Arab attitudes toward U.S. grow more negative: (James Zogby) poll ***Barf Alert***

Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 12/14/06 | David Alexander

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new survey shows Arab attitudes toward American people, products and culture grew increasingly negative last year, a finding that underscores the need for a change in U.S. Mideast policy, a leading expert on the region said on Thursday.

James Zogby, the head of the Arab American Institute, said the annual survey of opinion in five Arab countries found that U.S. policy toward Iraq and the Palestinian conflict were the main issues driving deteriorating Arab opinion.

"Our policies have not only had a worsening impact in terms of attitudes toward us but also in dampening confidence in the prospects for development and political stability and are therefore, I think, a real concern to countries in the region," Zogby said.

In previous years, Americans themselves had been viewed positively in most Arab countries, his group said.

President George W. Bush is preparing a change of course for the Iraq war after a bipartisan panel said U.S. strategy was not working and warned that Washington was losing its influence in the region.

The panel, led by former Secretary of State James Baker and former Democratic Rep. Lee Hamilton, also called for a renewed U.S. effort to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a way to defuse regional tensions.

"What the poll says to me is Baker-Hamilton are right," Zogby said.

"If America wants to salvage itself and improve its standing and get the credibility and legitimacy it needs to lead in Iraq, it needs to do something to earn the trust of allies in the broader region," he said.

The survey released by the Arab American Institute found that more than 80 percent of people in Saudi Arabia and Egypt had negative opinions of the United States, similar to previous years, but attitudes worsened in Morocco, Jordan and Lebanon.

The biggest increases were in Jordan, where negative U.S. ratings climbed to 90 percent from 62 percent and Morocco, where they grew to 87 percent from 64 percent.

Attitudes toward American people, movies and democracy were more negative than positive in most of the five countries.

Only U.S. education was viewed more positively than negatively in the five countries.

Notably, residents had negative attitudes toward most U.S. policy in the region. Opinions were most negative about the Iraq war and the Palestinian conflict, but also opposed the United States' policy on Lebanon, its promotion of democracy in the region and its challenge of Iran's nuclear program.

The surveys were conducted in mid-November in face-to-face interviews. Sample size ranged from 600 to 800 in each country, and the margin of error for each sample was between 3.5 percent and 4.7 percent.

[Harry Pothead]

NEW YORK (DPI) - A new poll shows that Americans are not overly concerned about a recent poll of non-Americans that showed that world opinion of the U.S is falling among snooty Euro-trash ingrates and barefooted baby-popping primitives. The initial poll included people whose asses we either bailed out or kicked in the last couple of world wars, as well as denizens of sweaty third-world hell holes that lack the resources and technology to produce a dependable bottle opener. The follow-up poll of average Americans found 98% either "don't give a shit" or "favor using military force to take whatever foreigners have that we might want."

[tomnbeverly]

Oh thats right and they loved us in the 70's, 80's and 90's... get real... .

[RightWhale]

That is the rate in Alaska, which used to be considered one of the top states for education and number 1 in average education (13+ years). I don't know where it ranks now.

[sazerac]

Imagine my concern.

[wastedyears]

I can kinda attest to that.

[zerosix]

Of course, that 46% dropout is only the average. It's much lower in most major cities and if one were to exclude the Blue States, the average would jump - of course the opposite is also true.

[OldFriend]

Waiting for a poll on what Americans think of the arabs.

[libs_kma]

2 words: Good! Bye!

[rightandproud]

Take for example the following story from 1944:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new survey shows Japanese attitudes toward American people, products and culture grew increasingly negative last year, a finding that underscores the need for a change in U.S. Pacific policy, a leading expert on the region said on Thursday.

James Zogbytanaka, the head of the Japanese American Institute, said the annual survey of opinion in five Japanese provinces found that U.S. policy toward Japan and WWII were the main issues driving deteriorating Japanese opinion.

"Our policies have not only had a worsening impact in terms of attitudes toward us but also in dampening confidence in the prospects for development and political stability and are therefore, I think, a real concern to provinces in the region," Zogby said.

Basically Zogby, you indisputable putz, who gives a flying #@@## what your agenda driven survey says or how our enemies "feel" about us?

Gawd, we need to arrest and deal with these 5th Column members already.....

[magslinger]

And yet they are busting the door down to get here.

I believe I detect the subtle fragrance of male bovine excrement.

[Natural Law]

Two questions:

1) How could it get any worse?

2) Who gives a sh*t?

[mjp]

In previous years, Americans themselves had been viewed positively in most Arab countries

And this helped us how? What was the evidence of this?

[Rummyfan]

Awww ... that's a shame. NOT!!!!

[Brilliant]

My attitude toward Arabs went downhill precipitously on Sept 11, 2001. Has been going down pretty steadily ever since.

[Jaysun]

I didn't know it was possible to get more negative than: "We want to kill you, white devils. And your Jewish pals too."

[Last Laugh]

a finding that underscores the need for a change in U.S. Mideast policy,

My attitude towards A-rabs is growing increasingly negative as well. I suggest this policy change: SCORCH & BURN.

[dhuffman@awod.com]

I don't give a snit about their attitude. I do care that our American attitude is manipulated by democrats while democracy is the rule of fools by fools.

Either we are equal or we are not. Good people ought to be armed where they will, with wits and guns. NRA KMA Merry Christmas

[glorgau]

Boson! More lashings until morale improves!

[AmericanChef]

Now, see...lefty "logic" just never gets questioned. Here they are, expecting the U.S. to "improve", because clearly the lefties think we CAN improve. On the other hand, they never expect anything better from Arabs or muzzies (or blacks, or Mexicans, or whoever!), apparently, because they're, what? Born that way? So it's never up to them to improve themselves and make themselves more attractive to US.

Bigotry runs deep on their side.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

What the poll says to me is Baker-Hamilton are right," Zogby said.

What Zogby says to me is "I am a complete idiot".

A poll of attitudes in the U.S. is one thing, a poll of attitudes in the Arab world is something completely different. I would say that you have to consider that an opinion poll of individual attitudes in societies where there is a highly constrained sense of literacy, government propaganda networks, theocratic dogma if not direct rule, etc. - is something that borders on meaningless. Why we should care what they think, given the limited realm of information and decision-making within which they form opinions - is beyond me.