President Bush's Bad Reputation
Around The World, People See The President As An Extension Of America's Arrogance
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Arrogance Precedes Bush
Jim Axelrod reports on the 'arrogant' reputation that President Bush has developed throughout the world.
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President Bush and by extension the United States is viewed unfavorably by many people around the world because of his unilateral policies. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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Photo Essay
Indonesia Visit
President Bush and wife Laura visit an important ally in the war on terror during Asia tour.
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Photo Essay
Vietnam Visit
In Hanoi for APEC summit, Bush becomes second U.S president to visit post-war Vietnam
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Photo Essay
Protests In Indonesia
A quick visit by President Bush sparks marching and outcries in the streets.
In Southeast Asia, Bush tried very hard to win over his hosts. He played native instruments, watched native dancers and even tried on native clothes. But Bush's earthy diplomacy conducted mid-munch at the G-8 Summit in July or his unsolicited shoulder rub of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, hasn't played well around the world.
From Britain to China, Bush is the "go-it-alone cowboy" to much of the world, leading the United States in the direction he wants, regardless of what anyone else thinks.
"He is too arrogant about the image of the U.S in the world," a young man in Beijing China told CBS White House correspondent Jim Axelrod.
The natural extension of this negative view of Bush in the eyes of the world is a negative view of the U.S. That view is not just isolated to the Muslim world, where 30 percent of Indonesians and Egyptians polled had a negative opinion of the U.S., but to 23 percent of people in Spain. Less than 50 percent of those polled in France, Germany, Russia and China had favorable opinions of the U.S.
Andrew Kohut, who conducts the annual Pew Institute Global Attitudes Survey — a study of anti-Americanism in 16 nations -- says the study shows broad dislike driven by the war on terror.
"This sounds very strange to an American ear but when we go out and we question people, the depths of concern about American policies put us on a plane with the real bad guys of the axis of evil," he said.
"The United States is seen as conducting a unilateral foreign policy. There's resentment and suspicion in American power now that America has been on the defensive in the war on terror — "go it alone" at a time when America is unrivaled militarily. Many people around the world think Americans do what they can do, what they want to do, and they're not taking into account our interests or the interests of other people."
Anti-Americanism isn't static. In Asia, America's image rose markedly after U.S. aid poured in following the 2004 tsunami. It isn't permanent, either. Just five years ago, for instance, international opinions of the U.S. were much more sympathetic. Many people around the world wanted to help the United States after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.
The president would argue that those attacks changed everything, but world opinion is a bit more discerning. Polls show that in much of the rest of the world, there was general approval for one part of Bush's response to 9/11; The war in Afghanistan made sense and seemed proportionate. But Iraq is a different story in the eyes of the world, said London School of Economics professor John Cox.
"I don't think there's much recuperable there," Cox said, "until the situation in Iraq is recovered and we have a new president in the White House. It is very difficult to think of a fundamental renaissance, if you like, happening without it."
Polls suggest that humility would most help America's image, something espoused by then-Governor Bush as a candidate for President in 2000.
"If we're an arrogant nation they'll resent us," he said then. "If we're a humble nation but strong, they'll welcome us. Our nation stands alone right now in terms of power. And that's why we've got to be humble. One way for us to end up being viewed as the 'Ugly American' is for us to go around the world saying, 'We do it this way, so should you.'"
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 73 Commentshttp://www.theweeklydonut.org/index.php/2006/11/22/how-can-one-not-think-dumb-***/
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We are mortgaging several generations of americans to finance Bush's war.
It's just as absurd as hating the Cuban people for Castro's rule.
The USA is under the control of a war profiteer and our Constitution and our beliefs have been perverted in order to allow a few large companies (Halliburton, etc...) to profit from their ties with the Bush presidency.
Don't judge Americans by George W. Bush!!
The leaders are truly leading from the rear.
I am an american and this is not bush bashing it is called telling the truth. Maybe you should try it sometime.
I saw through this idiot before he stole the oval office the first time.
However after re-electing him in 2004, possible voting fraud notwithstanding, America became fully complicity in everything he did in his first term and later in his second term. We have no one to blame but our selves.
As I have said before, I didn%u2019t vote for him in either election, But America is now responsible and as an American that includes me. We made a good start in the 2006 midterm elections, but only a start.
To regain our hard-earned world respect we must return to acting responsibly and respectfully.
The same holds true for our policies at home, which may prove much harder to achieve than foreign policy change. The biggest rotten apple in the political election barrel is the Hugh amounts of money donated by large corporations.
Since the Supreme Court has ruled that corporations have the same rights to donate as individual voters the only way to change that ruling is by constitutional amendment. And since corporations practically own our representatives any such amendment may not be possible, unless voters are allowed to initiate an amendment by gathering sufficient numbers of signatures without congressional approval. I don%u2019t know if that is allowed or not.
p.s.Go see Borat and world manipulation.Our nation is in great danger and we face great challanges and sacrifice(and in my mind "God forgive me cause I've sinned but what a hell who believes in God anyway.I'm the God here ,I have the ultimate power, I can go to Mars")
We (all of us) are being judged by his performance, and it's an ego driven, alpha male, I'm the only one who is correct voice. We will be paying finacially and standing wise in the eyes of the rest of the world for many years for Mr Bush's actions.
Those who think that how we are viewed by the rest of the world seem to ignore that the world has changed, look at our trading partners (and if you don't know who they are simply look at where all the items we use daily are from) We need good relations and the respect of the worlds countries just to continue offering what we have here.
