Global Survey Reveals Six in Ten People Think World More Dangerous Place Since Trump Took Power

The results of the survey , conducted by the Global Challenges Foundation, show that people throughout the world perceive the president as a destabilizing force and "six in ten consider the world more dangerous in 2018 than 2 years ago. (Image: Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament)

Global Survey Reveals Six in Ten People Think World More Dangerous Place Since Trump Took Power

"One minute Trump's posing as the peace broker, the next minute he's preparing for war. His presidency threatens the security of the world and it's time for our movement to confront him.

Ahead of mass protests planned in the UK to confront "the nuclear warmonger of our age," a worldwide survey focused on global stability and the trends of governance has found a majority of people believe the planet has become a riskier and more dangerous place since U.S. President Donald Trump was elected in 2016.

The results of the survey (pdf), conducted by the Global Challenges Foundation, show that people throughout the world perceive the president as a destabilizing force and "six in ten consider the world more dangerous in 2018 than 2 years ago. Politically-motivated violence was listed as the number one global risk by 88 percent of all respondents, while weapons of mass destruction were listed by 85 percent."

Among the key findings:

  • Respondents are most likely to say that issues related to violent conflict require urgent response, namely usage of weapons of mass destruction (64%) and politically motivated violence and conflict leading to war (61%);
  • Seven adults in ten (69%) think that a new supranational organisation needs to be created to respond to global risks, similar to 2017 (71%). Issues relating to conflict and war are seen as most warranting the creation of a new organisation - 30% for weapons of mass destruction and 20% for politically motivated violence - both issues traditionally considered to be the remit of the UN. 16% of respondents think that a new supranational organisation is needed to fight climate change, with 23% in Sweden agreeing; and
  • 74% of respondents agree that politicians are not doing enough to combat climate change, with two in five (42%) strongly agreeing. Respondents in India (84%) and South Africa (82%) are most likely to say that they are not doing enough, and respondents in Australia and the US are the least likely (both 68%

With a focus on the international angst and disgust generated by the rise of Trump, the UK-based Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, one of the group's organizing this week's demonstrations in London and across the country, stated on Wednesday:

Trump's torn up the Iran nuclear deal. He's threatened to kill millions with US nukes in North Korea. Those around him stalled the crucial Korean peace negotiations with talk of "doing a Libya" on North Korea.

One minute Trump's posing as the peace broker, the next minute he's preparing for war. His presidency threatens the security of the world and it's time for our movement to confront him.

While Trump is attending the NATO summit for two days before his scheduled arrival in the UK on Thursday evening, social justice organizations and angered individuals are planning to do everything in their power to let the U.S. president know he is not welcome.

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