some outside perspective...
Jul. 3rd, 2006 04:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chelidonLest anyone delude themselves into thinking BushCo's insanities are seen for anything other than what they are by the outside world, or that America's image hasn't been gravely hurt abroad, see below (thanks to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
alobar). And these are our allies, folks.
-------
Sun Jul 2, 11:12 PM ET
LONDON (AFP) - People in Britain view the United States as a vulgar, crime-ridden society obsessed with money and led by an incompetent president whose Iraq policy is failing, according to a newspaper poll.
The United States is no longer a symbol of hope to Britain and the British no longer have confidence in their transatlantic cousins to lead global affairs, according to the poll published in The Daily Telegraph.
The YouGov poll found that 77 percent of respondents disagreed with the statement that the US is "a beacon of hope for the world".
As Americans prepared to celebrate the 230th anniversary of their independence on Tuesday, the poll found that only 12 percent of Britons trust them to act wisely on the global stage. This is half the number who had faith in the Vietnam-scarred White House of 1975.
A massive 83 percent of those questioned said that the United States doesn't care what the rest of the world thinks.
With much of the worst criticism aimed at the US adminstration, the poll showed that 70 percent of Britons like Americans a lot or a little.
US President George W. Bush fared significantly worse, with just one percent rating him a "great leader" against 77 percent who deemed him a "pretty poor" or "terrible" leader.
More than two-thirds who offered an opinion said America is essentially an imperial power seeking world domination. And 81 per cent of those who took a view said President George W Bush hypocritically championed democracy as a cover for the pursuit of American self-interests.
US policy in Iraq was similarly derided, with only 24 percent saying they felt that the US military action there was helping to bring democracy to the country.
A spokesman for the American embassy said that the poll's findings were contradicted by its own surveys.
"We question the judgment of anyone who asserts the world would be a better place with Saddam still terrorizing his own nation and threatening people well beyond Iraq's borders," the paper quoted the unnamed spokesman as saying.
"With respect to the poll's assertions about American society, we bear some of the blame for not successfully communicating America's extraordinary dynamism.
"But frankly, so do you (the British press)."
In answer to other questions, a majority of the Britons questions described Americans as uncaring, divided by class, awash in violent crime, vulgar, preoccupied with money, ignorant of the outside world, racially divided, uncultured and in the most overwhelming result (90 percent of respondents) dominated by big business.
alobar). And these are our allies, folks.-------
Sun Jul 2, 11:12 PM ET
LONDON (AFP) - People in Britain view the United States as a vulgar, crime-ridden society obsessed with money and led by an incompetent president whose Iraq policy is failing, according to a newspaper poll.
The United States is no longer a symbol of hope to Britain and the British no longer have confidence in their transatlantic cousins to lead global affairs, according to the poll published in The Daily Telegraph.
The YouGov poll found that 77 percent of respondents disagreed with the statement that the US is "a beacon of hope for the world".
As Americans prepared to celebrate the 230th anniversary of their independence on Tuesday, the poll found that only 12 percent of Britons trust them to act wisely on the global stage. This is half the number who had faith in the Vietnam-scarred White House of 1975.
A massive 83 percent of those questioned said that the United States doesn't care what the rest of the world thinks.
With much of the worst criticism aimed at the US adminstration, the poll showed that 70 percent of Britons like Americans a lot or a little.
US President George W. Bush fared significantly worse, with just one percent rating him a "great leader" against 77 percent who deemed him a "pretty poor" or "terrible" leader.
More than two-thirds who offered an opinion said America is essentially an imperial power seeking world domination. And 81 per cent of those who took a view said President George W Bush hypocritically championed democracy as a cover for the pursuit of American self-interests.
US policy in Iraq was similarly derided, with only 24 percent saying they felt that the US military action there was helping to bring democracy to the country.
A spokesman for the American embassy said that the poll's findings were contradicted by its own surveys.
"We question the judgment of anyone who asserts the world would be a better place with Saddam still terrorizing his own nation and threatening people well beyond Iraq's borders," the paper quoted the unnamed spokesman as saying.
"With respect to the poll's assertions about American society, we bear some of the blame for not successfully communicating America's extraordinary dynamism.
"But frankly, so do you (the British press)."
