Survey Result Shows The US To Be Biggest Global Peace Threat

I agree with you Dubious_Skunk, the Bush administration has created more unstability in the middle-east since we over there. It's like throwing rocks at a sleeping giant, it's only a matter of time before it wakes up.

I know that we the people are not the enemy, by this I mean the people of the country are not the enemies. But yes the US is a enemy for the rest of the world, the US is not a democracy where the people run the goverment. the police state is already here. WE the people are not the problem. This goverment had been hijacked. Dont you see all the bad fame this country has gotten from actions that we the people didnt really approve. If you are a good american and want your country to prosper you must do something now. WE THE PEOPLE want our goverment back. Who's with me?
Are you willing to fight for your country? You dont have to go anywhere else like iraq or afganistan, if you want to fight for your goverment you should do it roght here, in your own country. Do you get it?

Isn't the whole point of this survey / thread that this is what people believe?

You can argue all day about whether they're justified in thinking what they do but (assuming the methodology is valid) that's what people actually think of the US.

Whether you have to change how you go about things or ramp up the PR effort is a important question for the US govt / corporations as long term this will impact on the popularity of your products.

McDonald's is closing down restaurants in the UK for the first time ever. This is not unconnected with the results of this survey

Originally posted by Strangerous
Isn't the whole point of this survey / thread that this is what people believe?

You can argue all day about whether they're justified in thinking what they do but (assuming the methodology is valid) that's what people actually think of the US.

Uh which comes first? average guy on street believes something or has a political opinion or the Mainstream Media controlled by Rockefellers/Rothschilds/UN/brotherhood tells them the so-called TRUTH about an issue?

Which comes first? then I'll tell ya how valid this story is.

Originally posted by denythestatusquo


Uh which comes first? average guy on street believes something or has a political opinion or the Mainstream Media controlled by Rockefellers/Rothschilds/UN/brotherhood tells them the so-called TRUTH about an issue?

Which comes first? then I'll tell ya how valid this story is.

In a World dominated by US media you're seriously suggesting that people's opinions are only formed by the major media outlets?

The 'average guy' can't think for himself?

Or do you only extend that ability to yourself?

Again you're shooting the messenger rather than listening to the message

Well, it sucks that the world hates us more than usual.

That may change come 2008. Honestly, I think most people are waiting to see who we choose as the next president before deciding whether to take America to task in WWIII.

Someone asked where all the protesters are:

We're tired. We're getting older. We have jobs, a family to take care of. There's a reason there are no old revolutionaries. They either get killed off or they settle down. I keep reading and hearing about war, famine, death, terrorism, disease, and nuclear threats...

Honestly, I just don't care anymore. I'm tired of giving a damn what the world thinks of us.

I thank god that every day I happened to be one of the lucky few born in a place where people don't go around swallowing bombs and blowing up places as a matter of habit. I take delight in knowing that I have a nice wide road to drive down free of potholes, roadblocks, dead bodies, and IEDs. I drive home from work on this road each day thanking god I live in a place where the economy is good enough to provide me with a means to support my family and I don't even have to kill anyone to do so. When I get home, I take delight in the fact I can watch Jon Stewart and Steve Colbert bash the current administration as much as they want without suddenly having the channel go blank with the end result being them in Gitmo.

I realize we're not a nation of saints, but we live in a pretty damn good place. This damn good place has provided me and mine a good life. And while I haven't always agreed with what it's done, I have to say I'm rather happy with what it's provided.

So... meh... if the world doesn't like me, just because I'm an American, then I say screw 'em for judging someone based off their nationality. At least I can say I'm not a frickin' bigot.

Oh... is it not bigotry if it's an American you're talking about? Screw you. Bias against someone based on their nationality, creed, color, or religion is stupid no matter who the victim is. There's a lot of Americans with really good hearts, I'm sure the same can be said about the nations of those who hate us.

thelibra, you've missed the point of this thread.

The survey shows what people think of the United States and its effects on global peace. You are not the United States, you are an American. The survey did not say American citizens are evil or a threat to global peace. They said your nation is.

With that said, you are most correct in that you have a good quality of life. America is a vastly rich nation, but how does that change its impact on World peace? That car that you drive down the road runs on petrol, a derivative of oil. Nearly half of your countries oil comes from volatile regions on the globe and your nation is waging wars to secure access to it.

