The latest Pew Global
Attitudes Project reveals the alarming truth about how world populations really view Americans, and it’s not pretty.
The report, released March 14, 2007, reveals pervasive negative feelings about the policies, values, and people
of the United States. “[Anti-Americanism] is worldwide. This is not just a rift with our European allies or hatred of
America in the Middle East. It is a
global slide, and positive views of the U.S. have declined
in other regions of the world, particularly in Latin America and Asia,”
says Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center and director of the Pew Global Attitudes Project.
Kohut’s remarks,
made to members of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, describe the findings of a longitudinal study consisting of
in-depth interviews of 110,000 people in 50 countries. Co-author of America Against the World: How We Are
Different, and Why We Are Disliked, Kohut maintains that the Pew findings have been corroborated by other international
polls conducted by the BBC and Gallup, confirming “the continuing world-wide nature of America’s image problem.”
While many people believe
that the 9/11 attacks in 2001 were responsible for a surge in U.S.
support around the world, the country did enjoy popularity between the years 1999-2000 as well. Naturally, immediate post-9/11
sentiment was positive and sympathetic, but Kohut reports that international resentment of U.S. power existed even then: “Shortly
after the September 11th attacks we interviewed elites in 24 countries, and overwhelmingly they told us that many
or most of the people in their countries were sympathetic to us over our losses, but as many said their publics ‘think
it is good that Americans now know what it is like to be vulnerable.’”
Shortly following September 11, 2001, U.S.-led anti-terror military initiatives have been viewed by
other countries as having been executed “unilaterally,” that is, without taking other countries into consideration.
According to the report, this conclusion has been “crystallized” by the war in Iraq,
and this sentiment is not limited to Middle Eastern nations. Kohut states that, “In 2005, only 18% of the French, 19%
of the Spanish, and 21% of Russians said that the U.S. takes
into account the interests of countries like theirs when making policy.”
Even moves that Americans
may proudly consider morally righteous military accomplishments have been under fire. For instance, most of the world does
not agree that the U.S. overthrow of Saddam Hussein made the
world a better place. In fact, many (including a sizable portion of Americans) feel that it increased Middle Eastern instability,
rather than contributed to it. The majority of Muslim citizens feel that the U.S.
poses a threat to Islam, and many around the world view the United States
as a bigger threat to safety than Iran or Korea.
Unlike those in many other
nations, United States citizens enjoy the luxury of voting
for its president. Therefore, when the world objects to American policies, the people are blamed for choosing the leaders
who create and execute these strategies. There no longer appears to be a separation between foreigners’ dislike of Bush
and the American public, no longer a “hate the government, but love the people sentiment” especially when this
president was elected for not one, but two terms. In fact, according to Kohut, “[Another] feature of contemporary anti-Americanism
is that it is no longer just the U.S. as a country that is
perceived negatively, but increasingly the American people as well…. In countries such as Spain,
Jordan, Indonesia,
and Turkey, favorable views of Americans have declined significantly
in recent years.”
If Americans think that
foreign citizens also cringe at the name Osama bin Laden, they better think again. An Al Jazeera fashion story featured the
various modern designs of the abaya. One designer wasn’t afraid to borrow the infamous surname for a particular cut.
The shopkeeper, known to have the best selections in town, remarked, “I even had one lady come in and ask for the bin Laden design. The bin Laden covers a woman from her head to
her toe, revealing only her face.” The article also discussed the “butterfly cut” which looks best on “tall,
thin women.”
http://english.aljazeera.net/English/archive/archive?ArchiveId=21487
Lest one dismisses the
bin Laden design as a creative quirk, Kohut describes further findings: “dishearteningly,
America’s most visible enemy, Osama bin Laden, is viewed favorably by a significant number of people in many places,
including nations such as Pakistan and Jordan that are key partners in America’s efforts to combat al Qaeda and similar
terrorist groups—the 2006 Pew poll indicated that 38% of Pakistanis and 24% of Jordanians have a lot or some confidence
in bin Laden to do the right thing in world affairs.”
Here are some of the anti-American
views, according to the Pew findings and as outlined by Kohut:
· The negative sentiment
is worldwide, and has spread to Asian and Latin nations.
· The antagonism is strongest
in the Muslim world.
· Anti-Americanism is an
“intensely held opinion,” making it difficult to change.
· The American people, not
just the government, are viewed negatively by many world citizens, with negative opinions “deepening and becoming more
entrenched.”
What can be done about
this alarming international trend? Kohut states that the U.S.
must embark on a mission to encourage “restoration of trust.” Perhaps the 2008 presidential elections will usher
in a new, more positive image of the country to present to our international neighbors.