In answer to other questions, a majority of the Britons questions described Americans as uncaring, divided by class, awash in violent crime, vulgar, preoccupied with money, ignorant of the outside world, racially divided, uncultured and in the most overwhelming result (90 percent of respondents) dominated by big business.
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no subject
Date: 2006-07-03 08:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-05 05:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-03 08:39 pm (UTC)of course some of us know that some of you lot are nice to know...
no subject
Date: 2006-07-06 03:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-03 08:56 pm (UTC)To be honest, I'm not sure that was a widespread opinion in the past. The attitudes reported seem a pretty reasonable assessment of the general opinion over here of America for centuries now. :S From the attitude to the "Jonathans" during the Regency through the "over-paid, over-sexed and over here" GIs of WWII into the present day, I'd say that vulgar, preoccupied with money, uncultured and ignorant of the outside world has long been a stereotype of Americans. "Brash" is the word normally used. And of course it has as much truth in it as the portrayals of the British by Hollywood. It just suprises me that it suprises the American press, that we stereotype Americans too.
The result of the questions about people's opinions about Bush & Iraq seem pretty damn accurate to opinions I hear expressed over here, though.
I wouldn't want them as allies
Date: 2006-07-03 10:15 pm (UTC)This coming from the same country that cried over Ronaldo kicking a guy out of the world cup when it was their own guy who stepped on someone else's balls.
This coming from a country that still can't control Ireland (but then they shouldn't be controlling it)
This coming from a country that treats it's colonies and more imporantly, those coming from one of it's colonies, as second-class people.
This coming from a country that has BP.
This coming from a country that defended it's policy of killing Jean Charles de Menezes.
The last sentance could be them looking in a mirror.
Re: I wouldn't want them as allies
Date: 2006-07-04 06:47 am (UTC)As the man said:
"Father, Mother, and Me,
Sister and Auntie say
All the people like us are We,
And every one else is They.
And They live over the sea,
While We live over the way,
But—would you believe it?—They look upon We
As only a sort of They!
We eat pork and beef
With cow-horn-handled knives.
They who gobble Their rice off a leaf
Are horrified out of Their lives;
And They who live up a tree,
And feast on grubs and clay,
(Isn’t it scandalous?) look upon We
As a simply disgusting They!
We shoot birds with a gun.
They stick lions with spears.
Their full-dress is un—.
We dress up to Our ears.
They like Their friends for tea.
We like Our friends to stay;
And, after all that, They look upon We
As an utterly ignorant They
We eat kitcheny food.
We have doors that latch.
They drink milk or blood,
Under an open thatch.
We have Doctors to fee.
They have Wizards to pay.
And (impudent heathen!) They look upon We
As a quite impossible They!
All good people agree,
And all good people say,
All nice people, like Us, are We
And every one else is They
But if you cross over the sea,
Instead of over the way,
You may end by (think of it!) looking on We
As only a sort of They!"
This coming, albeit a little snarkily, from a country that knows how to use the apostrophe.
Re: I wouldn't want them as allies
Date: 2006-07-04 08:02 am (UTC)should wear shades.
It's the hypocrisy I was noting. Governments do represent people, as we all do and even though I personally don't accept them as my own leader(s), Bush and Blair were re-elected, the wrong parties control the houses/parliament (albeit I do like Parliament over my own congress at this point) and last I checked we either put them there or accept they have that position. When I was overseas, I tend to avoid my own nationalities so there's no love lost between myself and my own country. Anyone who spends enough time overseas should know we're not really loved, just tolerated because we have money, and sometimes, power.
Really, it's not like Bush personally killed any Iraqis however, the nameless and faceless government is made up of people who carried out actions which helped further the hate.
Funny about using "they" since the government tends to be a "them".
But the questions weren't asked about Britain.
Date: 2006-07-04 02:48 pm (UTC)I'm in the Midlands area of Gt Britain and anti-Americanism is rife here. I'd certainly agree with everything in the initial article being a fair reflection of the majority opinion in my 'hood. However, Blair hasn't left this unscathed and where I live is a traditionally Labour area, so it's not even simply traditional hatred of the 'other'. A lot of people feel betrayed by him.
Let me rephrase that fer ya a bit
Date: 2006-07-04 06:05 am (UTC)Welcome to the 21st century - the management is not responsible for items lost while on site so please watch your hat and coat...
Re: Let me rephrase that fer ya a bit
Date: 2006-07-04 06:48 am (UTC)