On CBS Sunday Morning today there was an interesting bit of information. We spend 139 million on the Peace Corps we spend Billions to wage war. Is this what we want to be known for.
The promised investigations of the Bush administration must begin. We must show the world we are not all of the same mold.
Being a Vietnam vet I supprot our tropps and people, but that does not mean I have to support or President or his self made policies. It's time to look in the mirror, we elected Mr. Bush or we allowed him to be elected by not voting or believed the lies he presented.
As long as we are not respected by our neighbors around the world, America will never be a safe country.
"If we're an arrogant nation they'll resent us," he said then. "If we're a humble nation but strong, they'll welcome us. Our nation stands alone right now in terms of power. And that's why we've got to be humble. One way for us to end up being viewed as the 'Ugly American' is for us to go around the world saying, 'We do it this way, so should you.'"
Arrogant, out of touch, and illegally "elected".
Thank God we are finally waking up and seeing Bush/Cheney for the war profiteers they really are.
Bush is as divisive as any leader can be and he cannot lead effectively when the entire world (including 64% of our population) HATES him.
He needs to resign...
"No president, though all of American history, has ever ceded, and nor would I, the right to preempt in any way necessary to protect the United States of America. But if and when you do it, Jim, you have to do it in a way that passes the test, that passes the global test where your countrymen, your people understand fully why you're doing what you're doing and you can prove to the world that you did it for legitimate reasons."
John Kerry, in his debate with Bush, at Coral Gables, 9/30/2004
[Don't blame me. I voted for Kerry/Edwards.]
The damage this president has done to our country in every way will take decades to reverse.
Iraq is in a shambles and Afghanistan isn't much better. The Soviets failed in Afghanistan and lost 18,000 soldiers before they got out. How many Americans will die before we wake up and get out of Iraq and Afghanistan?
The arrogant Bush gang deliberately conflated it with the other meaning of the word, referring to the Globe of the earth, and cynically twisted its meaning into: "I'll get the permission of France before I defend America."
That was more than a distortion; it was an outright lie.
They never quoted the first part: "No president, though all of American history, has ever ceded, and nor would I, the right to preempt in any way necessary to protect the United States of America."
The arrogant Bush gang are a pack of liars.
this Iraq fiasco he created, our national debt has DOUBLED from 5 to 10 trillion dollars in just the 6 years this moron and his regime have been in power.
5 trillion dollars squandered on Iraq with no end in sight, imagine what 5 trillion dollars could have done, how about CANCER and heart disease research to save lives with CURES? Medical care for all which we "couldn't afford" but we were somehow able to cough up 5 trillion bucks on an illegal ill conceived war!
How about homes for all the homeless people living in cardboard boxes in parks and the street? Job training? How about a novel idea like one trillion dollars invested into REAL alternative energy development so we get off the oil in the first place so we arent held hostage?
That is right, it will take decades to undo what this moron did and that 5 trillion will NEVER be paid off it will only grow out of control.
good combination for a president. He should get another job.
As a gop guy, I am GLAD we lost the last election because we deserved to lose. Look at all the scandal and corruption in our party. Let's clean our house and start over, and come back stronger, and come back to the true values that makes our party great. Let's NOT be like the dems, who will stand by and defend their dirty diapers no matter what the cost. GODSPEED AND ENJOY.......
Let me tell you that half of the American voters did not vote for him.
We do not like his arrogance, his foreign policy, and the people his has selected as his advisors.
We have now voted him and his coterie out of office but, unfortunately, we must live with him for two more years.
We too are anxious for him to leave office so that we may correct all the wrongs that have happened during his reign.
Don't hate us all for the terrible actions of a few.
Margaret
QUOTE: (not me, but God said this:)
"Dan 4:16-17
6 Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.
17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
KJV
What can I say? "Oh, well."
Margaret
I didn't see any balls on bush or cheney during vietnam, just who are you talking about. ***
Hello;
The first time I saw the face of Bush in U.S. News and World Report, I saw the face of ARROGANCE. And instantly, I did not see good things to come.
Unlike his father, who ENLISTED the support of the rest of the world... including SYRIA during our first foray into Iraq, he made the mistake of "going it alone" which clearly was a mistake.
Now, "the coalition of the willing" is starting to UNRAVEL, and is starting to become "The coalition of the UNWILLING."
And everyone is starting to realize that a mistake was made. And as I said before, we HAVE DONE our job in IRAQ. It's time to "go it alone".... ALL THE WAY HOME.
This is one reason I DID NOT vote for BUSH in the last election of 2004. So, whatever happens in IRAQ, from now on..... my concience is clear.
No matter how technologically advanced a NATION may be, we live in a WORLD COMMUNITY, where the welfare of one nation is as important as the welfare of EVERYONE else. In other words, let's TALK first before pulling out the BIG GUNS.
You see, it's just like playing POKER. You have to know when to "hold"... and then when to "fold", because there is a TIME for everything. And "timing" seems to be everything.
And it is BECOMING clear.
Thanks,
rjm
-Teddy Roosevelt
Bush's father was better them him.During the first GULF WAR,he took all the expenses of war from SAUDIs.This time we are totally screwed both MILITARILY and FINANCIALY.
Iraq was never a noble effort.
This condition is called OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER.
Republicans have serious MENTAL ISSUES.Bush is one example,bushrocks1 is another and REPUBLICAN FOLEY is the ULTIMATE ONE.Nobody can beat REPUBLICAN FOLEY.HE LEADS THE WAY.
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