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World Opposed to U.S. as Global Cop
WASHINGTON - The world public rejects the U.S. role as a world leader, but still wants the United States to do its share in multilateral efforts and does not support a U.S. withdrawal from international affairs, says a poll released Wednesday.The survey respondents see the United States as an unreliable "world policeman", but views are split on whether the superpower should reduce its overseas military bases.
The people of the United States generally agreed with the rest of the world that their country should not remain the world's pre-eminent leader or global cop, and prefer that it play a more cooperative role in multilateral efforts to address world problems.
The poll, the fourth in a series released by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and WorldPublicOpinion.org since the latter half of 2006, was conducted in China, India, United States, Indonesia, Russia, France, Thailand, Ukraine, Poland, Iran, Mexico, South Korea, Philippines, Australia, Argentina, Peru, Israel, Armenia and the Palestinian territories.
The three previous reports covered attitudes toward humanitarian military intervention, labour and environmental standards in international trade, and global warming. Those surveys found that the international public generally favoured more multilateral efforts to curb genocides and more far-reaching measures to protect labour rights and combat climate change than their governments have supported to date.
Steven Kull, editor of WorldPublicOpinion.org, notes that this report confirms other polls which have shown that world opinion of the United States is bad and getting worse, however this survey more closely examines the way the world public would want to see Washington playing a positive role in the international community.
Although all 15 of the countries polled rejected the idea that, "the U.S. should continue to be the pre-eminent world leader in solving international problems," only Argentina and the Palestinian territories say it "should withdraw from most efforts to solve international problems."
The respondents tend to agree that the US should do "its share in efforts to solve international problems together with other countries" in: South Korea (79 percent), United States (75 percent), France (75 percent), China (68 percent), Israel (62 percent), Peru (61 percent), Mexico (59 percent), Armenia (58 percent), Philippines (55 percent), Ukraine (52 percent), Thailand (47 percent), India (42 percent) and Russia (42 percent).
In a majority of countries -- 13 out of 15 -- publics believe Washington is "playing the role of world policeman more than it should," including France (89 percent), Australia (80 percent), China (77 percent), Russia (76 percent), Peru (76 percent), Palestinian territories (74 percent) and South Korea (73 percent).
Seventy-six percent of those polled in the United States also agree that their country plays too big a role as a global cop, but 57 percent of Filipinos disagreed with the statement, and Israelis were evenly split on the issue.
Majorities think that the United States cannot be trusted to "act responsibly in the world" in: Argentina (84 percent), Peru (80 percent), Russia (73 percent), France (72 percent) and Indonesia (64 percent). But majorities or large percentages in the Philippines (85 percent), Israel (81 percent), Poland (51 percent), and Ukraine (49 percent) say the superpower can be at least "somewhat" trusted to act responsibly.
Although most of the countries involved in the poll had majorities who believe the U.S. was too involved in policing issues of international concern, there were mixed views about whether it should reduce its military presence around the world. Only five out of 12 publics favoured decreasing the number of overseas U.S. military bases: Argentina (75 percent), Palestinian territories (70 percent), France (69 percent), China (63 percent) and Ukraine (62 percent).
Majorities in the Philippines (78 percent), United States (68 percent), Israel (59 percent) and Poland (54 percent) favour maintaining or increasing the current levels of U.S. military bases. Armenia and Thailand lean in favour of maintaining current levels or reducing base locations, while India was divided. No country favoured increases.
The survey clearly shows that the perception of the U.S. role in the world is negative and getting worse, but some publics did have significant numbers who felt relations between their country and the United States are getting better.
Most of the respondents in India (58 percent) and China (53 percent) felt relations were improving, while pluralities agree in Australia (50 percent), Armenia (48 percent), Indonesia (46 percent), and Thailand (37 percent). Majorities or pluralities in Poland (60 percent), South Korea (56 percent), Israel (52 percent), Ukraine (52 percent) and Russia (45 percent) say relations with the U.S. are about the same.
No countries had majorities or pluralities who say relations with the United States are getting worse.
Copyright © 2007 IPS-Inter Press Service.
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28 Comments so far
Show Allglobal cop is missing the point ! The US does not play cop. The US is only interested in natural resources and open markets for US corporations. The US sets up dictatorships around the world to control the natural resources and markets. The US could care less who gets killed in the process of controling, guess what, the natural resources and free? markets.