Americans shouldnt take this survey personally. They should either use it to galavanize themselves into doing something about it or have it serve as a wake up call that the World fears your nation more than anything else on the planet.

[edit on 27/6/06 by subz]

Originally posted by subz
thelibra, you've missed the point of this thread.

(snip)

Americans shouldnt take this survey personally. They should either use it to galavanize themselves into doing something about it or have it serve as a wake up call that the World fears your nation more than anything else on the planet.

[edit on 27/6/06 by subz]

Nah, I follow, and I understand that it's not me personally the world hates.

It's just that I look at it this way, I spent my youth getting ulcers over this kind of stuff. Now that I'm an adult with a house, wife, two families, job, and real responsibilities that demand the vast majority of my time and resources, the last thing I want to do with my few remaining moments of spare time is worry about what someone else thinks of America. And it's even less likely to get my resources than it is my time.

I realize it's a very selfish view to take, but I feel I've earned it. I did my time as a bleeding heart, it's time for someone else to take up the banner. This isn't to say I've thrown in my lot with the same "Them" that's made America hated and feared throughout the world, but rather I just have too many real problems to seriously care about what other people think of my country when I am in no position to do anything about it.

I've resigned myself to three harsh realities:

1.) People (even Americans) will always hate America.

2.) Africa will always be f---ed up.

3.) Israel and Palestine are never going to get along.


These things will not change until long after we're dead and buried...sigh.

Well to be honest, I think apathy is the grease that allows the wheels of the corrupt system to keep moving.

I understand, and empathize, with your apathy. I wont lie and say I like or respect it though.

Originally posted by subz
Well to be honest, I think apathy is the grease that allows the wheels of the corrupt system to keep moving.

I understand, and empathize, with your apathy. I wont lie and say I like or respect it though.

No, I don't either, but it lets me sleep at night.

I wouldn't exactly call it apathy. If there were a way for me to change any one of those three things, I would. If I could somehow, through bearing the pain of the world to the point it destroyed me, fix any one of those three things, I would.

But no amount of my time or money ever will. And even if I tried, America would probably be hated even more for interfering.

We've tried to do a lot of great things for the world. I personally don't agree with anything the current administration is doing. I don't like a lot of what American people and companies have done to the world. But no one seems to have a problem accepting our money, manpower, resources, or jobs. And you never read in any foreign papers about the flood of American immigrants trying to escape the USA.

Americans spending decades of their life overseas in some poverty-stricken village to try and teach it how to survive will just as readily be shot for being an American as one who sits back and lets it all happen. There is no gratitude among the world, no memory of what we've traditionally fought for, and no acceptance of Western culture as anything other than the decline of civilization.

I wouldn't even help a next door neighbor that had that kind of attitude.


[edit on 6/27/2006 by thelibra]

Ahh you've pretty much summed up Britain's position in the World at the end of the 19th century. Thats what you get from empire. Whether declared, or in all but name, the United States is run like an empire. The World does not take kindly to empires and no matter whether benign or ruthless you will be despised and opposed at every turn until you lose control of it.

The United States shouldn't be the go-to man of the World and we shouldn't expect them to solve the Worlds problems. But what we can justifiably expect is for the United States to not make things worse. Or act in a totally selfish manner.

We all share this planet and we all have an equal right to be here. When people get delusions of granduer and think they have more of a right to be here, for what ever reason, you will inevitably be disliked.

I believe a balance will be restored, Britain was put back in its box eventually. The United States filled the void and is suffering exactly the same fate.

Go-To Guys

Originally posted by subz
The United States shouldn't be the go-to man of the World and we shouldn't expect them to solve the Worlds problems. But what we can justifiably expect is for the United States to not make things worse. Or act in a totally selfish manner.

Justifiably? Perhaps.

Realistically? I think not.

To expect this is to expect something that has no precedent in human history.

The U.S. Empire will pursue its interests just as all other empires do -- including the many active empires aggressively expanding their reach while being conveniently overlooked by the media spotlight.

Attention to the behavior of the U.S. is of course healthy and to be expected, but obsession with it to the exclusion of awareness of the other players on the world stage is nothing more than self-deception, and a nod to those empires which are free to extend their influence without the burden of public oversight or criticism.

Nothing could please them more, and the consequences of this sort of tunnel vision will become obvious soon enough.


