The Pew Research Center recently released its 5th annual survey of global attitudes, reporting the opinions of over 45,000 people in 47 nations towards other countries, global threats, and world leaders. The report is so chock-full of information that it's hard to know where to start. Perhaps with the most obvious: Since 2002, the image of the United States has declined in most parts of the world, with favorable opinions dropping as low as 9% in Turkey and 30% in Germany. The US remains quite popular in much of sub-Saharan Africa, but its image has suffered in much of Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. The cause? Obviously more complex than can be related in a poll, but the report finds a "widespread belief that the U.S. acts unilaterally in the international arena." Moreover, "at least half of those surveyed in 43 of 47 countries [say] the U.S. should remove its troops from Iraq as soon as possible" -- all the more relevant in light of Bush's rejection yesterday of troop pullout and the House's vote in response to require withdrawal of most troops by April 1. And while most world leaders, including Bush, Putin, Chavez, and Ahmadinejad are widely distrusted in the arena of foreign affairs, confidence in Angela Merkel's foreign policy decisions is generally high throughout Europe (tho' lower in the Middle East). While eschewing leaders of individual powerful nations, most of the world views the United Nations favorably, with some negative views from the Middle East but overwhemingly positive opinions in a number of predominantly Muslim nations elsewhere in the world.
Taking the Global Pulse
The Pew Research Center recently released its 5th annual survey of global attitudes, reporting the opinions of over 45,000 people in 47 nations towards other countries, global threats, and world leaders. The report is so chock-full of information that it's hard to know where to start. Perhaps with the most obvious: Since 2002, the image of the United States has declined in most parts of the world, with favorable opinions dropping as low as 9% in Turkey and 30% in Germany. The US remains quite popular in much of sub-Saharan Africa, but its image has suffered in much of Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. The cause? Obviously more complex than can be related in a poll, but the report finds a "widespread belief that the U.S. acts unilaterally in the international arena." Moreover, "at least half of those surveyed in 43 of 47 countries [say] the U.S. should remove its troops from Iraq as soon as possible" -- all the more relevant in light of Bush's rejection yesterday of troop pullout and the House's vote in response to require withdrawal of most troops by April 1. And while most world leaders, including Bush, Putin, Chavez, and Ahmadinejad are widely distrusted in the arena of foreign affairs, confidence in Angela Merkel's foreign policy decisions is generally high throughout Europe (tho' lower in the Middle East). While eschewing leaders of individual powerful nations, most of the world views the United Nations favorably, with some negative views from the Middle East but overwhemingly positive opinions in a number of predominantly Muslim nations elsewhere in the world.