The Bush Gang did 9/11 precisely in order to change everything.
They were not leaving anything to chance--which is why Cheney was in charge that day and Bush was a deer in the headlights clutching My Pet Goat in a Florida primary school....
NO THANKS. Yankee GO HOME.
This is very interesting, but the Bush Reich cares even less about world opinion as it does about US opinion.
The once secret agenda for "A New American Century" is no longer secret and it will fail, as it is failing in Iraq.
So, what's next? How about a global community of continental networks of eco-villages surrounded by miles of healthy wilderness, made possible by a smller human population using family planning clinics to give women the right to decide if and when to birth how many or few children? How about 100% recycling of industrial and human waste? How about living in peace and balance on the Earth?
If the vast ingenuity of US citizens reflected in sane and humane government policy was our model to the world, it would be an ideal other nations would follow. Instead, bloated shop-till-you-drop consumerism, a rejection of the Kyoto Protocols, a bootkick to the Geneva Conventions, mafia-like strongman techniques on the UN and member nations, and war on fixed cause... no Karen Hughes PR can make up for what IS. As much as rightwing billionaires do their utmost to buy up media and TV stations in various countries, truth has a pesky way of getting out there. LIGHT cannot be hidden indefinitely. If only our nation behaved as the shining city on the hill. But between Bush's deranged and damaging policies, the way wealth is aggregating upwards to turn the US back centuries, and the dark history as chronicled by Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky (among others), added to the trend towards US as a Christian theocracy under authoritarian rule (John Dean), well... why would anyone want to copy us or see in this behavior anything remotely reputable, or worthy of "policing" others. The Bible says get the board away from your own eyes before you instruct others how to live and behave. With 2.2 million incarcerated, guns abounding, so many on anti-depressants or self-medicating with drugs or alcohol or sugar/food, this is NOT a society whose current modes are worth emulating. Wealth is such a limited means to happiness or a healthy population, and too many in America worship mammon.
Police corruption within the US, endemic as it is, is dwarfed by US corruption on the world stage. No sane person would establish a police force and then turn it loose to do as it pleased.
Police are created to enforce the LAW. I think the US should be the world police which takes its orders from the UN and enforces international law. All nations should surrender their weapons to UN control.
I know, but it does no harm to dream.
Check out the PNAC and Bush's Vulcans. Led by Richard Armitage, who took a bullet for Cheney over Plamegate, these neocons have been transforming America's military towards global domination for years.
There is something very peculiar about the fact that Bush's 2000 campaign advisors were aggressively pushing for the US to become the World's police, but then deceitfully crafted a "humble" foreign policy vision for Dubya's 2000 campaign.
Then, even one month before 911, Bush was meeting with the Military Transformation (into World's police) Committee. We're supposed to believe 911 changed everything. Rather, I believe 911 merely initiated the neocons's plan.
Gee, nothing like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Unfortunately we have been killing democracy in its cradle everywhere we've been since the nation was created and even before. This country may have to pay the piper soon. If you reap what you sow, it is no unrelated event that the most violent new gang in America MS-13 was started by former El Salvadorian death squad members. We have to face the truth and that is that our government has been telling us lies while it rapes and pillages the planet in the name of profit. Wonder why the world does not want our brand of Christianity or capitalism or call it whatever you need to? I can only hope that if we act fast enough we can still regain some standing in the world as we are a generous people. A little humility might go a long way this time through. Wake up America. Your country needs you as your government has left you long ago.
The linchpins of the U.S. global cop role are its security arrangements with Germany and Japan. The grand scheme was devised without public input such that the US would provide Japan/Germany a robust consumer market in exchange for military security against the alter-power. The huge negative side effect of this mega-scheme was the dumbing down of America, the loss of its industrial base. Now it has to be "global cop" to make ends meet. Moral of the story: Please do not feed the "elites".
Who gave us the right to be the World's cop? We should take of our own problems before we start telling the rest of the world what to do.
Mindless shopping, idiotic TV, SUVs and Hummers to use up the oil are what we are about in ths country to other's eyes.
Our goal seems to be GREED.
It is time for a Real American Revolution, this one by the ordinary people, not the rich white guys.
Global Cop?!? You must be joking. The US is the Global Pirate.
Anybody who seriously believes the the US is in Iraq or Afghanistan for the benefit of the people living there still believes in the Easter Bunny and chases rainbows looking for pots of gold.
