Opinion on the US and America’s Global Policy

On Sunday July 2, 2006 while viewing CBSNews “Sunday Morning” (9:30-10:00am) I heard the comment that 23% of Spain’s and about 12% of Turkey’s people do not like America. I remember a few years ago after the 9/11 Terror Attack and the US response in the Middle East, the BBCWorld did a formal program on What the World Thinks of America (not the precise BBC words, but the correct principle). The information seen then was not very favorable at all. It appears that the situation has not changed much or for the better in 2006. Scientific Results on the reasons will vary, but I believe the negative views may just be too unfair.

America will always stand-up for “progress and democracy” even if their definition and theory of democracy is not widely accepted, at first. Powerful Global “elites” who govern Nations contrary to democratic principles will easily dislike the US and Americans. “Innovations often erode elites’ incumbency advantage, increasing the likelihood that they will be replaced” (http://journals.cambridge.org). Nations that are not democratically governed (by whatever Model-The Philadelphia, Westminster, Consensus, like in the US, Britian, Canada, respectively)will often prefer to keep their “style” of dictatorship or military model. These “elites” as they often are, will dislike the US and that is understandable. But when democratic nations also dislike America then things are not good.

The Scientific Experts are of the opinion that, for the global nations to favor the US and its foreign policy, shared interest needs to exist. “A varible measuring shared security interest, North Atlantic Treaty Organization…has significant effects in favor of U.S. policy” (http://jcr.sagepub.com”). But it is not a wonder, neighborly nations with the same interest as the US may still dislike some of the policies of the US, but may overall not show too much dislike for the US in general. “Shared economic interest…by levels of trade, also have a positive influence” on American Foreign Policy and Global Opinion (http://jcr.sagepub.com”). Canada is the US largest trading partner and I cannot remember a recent poll that says Canadians dislike Americans or the US to a high negative degree. Though the US trades well with Japan and the Middle East, the opinions are not as good, unlike the case with Nations such as Canada and England who are the US “good friends.”

I believe in the International Theory of Realism. The US has a strong right to stand-up for democracy, while “protecting its back” against any possible changes in “our global friends minds” that may not be beneficial to US Security and Economy. When Nations stands-up for an issue that is right, and the people are 99% with them, who should complain? Lawful expressions of dissent are fine under the “Law.” But hostile decent is not acceptable. Global dislike of America is not new. From July 4, 1776 until July, 2006 (this week the US celebrates Independence again)there have always been some dislikes of the US in some form or nature, and for different reasons. Some of the dislikes are unfair. I beleive Americans on a whole like fellow Americans, even if they are from different political parties, peaceful religions, cultures, social class, educational backgrounds, race, and the list goes on…

Global opinions of Americans and the US is very important and should never be discarded. But unfair and bias views without very good reasons are not to be taken seriously and ought not to negatively affect Americans. I believe that!