How the world views Americans
Americans are the most optimistic people in the world. On the eve of the new millennium, 4 out of 5 described themselves as hopeful about the future, and large majorities predicted that the new century would bring cures for cancer, and that we would see humans land on Mars. Almost half thought Jesus Christ would re-appear on earth.
But even the sunniest citizen has to be sobered by a new book, “America Against the World,” co-authored by pollster Andrew Kohut and journalist Bruce Stokes. Based on more than 90,000 interviews in 50 countries, it comes to a brutal conclusion: everybody dislikes America these days, even our postwar allies in Western Europe.
Until 2004, foreigners blamed President Bush for what they viewed as America’s misguided policies, but once American voters gave him a second term, they became co-conspirators in the eyes of the world. Kohut and Stokes quote a headline in a British tabloid after the election: “How can 59,054,087 people be so DUMB?”
The single biggest reason for this sentiment is the invasion of Iraq. President Bush has said repeatedly that his response to Sept. 11 would define his presidency. He’s right: it united the world against him. In Germany and France, 4 out of 5 respondents consider American leaders “less trustworthy” since the Iraq war, and in Britain, it’s 3 out of 5.
“Among our country’s greatest assets on the world stage are its good name and the public’s faith in its motivations,” write Kohut and Stokes. “America’s reputation was badly soiled by the Iraq war.”
Actually, this sharp shift against the president abroad parallels his plunging popularity at home. In the latest CNN poll, 53 percent said the Iraq war had made the United States less safe. It’s almost as if Americans were saying, “Hey, we know we re-elected him, but we made a mistake!”
But these numbers, bad as they are, are only snapshots in time. They don’t tell the whole story. Other images are required to fill out the picture.
The first image is the fall of the Berlin wall. It was American power and persistence that undermined the Soviet Union and freed Eastern Europe from generations of tyranny. But here’s the paradox: Washington’s victory in the Cold War fueled sentiment against the winners because it left the United States as the world’s only superpower and removed a critical check on American aspirations and appetites.
The second image is Mickey Mouse and Britney Spears dancing under the Golden Arches. Just as anti-Americanism is rising, American culture is selling better than ever, but here, too, there’s a paradox. As Kohut points out, while foreigners flock to McDonald’s for lunch, they mourn the loss of their own cultural traditions. Folks don’t take “two-hour siestas” after a Big Mac and fries, and they blame America.
The third image is of thousands of immigrants, legal and illegal, filling American streets and demanding the right to stay. If America is as bad the rest of the world seems to think, why do so many risk so much to cross our borders?
The events of Sept. 11 proved that we are vulnerable to terrorism and need allies to fight it. The nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran demonstrate the essential role of diplomatic partners. American businesses and workers are increasingly dependent on foreign markets.
Of course, the president and his supporters will brush this book aside. We don’t read polls, they’ll say, we have our principles and don’t care what others think of us. But they would be wrong. They should care. America’s national interest demands it.
Steve and Cokie Roberts can be contacted by e-mail at [email protected].