Poll Shows Low Global Opinion Of U.S.
By CBSNews.com's Jennifer Hoar
Not only has global disapproval of the United States and its policies worsened, but confidence in the international system and many of the world's leaders has significantly dissipated as well.
These conclusions, and many others on international affairs, are presented in the findings of an extensive survey by the Pew Research Center. Over 45,000 interviews were conducted in 47 countries for the "Global Attitudes Survey," released Wednesday.
Support for the U.S. and its policies has fallen, both in the Middle East as well as in countries that traditionally ally themselves with the U.S. Spain's confidence in President Bush's leadership, for instance, fell to 7 percent, the poll reveals. That abysmal approval rating wasn't even what shocked former Senator and Ambassador John Danforth, who spoke at a press conference where the Pew report was presented.
"When the plurality of people in Israel say the U.S. is too supportive [of their country], it's as though the message is 'we can't do anything right to anybody ever,'" Danforth said.
The cheese does not stand alone, however. Or, as Danforth put it, this poll shows that "misery loves company."
Indeed, according to Pew statistics, Russia and China do not fare well at all. Russian President Vladimir Putin had diminished approval ratings among his European neighbors. (Of course, in Russia itself, support for Putin increased to 84 percent.) Additionally, much of the world worries about China's increasing military capabilities and economic might.
Militaries, economies and presidents aside, the poll underscores a profound global mistrust for the international system and its dominant powers to solve problems. That, at least, is what most perturbs former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who was a featured panelist alongside Danforth at the Pew news conference.
"What I find most troubling," Albright said, "is that the international system has broken down, according to these numbers." What's more, she added, is that there "is no alternative view, just a dissatisfaction."
While there is a decent amount of consensus on what constitute health and security threats in today's world – nuclear weapons, environmental pollution and AIDS, to name a few – there is no clarity on how those problems are to be addressed.
"The message is one of paralysis," Danforth said, because "there's a difference between identifying a problem and doing something about it."
The results of the poll belie any sense of unity or certainty about who is to step up and take responsibility for righting the wrong. Albright characterized the situation as one of "nihilism."
What is it going to take to improve this state of affairs, especially for the United States?
That's somewhat complicated. In Albright's opinion, it would be myopic to look to the 2008 election as the main source of hope. "Mistrust of the major powers is not something that can be changed overnight by any new president," she said.
What should start immediately, Danforth said, is elevating the visibility of one question: Who is responsible?
By Jennifer Hoar