An America The World Can Love

This topic has been hashed around in various ways in the old ATS political forums, but I want to call special attention to it in the new forums.

Anyone surfing the 'Net these days is unlikely to miss the numerous complaints non-Americans have about us, our nation and how we deal with the world.

It seems there is no shortage of advice from non-Americans about how we could make ourselves more acceptable to the world. The problem is that a lot of that advice conflicts.

The challenge: Create a comprehensive set of U.S. policies that will satisfy at least 51% of America's critics.

Can it be done? I say it cannot, that there are too many conflicting demands made upon us, and that we can't please everyone, so we may as well please ourselves.

However, there seem to be many Americans who think we can accomplish what I consider to be impossible.

Can you create an America the world would love? What can America do to make this a reality?

Your request is lacking in one area: The majority of criticism of current US policy comes from within the US, and not without.

What kind of challenge is it to satisfy 51% of external critics? What is the point?

I would suggest one step along the path to good 'foreign relations'. It comes from that great American (Samoan), Dwayne Johnson aka Rocky Maivia aka The Rock: "Know Your Role". LOL.

I am sorry you created your topic to be so self-defeating. Try to be less divisive, more inclusive, rather than modelling on the great uniter George W Bush.

Originally posted by MaskedAvatar
I am sorry you created your topic to be so self-defeating.

I'm hoping someone can prove me wrong. Will it be you?

While we disagree on a wide variety of things, I know you are not a fool. How would you approach this challenge?

And assume, if you like, that you need only satisfy 51% of the foreign critics of America, and that all Americans would automatically agree with your policies in a shocking and unanticipated wave of American interest in world opinion (although we know that will never happen).

How should America do things differently in the world?

The best way for the US to be viewed in a more positive way by its foreign 'friends' would be to be less agressive and more diplomatic in solving intenational conflicts.

US aggresion is the biggest annoyance to other world nations, as it disrupts not only the country being invaded but also the whole region and many different countries around the world.

The world doesnt care about US domestic policies as that is your business and rarely affects the rest of the world. Its the foreign policy that needs to be re-vamped to create an american the world looks up to. The world loved the US in Clintons reign, its really been over the last 4 years that the world has turned its back on the USA.

Also the US should practice what it preaches more often... stop preaching human rights while your administration is denying many in its custody those very rights it invades people for.

I belive that the best way that US relations with the rest of the world will improve now is a massive media campain. In the US and throughout the world people get up to date news from telivision programs. The proplem is that these "news" telivision programs are trying to get people to watch their show. They are programs after all and need viewers to stay on the air. To keep people watching they put up the most dramatic things they can find. An example is the war in Iraq. European and US news programs always show what is going wrong in Iraq. Every time you turn on the news you see that more soldiers or civilians getting killed. What you do not see is the things that are going right in Iraq. Schools and hospitals are getting built. People are recieving aid and care in many places. The reason we do not see this on telivision is because it is not entaining or exciting. What the US needs to do is fund more news programs that try to tell a more balance story. This is happening right now with a few new arab news programs but what the US spent on them is just a drop in the bucket to what they could spend. An all out media assualt would help to cause some of the ill feelings about the US go away. British soldiers in Iraq have been saying that they now longer watch the BBC news. The reason is because it makes them look like bad people. All the news shows is death and not the new life. If people don't believe me than just turn on the telivision and watch.

Excuse me people....

THIS IS OUR PROBLEM.................

* John Quincy Adams address as Secretary of State (July 4, 1821).

She has abstained from interference in the concerns of others, even when conflict has been for principles to which she clings, as to the last vital drop that visits the heart. She has seen that probably for centuries to come, all the contests of that Aceldama the European world, will be contests of inveterate power, and emerging right. Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy.

She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own. She will commend the general cause by the countenance of her voice, and the benignant sympathy of her example. She well knows that by once enlisting under other banners than her own, were they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extrication, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy, and ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom. The fundamental maxims of her policy would insensibly change from liberty to force...





She might become the dictatress of the world. She would be no longer the ruler of her own spirit... [America's] glory is not dominion, but liberty.


Our current foreign policy is what breeds animosity and hatred...........
Before that it was the so called arrogance American's had...
Before that it was the liberty
Before that it was the fight for liberty

Face it, America will always be hated.... The greatest experiment is the greatest hated... It's easy to hate something you are not a part of........
And now in this day of age America is hated because foreign policy has become the nosey neighbor and a pushy neighbour to boot.

[edit on 2-12-2004 by TrueLies]

And the neighbour that kills your wife, children and other assorted family members, destabilises your government for their own selfish reasons, supports terrorism when it is in it's own interests, props up dictatorships, sells WMD to countries, incites them to war then invades them and does whatever the hell it wants with no thought to the rest of the world.


Majic's Political Easter Egg: Be the first to post the name of the 34th President of the United States in this thread and send Majic a U2U with a link to your post, and you will be awarded 500 PTS points.

[edit on 7/15/2006 by Majic]

JETSETTER

I doubt a mass propaganda campaign would be very succesful on its own. Poeple hate the US, and anything saying the US is good is usually scorned and ignored. I dont like the US at the moment but i do read up on the good and bad thigs they do... unfortunately the bad outweighs the good, and the fact they could do alot more good but choose not to also gives them a bad mark.

What the US needs to do is to give more aid, and help poor people live better lives instead of invading their countries. The US is currently making more 'terrorists' with their actions than they're killing. If they gave the people food drops and created jobs and built infastructure WITHOUT' first destroying everything, they would be much more succesful. The fact they are giving alot of aid to the Iraqi people is good... but take into account rthey right royally #ed the country with Bush's little invasion, so fixing it is the least they could do.

