CBC News special -- What the World Thinks of America

CBC ^ | July 21, 2006 | CBC

[ARA]

Read Below

CBC News special

How do the world's nations relate to the new American Empire?

What the World Thinks of America is an in-depth look at today's central issue in international affairs.

Ten broadcast networks from around the world have contributed in an international first: journalists from each nation have collaborated to bring you essays and discussion about their country's 21st century relationship with the United States. All ten perspectives will be represented in this unprecedented broadcast and Web site.

From politics, military, economics and culture to the challenges, constraints and conditions on America's global command, this cross-cultural, multi-faceted news event asked experts, analysts and ordinary people from all over the globe to tell us What the World Thinks of America.

[prophetic]

the heart of Political Correctness:

Bending yourself into a pretzel and compromising traditional beliefs in the hopeful goal of appeasing some 'offended' party.

[Cobra64]

and yet they keep coming here....

Hey. You stole that from El Rushbo! I'm tellin'. LOL

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

I lived overseas for 9 years (81-85 in Saudi Arabia; 87-91 in Germany). I have traveled to 35 countries (if you count Macao, Hong Hong, Vatican, San Marino, Monaco and Lichtenstein). In Saudi, I lived with many people from the Middle East and East and South Asia. While in Germany, I got to know many Germans, Austrians, Brits and other Europeans. I have spend my life studying the history and culture of the world.
The US is viewed by most Europeans in a positive way, especially, the older people (even in France) when they found out that I was an American went out of their way to thank the USA for what we did in WWII. In the 80s before the Berlin Wall fell, Germans were still in awe of the USA that kept Stalin from the 2/3 of their country that the Soviets did not occupy.
The Middle East is complicated, but many there would love to become Americans, but they generally resent our support for Israel.
To sum it up in a general sense, many in the world are either in awe of American or respect it greatly. What that does to some countries is cause a kind of jealously (especially countries like France, China, Russia) of our country. The Anglo countries like UK, Canada, Australia genuinely appreciate us, since we have many similarities. There are few America haters there (most are on the left). Europeans do sometimes think that we are a little like adolescent in our behavior, and frankly amazed at how fat many Americans have become. Of course most Europeans run into Americans as tourists (frequently senior citizens) or military living in Europe.
In my opinion, radical Islam is the greatest source of hate America. Still, most in the Islamic world have tremendous respect for us and do not hate us.

[goresalooza]

"giterdonitiveness"

LMAO! That should become part of the FR lexicon if it's not already listed. Brilliant, Cripplecreek!

[true_blue_texican]

Yeah, let them come to my house and film "Why This American Doesn't Give a Sh!t."

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

When I was in Saudi, the first place the young military guys wanted to visit was America. They needed their government's approval to visit almost all countries, but the longest bureaucratic wait ( on their end ) was to come here. It could take years.

They did show a strong dislike for our President and hated his foreign policy. BTW, the President was Clinton.

[puppypusher]

As an American I don't much care what the rest of the world thinks about our country,its people or its society.

The world should worry what we think about them.Thats the problem,America has carried the frieght so long for the rest of the worlds parasites that they have become spoiled.

[Blind Eye Jones]

The CBC is loaded with patronage appointments from the Liberal Party. It's their dumping ground for being a good anti-American hack. It's the equivalent of being on welfare for the elite, who can talk about the injustice of it all and have Canadian tax payers dish it out in five and six figure incomes.

[Covenantor]

The rest of the world needs to fear what we think of them.

Just so.

[stylin19a]

not really...I got off of Rush around 1994-95.

Actually, paraphrasing Churchill. (Winston, not Ward)

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

When I was in Riyadh, Reagan was the President and they liked him.

[cfrels]

Thanks, I was wondering what CBC was....not that I care what any media elites or their accolites think about us.

[Porterville]

America's global command... So then, who the F* cares what they think as long as they are kept lusting to be just like we are in every single way. Bunch of losers.

[uglybiker]

Appoint me the King of Bermuda. I'll make sure that the women are walking on the beach only in bikini.

ALL of em?!!

[NZerFromHK]

Their line of reasoning goes like this:

1) The United States of America is more powerful than the rest of teh world combined.

2) Anything France says or does that influences the USA is a bonus, since France is a minnor in comparison.

3) But conversely, anything the US says or does would be the ultimate influencer of France's policies.

4) It is like we elect 120 MPs to New Zealand's Parliament and from these we have cabinet and a government in power. But US actions are, metaphorically speaking, acting like an extra 300 MPs in NZ Parliament. In other words, the things that affact NZ's government policies are the NZ government plus the US government.

5) This goes on for Botswana, Canada, Veneszuela, ... etc.

6) Because of this, each time Americans elect the US president and Congress, they are also electing the Parlaiment of Canada, the Bundestag of Germany, the National Assembly of France by virtue of choosing the US leaders.

7) Which means that virtually, any American actions that act in the US's self-interest will have an extremely large effect on Sweden, Jordan, Bangladesh, Bolivia, you name it, but converse cases are simply not true.

8) Therefore, the US shouldn't act in their own self-interests, while Belgium shouild be given free passes.

This is twisted reasonings, but you can see where their demented minds go.

[cfrels]

The diet starts tomorrow......

[NZerFromHK]

Would the highest commander of US Forces in Germany count as "The Governor of Germany"? ;-) The anti-US Germans like Gunter Grass or Jocakim Fischer no doubt see things in this way.

[EverOnward]

Where's the special that asks Americans what they think about the rest of the world?

[xzins]

I personally know him.

Trust me.

He's no governor.

He is a very kind-hearted, knowledgeable, Christian man.

[Puppage]

What the World Thinks of America

Millions & millions of people risk their lives to make it to America....I submit they think it's a great place to live. I know I do, not that anyone cares about my opinion.