Posted on 01/19/2005 10:06:06 AM PST by knighthawk
Most Europeans surveyed in a BBC World Service poll were not encouraged by the re-election of George W Bush.
In the major countries of western Europe - Germany, France and the UK - clear majorities say his re-election is negative for global security.
Smaller majorities say their overall view of US influence in the world is mainly negative as well.
The Italians are split, mainly negative about Mr Bush, mainly positive about US influence in general.
The only European country to buck the trend completely is Poland, one of the new members of the European Union, where both Mr Bush and the US get positive marks.
Turks unhappy
The main factor behind the generally negative assessment is almost certainly the war in Iraq.
It has always been deeply unpopular with European public opinion, adding to the perception of Mr Bush in Europe as a unilateralist who refuses to listen to his allies.
More bad news for the president comes from Turkey - a traditional ally of the United States and the only Muslim member of Nato.
Eighty two percent of Turks questioned said they were negative about Mr Bush's re-election, the highest number in any country involved in the survey.
It was with such feelings in mind that the Turkish parliament refused to allow American troops to open a second front from Turkish territory during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
It was an unexpected snub, from which US-Turkish relations have yet to recover in full.
By now, we all should know, or ought to know, that whenever the MSM floods the airwaves and newspapers with selective bogus push-polls, they're trying to create public opinion on an issue, not track it. Ask yourself why anyone in middle America should care what the peons in Eurabia think about this issue, or anything else. The majority of the people in middle America don't read the left-wing rags from NY or LA and don't watch their leftist broadcasts anyway. I know my family sure doesn't.
Like who gives a rat's a** about what the Europeans think. It's our country and we will elect who we want as President. I don't see Americans lamenting about the outcome of French or German elections.
I'm suspicious of these polls - especially the one of the UK. You can get whatever result you care to ... so long as you survey the right people. I'd wager these are polls of leftist types, not the average man in the street. My cousin is serving in the Basra area with the British Army and everyone I know back in the UK wholeheartedly supported the overthrow of Saddam. In fact, on my office wall I have a picture taken at a rally greeting Bush when he vistited Northern Ireland. A small child is holding a sign that says Ulster Says Smash Saddam!
well, we know where to bomb next
"Eur-abia is about to have a whole new set of problems on its hands in the very near future. It should be interesting to watch from across the pond."
You're absolutely right. I foresaw this 20-odd years ago, when I visited Europe. How sad that they're finally waking up.
Recently, one British visitor was chatting to CIA Director George Tenet about the Europeans’ role. ‘I’ll tell you exactly what the President said the other day on that very subject,’ said Mr Tenet. ‘He said, “I don’t give a shit what the Europeans think.” ’
Touche.
No kidding. That was exactly my response. WHAT!!?? The TURKS are unhappy??? Stop the damn presses. Everyone to the other side of the country. No one moves until the TURKS, brutality and ignorance personified, tell US what to do. Yessir. We work hard, we're successful, let's give all our money to the butt-stabbing, women beating, hashish smoking, lying, unbathed and corrupt turks.... SHEESH.
hahahahaa... that was good....
And even if most Europeans don't like us there are still a lot that do.
It seems as though the proud people of Poland are some of the USA's truest friends.
Thanks, Poland!
I am sure they will want to know our opinion...
Don't worry we would never call the french away from important matters like supporting Islamic Rebels.
How are you enjoying your cheap chocolate?
"Most Europeans surveyed in a BBC World Service poll were not encouraged by the re-election of George W Bush."
That's because their gravy train of oil for food bribes and illegal arms trade was cut off.
"I hereby apologize for everytime I laughed at or repeated a "Polack" joke."
I remember that when I was a child I heard an awful lot of "Polack" jokes at my public schools. I never could understand why Polish people were always singled out as being especially dumb. I was puzzled by this popular phenomenon. Then, as I got older and came to be aware of the fact that the cultural environment in public schools was created by radical secularist and atheistic communists (regardless of whether or not your average leftist public school teacher was willing to admit this) I saw the light! I realized that Polish people, who remained predominantly Catholic and struggled for years against Stalinist oppression behind the Iron Curtain, engendered a unique wrath and contempt from leftist fellow travelers who couldn't abide the fact that the Poles didn't swallow their secular and communist orthodoxy hook, line, and sinker, but fought this nonsense ongoingly until their ultimate liberation from atheistic communism. In fact, the Polish people were being ridiculed for their faith and virtues, suffering the character assassination and the politics of personal destruction that we've all seen perfected during our lifetimes by the odious leftists of the Democrat party!
Two words: Midnight Express.
The Turks, sheesh!
Same reply I made elsewhere...
These are the same whiners who soiled their pants when RR was president. They didn't want Pershing missiles. They didn't want SDI. They were afraid of the USSR and would rather crawl on thier bellies rather than risk making the Soviets upset.
These same people later partied into the night when the Wall came down. And not a one of them (at least none shown by the American Socialist Propaganda Organs) bothered to thank the man who made it happen.
Today they'd rather crawl on their bellies before terrorists. When Islamism is defeated, they will party into the night. And never thank Bush.
They are "anxious" that Bush is president? Good.
Means we are on the right track.
Brother was stationed there for a while. He HATED it. I got blow by blow every week.
My dad says the "pollack jokes" started during WWII when the Allies freed the Germans camps in Poland (many poles were killed there, as well). Evidently the polish people feigned ignorance (so did everyone else) and it became quite the joke amongst the military posted there. Ashes from human remains raining down on the population every day, but they "didn't know" what was going on. That's what Dad says, anyway.....
Ummmm, yest, and wasn't it these same countries who were terribly upset with Mr. Churchill (the warmonger) who kept warning about Germany and Mr. Hitler? Why yes, I believe it was.
I think that there is a fear in Europe about loosing relevancy. Europe chose security, for historical reasons, and as Old Ben said (loosely), "You can be FRee or secure, may the chains hang lightly.
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