But where do you think those terrorists are getting their feelings from? Its the media. Almost every news programing in the Middle East are playing to the current feelings about America. They bring on the people who want to destroy the US and are not objective. The plan I am speaking of would involve giving money to help networks that are just starting up. They would br objective and help to tell the truth. They have already done that with a few networks. They need to fund more. And yes the US does give billions apon billions to help with aid. Also, the rebuilding just started. You think a few years is a long time? It will take many to fully rebuild. Rebuilding is not easy.

[edit on 12/3/04 by jetsetter]

Majic's Political Easter Egg: Be the first to post the name of the 34th President of the United States in this thread and send Majic a U2U with a link to your post, and you will be awarded 500 PTS points.

[edit on 7/15/2006 by Majic]

Dwight David Eisenhower - 34th President of the United States.

Originally posted by specialasianX
US aggresion is the biggest annoyance to other world nations, as it disrupts not only the country being invaded but also the whole region and many different countries around the world.

What was the largest annoyance by the rest of the world's nations when Iraq was not invaded? I know this "annoyance" for America is not new.

I don't believe there is anyway you could do this Majic. As soon as you created a set of policies to satisfy 51% of the World...they would probably just change their minds and want a new set of policies.

You don't have the guts to be what you wanna be. You need people like me. You need people like me so you can point your fingers, and say "that's the bad guy."
So, what dat make you? Good?
You're not good; you just know how to hide. Howda lie.
Me, I don't have that problem. Me, I always tell the truth--even when I lie.
So say goodnight to the bad guy. Come on; the last time you gonna see a bad guy like this, let me tell ya.
Come on, make way for the bad guy. There's a bad guy comin' through; you better get outta his way!"
-Tony Montana, aka "Scarface".


Americans do the dirty work for the rest of the world, and they ride our coat tails. They drink coffee that was grown in famine-stricken nations the same as us. They work the weapons blackmarket, same as us. They consume too much oil, like us. When they don't come along for our wars, they certainly never stand in our way. They could have stopped us. They could have fielded separating forces. They could have imposed sanctions. They were never interested in stopping us. They were interested in being seen damning us.

America is the poster child for the sins of European civilization. We didn't invent it, we didn't implement it, we don't carry the torch alone. We're the frontman, everyone else quietly pays their tribute and takes their cut of the plunder, then talks a good fight for the benefit of their citizens. Fact of the matter is, if confronted with the truth, that their quality of life will suffer if America gives up the plundering, those foreign citizens would stop complaining.

There's no making them happy- this is how it's meant to be. This is how the system works. They were meant to be lied to, they will be lied to, nothing will change.

Everybody else is on the recieving end of this massive economic act of carnal knowledge so I really doubt they'll come around to our way of seeing things unless we can find a way to cut them in on the profits without blowing our margins.

And that's that. Make way for the bad guy.

[edit on 17-7-2006 by The Vagabond]

And that America can be found here:

politics.abovetopsecret.com...

P.T. Barnum Monkeys, not just for shameless plugs anymore...

Off topic, but my heart skipped a beat when i saw Masked Avatar. I thought it was a new post. Where did that boy go? I miss him.

First of all you have to bear in mind that some policys will have a 4/8 year cycle.

Now to deal with the leaders, supporters and policys in the current eight year cycle.
The current crop of US leaders and there supporters have gone out of there way to alienate any moderates who might have supported the current admin.
As for the current crop of leaders you cant go around making staements such as" your thinking of old Europe " , " your either with us and your for freedom or your against us" and expect anyone but your hardcore supporters to like you.

If that wasnt enough the current crop of leaders have shown gross incomptance and they still have a job.

So if American leaders want the support of Non Americans who dont take sides on the political spectrum they need to hire/fire people based on there performance. Ideas behind current policys need to be outlined to people without anybody chucking a wobbly and the ideas need to be outlined from the start. If this isnt done any credibility that the leaders in question have gose down the toliet.


Now many of the current admin supporters suffer from what I call the parnoia of the American right. Instead of questioning the actions of there leaders they blame the media for any problems that there leaders incomptance has caused. They claim that the US is spreading freedom and yet in the next breath they label anyone who dosnt agree with them a traitor. Even Hollywood gets bashed for not towing the line. The only reason people act like this is to cover up the facts.

If many of the current admin supporters started to living there lives in reality people like me might actually take what they say seriously.

As for current US policy it smacks of idealism and ignores any of the flaws and problems that have arised the result is a short - medium term disaster.






[edit on 17-7-2006 by xpert11]

The Vagabond you have put it perfectly as always . Other countries complain and whine yet don't when they take part in the plunder. If it wasn't for America, what fighting chance would the West have?

Majic's Political Easter Eggs

Originally posted by JohnDoe43
Dwight David Eisenhower - 34th President of the United States.

Correct! Everybody Likes Ike.

500 PTS Points!

Gosh darn it. I never make it on time to answer the questions.

Good posts Vagabond

IMO, the world can be compared to a Big Brother house (stick with me here!). The loudest people in the house are generally the most hated and are evicted and percieved as being bad on most occasions. Those who are quiet and sit on the fence do not get voted out, they won't win the game but they will be there till the end as people have little reason/ excuse to vote them out over a hated member.

The 'war on terrorism' and 'axis of evil' scenario can be compared to the loudmouth of the group, shouting out about controversial and wrong cause. As the editors edit out the best bits- so does the media in many opposing countries, showing the loudmouth for what they are loud and the bullying of 'innocents'.

I hope this makes sense, but I think it is quite an accurate and a simple anology of the hatred directed towards the US.