Polls Show Worsening of U.S. Reputation
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| Fri, 10-15-2004 - 1:43pm |
By BETH GARDINER
LONDON (AP) - America's reputation around the world is hurting, according to a series of coordinated polls published Friday from 10 countries, including many of the United States' closest allies.
In eight of the countries where the surveys commissioned by major newspapers were conducted, more people said their view of America had worsened in the past two to three years than improved. That question was asked in nine countries.
By big margins, those questioned said the war in Iraq did not aid the global fight against terrorism.
And in eight out of 10 nations, those polled said - often in landslide proportions - that they hoped to see Democrat John Kerry beat President Bush in next month's election. Bush won backing from a majority of respondents only in Russia and Israel.
The polls were conducted in Canada, France, Britain, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Mexico, Israel and Russia, with results to be published in the participating newspapers on Friday. Not all questions were asked in every country.
On average, 57 percent of those questioned said their opinions of America had worsened over the past two to three years, compared with 20 percent who said their view had improved. That question was asked in nine of the countries, but not in Russia.
Seventy-four percent of Japanese, 70 percent of French, 67 percent of South Koreans, 64 percent of Canadians and 60 percent of Spaniards said they had a worse opinion of America now than two to three years ago.
Only in Israel did more people say their view of the United States had improved than worsened in the past two to three years.
In that period, which began just after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the United States has led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. While much of the international community backed the invasion to oust the Taliban, Bush's decision to invade Iraq has fueled anger around the world.
However, many of those polled separated their feelings about the U.S. government from their views of the American people. Sixty-eight percent said they had a favorable opinion of Americans.
Asked whether American democracy remained a model for other nations, 52 percent of those asked said yes and 42 percent said no.
In Britain, Mexico and South Korea, more people thought the United States was no longer a model, while in Canada, Russia, Japan and Israel, majorities said it was.
Fifty-nine percent of people questioned in seven nations - including Britain, America's closest ally in Iraq - said the war there was not helping the world fight against terrorism, while 35 percent said it was, as Bush contends.
People in all 10 countries were asked who they hoped to see win the White House on Nov. 2, and the result will make Kerry wish they had a vote.
The Democrat was favored by healthy to enormous majorities in eight of the nations - 72 percent supported him, compared with 16 percent for Bush in France.
In South Korea, it was 68 percent for Kerry and 18 percent for Bush; in Canada, 60 percent to 20 percent; in Spain, 58 percent to 13 percent; in Australia 54 percent to 28 percent; and in Britain 50 percent to 22 percent.
Bush came out on top in Israel by a margin of 50 percent to 24 percent and in Russia, 52 percent to 48 percent.
The newspapers involved were La Presse in Canada, Le Monde in France, the Guardian in Britain, El Pais in Spain, Asahi Shimbun in Japan, JoongAng Ilbo in South Korea, the Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne Age in Australia, Reforma in Mexico, Haaretz in Israel and the Moscow News in Russia.
The sample sizes in the 10 polls varied from 522 people in Israel to 1,417 in Australia. Margins of error were mostly around 3 percentage points, but varied between 2.6 and 4.38.
The polls were conducted on different dates from September through early October.
(UPDATES grafs 2, 7, 8 to correct that people in eight countries, sted seven, say views of America have worsened, per corrected information from newspaper; minor edits throughout.)
10/15/04 08:37
© Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained In this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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If it were not for the US led removal of Hussein, this program would not have really come to light, and we would not have the list of payoffs to the named people in that program, which include the former head of the Oil for Food program, and Kofi Annan's son.
This has something to do with it, but not everything.
Not to mention, russia gave the US some of the highest marks of all the countries surveyed-
And from what I've read, I'm not sure you should be including Germany in your list regarding the oil for food issue.
Or do you already have your opinion made up before you hear the issue?
If you watch Moore's film you will realize that he is not promoting anti-US sentiments, but trying to publicize the terrible things our country and countrymen are enduring at the hands of Bush.
I, as a liberal, am truly sick and tired of hearing that just because we do not endorse Bush's unjust actions or the Bush administration itself that we are less patriotic or that we care less about our country. We simply realize the extent to which we are suffering as a country from the actions or inactions of our current president and are deeply saddened by the perception of America and Americans by people around the world.
This past year our country and its leaders have displayed some of the worst behavior in history. People have been mislead, our fellow citezans are DYING for a completely unneccessary cause, Americans are ignoring what is going on in other countries (not only Iraq, but Sudan and Rwanda as well as Palestine) in addition to ignoring what is going on around them (Stripping homosexuals of their rights and the more running of the school system into the ground). Democrats are not hating America. We, as proud Americans, are ashamed of things that are going on the we know are WRONG in our country and we are outraged and want things to CHANGE!!!
My negative view of American policy have nothing to do whether anyone in your country agrees with it or not. I am capable of making up my own mind and I say George's policies stink. There was a reason to go in to Afghanistan, George fabricated a reason for going into Iraq. He also threatened anyone who didn't agree with him. People standing on the outside, like myself, fear the policies of George and his cohorts. I see an eroding of freedoms within the US and a military threat from his foreign policy. And a majority of my countrymen agree.
You may care less, but that is the situation.
I'm so sick of hearing this stupid argument. That's why people are trying to get into our country. Because they don't like us, right? Sorry, I don't buy it.
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