors come to the rescue of Lehman Brothers et al, to avoid a Federal Government budget deficit ? Why do voters think that a GFC sized debt can be fixed in one Presidential term without triggering another recession or undermining the US Constitutional ethic that "promoting the general Welfare" needs a compassionate regard for the inequality of wealth, at least in a liberal democracy.
Blaming an elected democratic Federal Government, or its President, is less truthful than blaming a Corporate shareholder's voting block, that is controlled by the quantity of shares as votes, and excludes the representative people's votes. When does a Corporate monolith, with its hunger for cash flow, and only accountable to the majority shareholder, breach the USA National interest of its citizens ( US natural citizens and US corporate citizens) and its liberal democracy? Goldman Sachs did report that China's GDP will match that of the US in the next decade, and will overtake the US in later years. Will "modern" Corporate America protect its liberal democracy and the U.S. of A. Constitution, or will it relegate this leadership role to others as they did in the Great Depression of the 1930's ?
Maybe the challenge of China, in this modern world will challenge our children more than the current demonized spectacle of political opportunism, centered on negative campaigning and debt slogans.
My opinion of this loser hasn't changed one bit - He wasn't qualified for the job when he was running for it, and he's not qualified to lead now. He's done nothing to help the economy, the housing market, unemployment continues to rise regardless of their numbers (Total lies), and he simply is weak on foreign affairs. There are more and more leading Democrats getting out because they don't want to be associated with him. Worst president in history bar none
But he would make a good dog catcher. It's up to Moo heffer to cook them.
The above link is a translated document from Latin into English, which states the beliefs on state and
religion by Pope Gregory XVI (1832), which did not appear in the earlier post above.
This is a most interesting document in order to contrast its world views from those in the
Constitution of the U.S. of A. during the 1790s. The US Constitution is relevant now, and in the future
when liberal democracy is debated with the challenge that China's status as an economic
superpower is only a decade away in matching the USA's GDP.
Whereas in the 1930s and onwards, Corporate America
had the luxury of kicking out Presidents, and using democratically elected government as a scapegoat,
for economic illness, the stakes have clearly risen. Can "We the People of the United States, in Order
to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common
defence, promote the general Welfare...." get the balance right in today's modern world, or is the
warning of Thomas Jefferson on Corporates without a soul, likely to play out against the USA's National
Interest, to the detriment of future generations ?
OMG !
Not MY President.
I am discusted. If they are droping there high opinion of him then what about YOU what about ME ? Does this mean that THEY think less about YOU and ME TOO ?
I mean I have an image to maintain. DAMMMM I hate this. No respect.
Listen, I hate the idea that he was elected as much or more than you, but he was indeed elected and is our president, like it or not. Respect? If we want it for the next (hopefully) Republican president, then we'd better give it here. Just vote against Obama in November, work in his opponent's campaign, contribute money, etc. But he is currently our president, and I will want those who like him to support the type of president that I'd prefer if we're fortunate enough to elect such a guy or gal in the future.
The second term of Jimmy Carter in full swing. Okay, the numbers have slipped. Whoopty snot!! He's still at 80% in Europe!? Good thing we are the ones choosing and not Europe. Hope we're smarter than that. Too bad no Reagan to clean up after this disaster of a president.
The U.S. was already the laughing stock of the world before President Obama took over. President Obama took over where the idiot before him left off. President Obama is trying his best, I'm sure.
If Obama is trying his best, he is not up to the job. Elect someone else who can effectively communicate and effectively lead. Someone who doesn't try to turn us into liberal/progressive/whatever cesspool as Obama has.
World opinion of Obama slips. Duh! Three years ago Obama has no track record. Three years later people see Obama is just a confidence artist. Obama promised change; Obama promised this; Obama promised that! Obama was doing what all good Con Men do, sell you the Brooklyn bridge (if need be). The problem with Con Artists is sooner or later they get caught up in all the lies they tell.
Our Government is so FULL OF TERDS, it needs to be FLUSHED completely!!!! Bush didn't flush, and Obama just keeps crappin in the same old toilet!
Call Romney Rooter!
I coulda told ya that, Obama is an idiot.
Umm, Doesn't FOX publish lies over there, too? Isn't it a fact that Austerity programs have brought European growth to a big stall, too. The same brainwashing techniques used to convince Americans to fight against liberal values are being employed over there, with the same results. People begin to hate liberals because they are misinformed about what liberals do. Then the rich power brokers step into the vacuum and buy political power with their lobbies. And there you have it, exported Tea Party domination to what was once a thriving European union into a police state, with benefits only for the rich. Soon, a rich man just like Romney shall run for President of the German Republic and proclaim he has a better way to save the union...the Republican way. Be vewwy careful, silly wabbits! It is Elmer Fudd with his guns and hate for anything like public institutions like schools, police, firefighters, DMV workers, soon to be replaced with for-profit replacements with no power to negotiate the hours, overtime pay,health benefits, pensions, and child labor laws. Republicans are coming for you , Europe. Run away. They just want your money. They will not protect your rights. They will lower your pay and benefits by doing away with all negotiations with the corporate power structure they will force you to adopt. Run away!
You've watched way too much MSDNC
Oh my, the world has a low opinion of the US of A. Who really cares. The only time the world wants US help is when they are starving, helpless against natural disasters or want OUR military to help them against a dictator. Then the next day we are labeled as evil interlopers. Libya is a good example. Glad the president didn't send in the army or marines. Only air power was used and we disengaged that as the president said he would.
Let the rest of the world take care of themselves in times of disaster and we should put our resources to work here to take care of our citizens.
The world's opinion of the US has slipped. But they keep cashing our foreign aid checks! Wow!