America's Image Abroad

AIR DATE: Friday, April 3rd 2009
POSTED BY: RYAN KNUTSON
Photo credit: showbizsuperstar / Flickr / Creative Commons

America's position as a solitary superpower was under new scrutiny in this G20 summit week, especially considering America's role in the present economic crisis. And while much of the worldwide buzz over the election of the nation's first African-American president has died down, we can't help but wonder: how do people view the U.S. these days?

Bob Willner, executive director of the Oregon International Council, diagnosed the perils of American exceptionalism for me on the phone this week:

The fundamental problem is the U.S.'s viewpoint of 'Our way or the highway' and 'We'll do what we want no matter what.' I think we have to maintain awareness of the fact that we live in a worldwide environment and can't disregard other nations.

President Obama, whose European tour continues on Friday at NATO's 60th anniversary summit, has certainly championed a new era of global interconnectedness. As he wrote in an Op-Ed before the London summit:

This G-20 meeting provides a forum for a new kind of global economic cooperation. Now is the time to work together to restore the sustained growth that can only come from open and stable markets that harness innovation, support entrepreneurship and advance opportunity.

The nations of the world have a stake in one another. The United States is ready to join a global effort on behalf of new jobs and sustainable growth. Together, we can learn the lessons of this crisis, and forge a prosperity that is enduring and secure for the 21st century.

But has our image improved? Undoubtedly, the election of our first African-American president has set a new course in world public opinion. But the Pew Center says that Obama may have an uphill battle fixing "Uncle Sam's image problem." Many people like the man, it turns out. They're less sure about his policies.

How important is global image — for governance, for peace, for prosperity? What are the limitations of "going it alone"? When is consensus more trouble than it's worth?

How do you measure global reactions to American power and policy? How have people reacted to you during your international travels?

GUESTS:

Tagged as: international relations · obama

Photo credit: showbizsuperstar / Flickr / Creative Commons

I spent November and December in Bangladesh, based in the NW corner of the country.  Most young men I spoke with said they were either planning to go or dreaming of going to Pakistan to seek out the Taliban and sign up.  Why?  Because, “America is trying to take away our religion and we must fight!”  Even very poor subsistence farmers and teashop owners asked me over and over, “Why does America want to take away our religion?  We are the poorest people on the planet, why does the richest want to come and take the one thing we have, our religion?”  Also, a response heard over and over was, “We have to fight because we don’t want our daughters becoming Britney Spears drug addict whores like all the rest of America’s daughters.”  When asked if they thought the U.S. would change now that Obama would be in power, they thought that the U.S. would not really change because it is a Christian nation that is trying to wipe out Islam.  

jenny —

I was an English tutor for Saudi Arabian exchange students a few years ago. The more immersed in our culture the students were the more they understood that they were welcome, religion and all. The less immersed students were nervous and fearful that their culture and religion were under fire. Perhaps they would have been in some parts of the country and perhaps that is a problem with our image...Christianity is very vocal in America and it sends the message that America endorses a single religion. I can see how in Islamic countries we are viewed as aggressors against their religion...missionaries don't help much with that image either.

amy-OR —

I'm from Portland, Oregon currently studying abroad in Japan. Before I came to Japan I wondered how people's perceptions of America would be considering the recent election.

http://foodaddi.wordpress.com
helpgodme —

I'm from Portland, Oregon currently studying abroad in Japan. Before I came to Japan I wondered how people's perceptions of America would be considering the recent election. The last time I was abroad was in 2004 right after Bush was re-elected and the anti-American sentiment was very intense. So intense that I started telling people I was Canadian in order to avoid dirty looks or arguments. 

Since I arrived here, I've discovered a lot of anti-American sentiment amongst the other international students but not at all with the Japanese. In fact, Obama's now famous campaign slogan, "Yes we can" is insanely popular here. There's a clothing store near my dorm that sells Obama attire, my favorite being the pair of socks that has Obama's face on it with...yep, you guessed it, "Yes we can!" written all over them.

There's been a few times where I have encountered the good old language barrier where the Japanese person, usually younger, would just yell out "Yes we can!" We'd high five each other and be on our way. I inquired to a friend about why it seems the Japanese are riding the same wave of hope that American's are riding when it comes to Obama. The answer I received was,  "Most Japanese look at America as this powerful nation that leads the rest of the world. When Bush was in office it seemed that you were heading in a "dark" direction. Obama seems like he is going to lead you all out of the dark and into the light. This in turn gives hope to everyone that America will still lead the way." 

