Tomorrow we wave the flag. Today let's look at the reality of how America is perceived.
The latest FT Harris Survey makes disturbing reading for those still delusional enough to think the USA's conduct in the world is promoting freedom and security and earning international gratitude and respect.
Europeans consistently regard the US as the biggest threat to world stability, a new poll reveals on Monday.
A survey carried out in June by Harris Research for the Financial Times shows that 32 per cent of respondents in five European countries regard the US as a bigger threat than any other state.
In the US itself, North Korea and Iran are seen as the biggest risks. However, the youngest US respondents share the Europeans’ view that theirs is the biggest threat, with 35 per cent of American 16- to 24-year-olds identifying it as the chief danger to stability.
The level of European concern about the US has remained broadly consistent over the past year. In 11 previous polls dating back to July 2006 the proportion of respondents considering the US a threat to stability has ranged between 28 per cent and 38 per cent.
That's just one survey, right? Well, no actually. The FT Harris Survey results are validated by the Pew Global Attitudes Survey results released last week.
"Anti-Americanism since 2002 has deepened, but it hasn’t really widened," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Global Attitudes Project. "It has worsened among America’s European allies and is very, very bad in the Muslim world. But there is still a favorable view of the United States in many African countries, as well as in ‘New Europe’ and the Far East."
Nonetheless, majorities in many countries reject the main planks of current United States foreign policy and express distaste for American-style democracy, the survey found.
. . . .
Confidence in President Bush, which was already sagging, has dropped further in most countries over the past year. Global distrust of American leadership is reflected in increasing disapproval of the cornerstones of United States foreign policy, according to the survey report. Most of those surveyed want a quick withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, including 56 percent in the United States. The exceptions are respondents in Ghana, Israel, Kenya and Nigeria. There is also strong support for quickly removing American and North Atlantic Treaty Organization troops from Afghanistan.
It isn't our "freedoms" they hate. It's our conduct.
America is popular when it stands up for principles like honest and responsive government, human rights, civil rights, fair elections, the rule of law and peace among nations. America is unpopular when its leadership is viewed as promoting unaccountable corruption and cronyism, torture and extrajudicial detention, illegal spying on citizens and abuse of process, election rigging, favoritism before the law and illegal wars on fabricated intelligence.
It's our behaviour that is the problem, not our values. Why is it that so many people - even one or two speaking against the war from our Democratic ranks - have trouble getting it?
Tomorrow we celebrate our nation's founding. The founders had very clear intentions in crafting our system of government. They wanted:
- a nation of laws, not men
- responsibility and accountability in government
- checks and balances to frustrate tyranny
- reservation of powers to the States and citizens not expressly granted to the Federal government
- prevention of international entanglements and wars whenever possible
It seems like most of the rest of the world and most of young America share those objectives for America - and would feel a lot safer if they were reflected in conduct and not just speeches.
As an American living abroad, I have to confront attitudes toward America every single day, without the comforting filter of US media selectivity. I miss being proud of what my country stands for in the world. I didn't know how important it was until it was gone. I want that pride back, and I guess that's why I'm still here writing to you back home about why it matters out here in the rest of the world.