BBC World Service commisioned a poll in 33 countries examining how people felt about the global influence of Europe (as a whole); France, Japan, Great Britain, India, China, Rusisa, U.S. and Iran.
Some of the country and regional results are interesting.
[quote]Global Poll: Iran Seen Playing Negative Role
US Continues to Get Low Marks
Views of China, Russia, France Down Sharply
Europe and Japan Viewed Most Positively
A major BBC World Service poll exploring how people in 33 countries view various countries found not a single country where a majority has a positive view of Iran
Look, I claim second to none in my dislike of the Bush Administration’s attitudes on “preventive war”, Global Warming, the ICC, abstinence as a preventitive of AIDS, “extrordinary rendition”(AKA “disappearing”), and joining hands with soulmates like Saudi Arabia and Sudan to block the rights of women and gays,
BUT
anyone from a Western democracy, anyone from any country aspiring to reach the position of a prosperous liberal democracy, who thinks the overall influence of the United States in the world is negative is , to borrow a cliche, a few fries short of a Happy Meal.
Take it with a grain of salt. America is the most influencial nation so at any given time it’s likely to be doing more good and more harm than any other nation. A lot easier to have an opinion on america than just about anywhere else.
I think the United States of America is a wonderful influence in that it acts as a model for emulation by countries around the world. But when you start looking at direct American policy, are you really surprised non-Americans are cynical?
American foreign policy on the political side is ambiguous (aka contradictory and often hypocritical) from a moral point of view; clearly most foreign policy decisions are made with “American interests” first and foremost. American policy on international economics is also deeply controversial; again, “American interests” are served first and foremost. American environmental policies? American policies on trade and currency?