Granted, this came from a Japanese student. Now what the other international students from Germany, Britain, Norway and Sweden are saying is a different story. Sometimes I want to pull the Canada card out again.

Nateesh —
  • Deutsche Bank
  • Société Générale
  • Calyon
  • Barclays
  • Rabobank
  • Danske
  • HSBC
  • Royal Bank of Scotland
  • Banco Santander
  • Lloyds Banking Group

    • The EU leader recently called the stimulus plans the "road to hell."  As counter parties of AIG, these banks recieved over 30 billion in US bailout money.  If the US continues to keep our own banking system afloat and dole out money to Europe it certainly is on the road to hell.  European leaders need to realize that they occupy the passenger seat on this little "road trip."  Time to get off their neo-hooverist attitude and open their wallets up too.

    Cubilist —

    Under Bush a significant increase in funding for Africa was in the prevention of HIV, however these increases went primarily to abstinance only education and not to sexual education and contriceptive programs.  No that Obama has reinstated the policy that federal money can fund contriceptive programs does Janet think this is a more realistic approach to HIV prevention in Africa?

    How does Janet feel about this in general?

    Cubilist —

    Come onn he is only one person, oh and btw he is the president of the US not the world. We have enough issues here, why should he go take care of every other counrties problem. All your geusts so far have said he is going to save them all HAHAHAHa.

    oregon606 —

    We have to both Regulate and Stimulate (Invest in our economies) and Cooperate with the rest of the world to change the US image.

    It has turned out that the greatest threat to Western Civilization has been the Conservatism that has been creeping into our governments over the past thirty some years which has inevitably and finally brought the world economy to a stop.

    Conservatism has proved itself to be a failed ideology and now we have to Regulate and Invest our way out of the stunning failure it has brought down on our heads.

    FDR had to Regulate and Stimulate our parents and grandparents out of The Great Depression and now that Conservatism has crept back in and created our new Re-Depression, we have to Regulate and Stimulate-Invest our way out again.

    Let’s finally learn from our past and current problems and get Conservatism out of our governments permanently.

    Tom D Ford —

    Hmmm...

    Desolation —

    Let's remind ourselves that KBR was a company owned by Halliburton, and Dick Cheney was president of Halliburton before he chose himself to be VP and he remained on the KBR payroll all through his term as VP. Cheney gave no-bid cost plus contracts to his company KBR in Kuwait and Iraq. KBR financially raped the American taxpayers with those contracts. Essentially Cheney was creating what Mussolini called the Corporative State, Fascism, the intertwining of Government and Corporations to rule.

    KBR is/was part of the PNAC, The Project for the New American Century, a Neo-Fascist Group which has as it's ideology that it wants to Dominate the World. Remember what the world did when Hitler wanted to Dominate?

    Just ask yourself if you think there is anyone in the world who wants to be Dominated and I think you will find why people around the world so hated the Bush/Cheney administration and their policy of World Domination.

    Tom D Ford —

    PNAC as a viable organization ended in 2006. Its website has recently come back online, but the more substantive story will be the following.

    "What do you do if your previous organization — and the ideology behind it — has become inextricably bound in the public’s imagination to one of the worst foreign policy blunders in American history? Obviously, shut it down, and start a new organization with a new name."

    http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/03/26/project-for-the-rehabilitation-of-neoconservatism/

    BIll Kristol (with fellow neocon Dan Senor and cofounder of PNAC Robert Kagan) launched "PNAC 2.0", The Foreign Policy Initiative.

    Cubilist —

    Cubilist —

    Thanks for your reply.

    Kristol and all of the rest of those PNAC folks ought to be tried for War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity and put in jail for life without any possibility of parole. Bush/Cheney executed the Crimes but Kristol et al were the architects and planners of the Crimes.

    I only write "Life without parole" because I am against the death penalty and I realize that the lawful penalty for  their Crimes is probably the death penalty.

    Tom D Ford —

    I returned recently to the US after living in Asia, mostly in Bangkok for the last decade.  In Bangkok, I lived in an apartment complex with many people working in the foreign embassies from around the world.  The first change in my friends views about the U.S. came with the 2000 election. Generally, their view of that election was that it was stole and they were shocked.  They had no idea we tolerated things like was voter suppression and were disappointed as they learned more.  Needless to say, they didn't like the Iraq war, but the lasting change I saw was not about Bush, but that our democratic institutions were flawed. 

    dcarder —

    Comments are now closed.



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