Outside view of the U.S

Tyler Durden

The Bush administration's claim that Americans are now safer from terrorism ("America is safer, but we are not yet safe" - Tuesday) has been undermined by a poll yesterday showing a significant jump in the number of Americans and Europeans concerned about Islamist extremism and other global threats.

The annual Transatlantic Trends survey, conducted in the US and 12 European countries, records that concern among Americans has risen from 72% last year to 79% this year, and among Europeans from 58% to 66%. The biggest jump in concern about Islamist fundamentalism is in the UK, up 22 points.

Transatlantic Trends, funded by bodies including the German Marshall Fund of the US, conducted phone interviews with 1,000 people in June in 13 countries: the US, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria.

The survey records a steep decline in European support over the last five years for US leadership in world affairs. In 2002, 64% of Europeans took a positive view of the US leadership in world affairs but this has dropped to 37%. Only in three European countries is there a still a majority supporting the US: the Netherlands, Romania and the UK (where opinion is almost evenly divided, 48% positive to 45% negative).

When asked about Mr Bush's leadership in foreign affairs, support drops even further, from 38% who took a positive view in 2002 to only 18% this year.

For the first time since 2002, more Americans (58%) disapprove of Mr Bush's handling of international affairs than approve (40%), reflecting a steady erosion in support for the Iraq war.

Miakal

One thing I learned from Dak, and it's true, is that everyone outside of America is a dirty pinky commie ***.

Dakstang

WC's Resident Redneck

I don't care what the world thinks of us. The world hates us for just about anything we do.

They even hate us for supporting Israel.

I don't base what I do on what others will think about it.

Why should America?

Tyler Durden

Lol. I love posters that have such enlightened "world" views when they've never even stepped outside of their own continent

Jayman

Super Moderator

::Hands Dak a shovel::

Dig a little deeper, friend.

And now, here it is...your moment of Carlin (10/13/2008)


Anything but the Present

America has no now. We're reluctant to acknowledge the present. It's too embarrassing.

Instead, we reach into the past. Our culture is composed of sequels, reruns, remakes, revivals, reissues, rereleases, re-creations, reenactments, adaptations, anniversaries, memorabilia, oldies radio, and nostalgia record collections. World War II has been refought on television so many times, the Germans and Japanese are now drawing residuals.

Of course, being essentially out of shit, we sometiems feel the need to dress up this past preoccupation, as with pathetic references to reruns as "encore presentations".

Dakstang

WC's Resident Redneck

Like I said, I don't care what the rest of the world thinks about us. England is about the only country that we can trust so I don't care what the other countries think.

Jayman

Super Moderator

Did you eat paint chips as a kid or something? Where do you get your views on life??!??!?!

And now, here it is...your moment of Carlin (10/13/2008)


Anything but the Present

America has no now. We're reluctant to acknowledge the present. It's too embarrassing.

Instead, we reach into the past. Our culture is composed of sequels, reruns, remakes, revivals, reissues, rereleases, re-creations, reenactments, adaptations, anniversaries, memorabilia, oldies radio, and nostalgia record collections. World War II has been refought on television so many times, the Germans and Japanese are now drawing residuals.

Of course, being essentially out of shit, we sometiems feel the need to dress up this past preoccupation, as with pathetic references to reruns as "encore presentations".

Mr. Kennedy

I can't blame Dak, why should we care what other countries think about us when they don't like us or care what we think anyways?

I respect people from other countries, but I can't understand why they are bigoted towards the US(especially the ones who teach their kids to think the same way).

Visit and shop for video games at my Amazon-based store, also get discounted HD DVDs while they last.

Miakal

Other countries even hate us for supporting Israel?

Is that a joke?

Tyler Durden

Doubtful. There's no mention of a Polish guy anywhere