Dear world,
We, the residents and power brokers of the United States are out to loot your resources in exchange for a standard of living we would not tolerate for our pampered house-pets.
Thank you.
armybrat,
Have you ever been to the Philippines? It is extremely poor, corrupt, and dangerous. Having traveled extensively there and in China, China is like paradise by comparison.
It's my guess the Filipinos want American bases for the economic stimulation, though they kicked out American bases in the past. The majority of the people there have a very low standard of living. And since the level of corruption is so high, and the misinformation and disinformation so ubiquitous, a good many of them could have been brainwashed into trusting the US.
The US has lost leadership rights due to the actions of the Bush-Cheney administration. They have dishonored all Americans.
Most Americans don't trust the Bush-Cheney bunch and most people overseas don't trust them either. They are dangerous and corrupt ... and it is obvious to many people.
Congress, honorable people in our military and intelligence communities, as well as good citizens need to take the appropriate actions to resolve this:
"An urgent task for the new Congress: Conduct necessary inquiries and investigations properly"
PopulistAmerica.com
October 22, 2006
http://www.populistamerica.com/an_urgent_task_for_the_new_congress
Considering that the US ignnores and has no regard for international law, it is ludicrous for it to assume that it can us the excuse of being a "global cop." That's what the UN is for. If anything, the US is a rogue state that should by sanctioned by the community of nations.
armybrat
"can understand Israelis supporting the US tyranny, since they are even worse and control our government anyway - and Poland, well they're just dumb - but the Philippines - they must be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome."
I have a polite rhetorical question: (:)
Are you retarded?
What do you mean "we", Pangolin?
I'll pull over for 1-ADAM-12; not for the "Bad Lieutenant".
for some reason canada was not polled in this chicago-based survey. no country in the world has played a more vital or longer role in peacekeeping then canada. Had canadians been pooled the overwhelming majority would have suported the withdrawal of the u.s. as a principal world cop. the bush republicans have lost not only world support but shockingly that as their closest neighbor and one time booster. maybe a change ing overnment will allow the world to once again respect the u.s.
"World Cop"
The author must live in Chicago, L.A., or Philadelphia to even metaphorically compare our world-wide atrocities, our foreign policy, to police work
>>global cop is missing the point ! The US does not play cop. The US is only interested in natural resources and open markets for US corporations. The US sets up dictatorships around the world to control the natural resources and markets. The US could care less who gets killed in the process of controling, guess what, the natural resources and free? markets.
Exactly!
Cops work for wealthy, powerful corporations, just like most politicians do. PRs deny it all the time, but its the truth. Corporations are only interested in resources and profit. As long as they have control over these things, they have the power to control people. As long as they have PRs they control the MSM and the way people think. If you believe the politicians and the corporate PRs, you are just another one of their fools.
US world-police works for corporations, not people. Beware of their long arms.
Wonder what's wrong with the world? Money and power matter more than soul. Democracy schmemocracy!
No African nation was even polled in this "world poll". Why not? Africa has no money or power. They are sub-human in their importance, as evidenced by the zero media coverage of Congo's holocaust.
Let the world's police come to Dem Rep of Congo to stop the Belgians and South Africans and Americans and Israelis from looting the wealth of earth's poorest people without shame.
I've always thought that the U.S. should pull out of World Affairs unless the need is dire and our help is either wanted or needed by another nation. Otherwise, I believe that American resources should be used to improve situations in our own country.
The truth is on the side of those of us who see the US as a global gangster, not a cop. The USA is the #1 obstacle to world peace and we need to turn it the hell around!
The truth is radically different from what the corporate news media has led the American people to believe.
The truth (when widely known) will set us free from corrupt politicians, war and poverty.
------------------------------
"Man must change or die.
There is no other course."
The World Teacher
http://www.Share-International.org
The Bush gang has 20+ months to figure out a way to solidify its dictatorship, and like cornered rats, they are dangerous. Better impeach them now before they arrange another terrorist event to justify a further state of emergency in which the elections could be postponed indefinitely.
"Poland, well they're just dumb."
I'm partly Polish. I guess that's why I'm where I am in life. I'm dumb. I guess Copernicus was dumb too as well as Chopin. Oh well.
Like many here I wonder what their end game might be. That this regime that worked so hard to destroy the functionality of American government and subdue the whole world to its rogue behaviour will just peacefully leave?