[edit on 6/27/2006 by Majic]

Majic I assume you are refering to the Chinese and the Russians.

I do not think its unrealistic to expect nations to behave in a responsible manner. If sanctions were used to punish bullish nations instead of stomping on already anemic enemy nations we could kill empire for good.

But when the empires have direct control over the very few mechanisms we have devised to check such behaviour we are at the mercy of them. The Cold war was not so much a battle fo ideology but a battle of competing empires. Just like the French and the British in the 17th and 18th century did, the United States spared with the Russians but instead of land they fought for control of economies, resources and political capital.

I think Americans are deluding themselves into thinking the United States will prevail. No country has held on to its empire for good. Just look at Britain. At one point in history one out of every three humans on the globe were under British rule. Now Britain has no direct control over any of its colonies and is but a mere shadow of its once unrivaled power. Things change, America is no different and not immune from the fate of all other empires before it.

Roman, Mongol, British, French, Dutch, they all fell. To think the American empire will survive is both typically American and of course false.

Originally posted by subz
Ahh you've pretty much summed up Britain's position in the World at the end of the 19th century. Thats what you get from empire. Whether declared, or in all but name, the United States is run like an empire.

(snip)

I believe a balance will be restored, Britain was put back in its box eventually. The United States filled the void and is suffering exactly the same fate.

Yep. And the Romans before Britain... Rome did a heck of a lot for the world, and they ended up despised by the rest... I guess I can see your point.

Honestly, I think China's going to be the next empire once the USA gets put back in the box.

Originally posted by thelibra
Honestly, I think China's going to be the next empire once the USA gets put back in the box.

I totally agree.

This cannot happen because China has no moral inclination to human rights and when their moral code gets spread with their version of 21st century empire we are all in big trouble.

All I can hope for is that when the United States government realizes it has no chance of holding onto its quasi-empire and China is stepping up to the plate that they use their remaining clout to foist UN-sanctions on bullish nations. China's quasi-empire will make the United States' look like a picnic, it cannot be allowed.

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

American presence in Iraq is more dangerous to world peace than nuclear threats from North Korea or Iran, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., said to an audience of more than 200 in North Miami Saturday afternoon.

Murtha was the guest speaker at a town hall meeting organized by Rep. Kendrick B. Meek, D-Miami, at Florida International University's Biscayne Bay Campus. Meek's mother, former Rep. Carrie Meek, D-Miami, was also on the panel.

A former Marine and a prominent critic of the Bush administration's policies in Iraq, Murtha reiterated his views that the war cannot be won militarily and needs political solutions. He said the more than 100,000 troops in Iraq should be pulled out immediately, and deployed to peripheral countries like Kuwait.

"We do not want permanent bases in Iraq," Murtha told the audience. "We want as many Americans out of there as possible."

Murtha also has publicly said that the shooting of 24 Iraqis in November at Haditha, a city in the Anbar province of western Iraq that has been plagued by insurgents, was wrongfully covered up.

Well I guess Murtha is probably the only one that wants Americans out of the Iraq.

But it looks to me that nobody is going anywhere - since War on Terror was planned to be a Long, LONG War; not just years long, but decades.

Gotta Keep the Business Running you know!

The American public simply does not have the stomach or the stanima for a decades long war. Hell more were killed in single battles in Vietnam, Korea and of course WW2 (not to mention WW1) than have been killed in all of Iraq and listen to how they squeal. I have been opposed to the whole thing since the beginning, but most of the ones up in arms about it now were probably the same ones egging us protesters in the spring of 03. Despite all that, if we did try to fight a decades long war we would become so hated internationally that it would make what goes on now look like a lovefest. You really cannot wage a real war against shadow groups like al qeada, it has to be done criminally if it is to work at all which is one reason why bushes effort is doomed to failure, another is you cannot fight ideas with bullets, you can really only fight them with better ideas.

Originally posted by subz

This cannot happen because China has no moral inclination to human rights and when their moral code gets spread with their version of 21st century empire we are all in big trouble.

Pot, kettle?

There are quite a few people who have a dim view of the US's stance on human rights. sure China have a bad record but with extraordinary rendition & G'mo the US's record ain't that great either.

A Separate Reality

Originally posted by subz
I do not think its unrealistic to expect nations to behave in a responsible manner.

I do think it's unrealistic, based on what little I know of history, but I share the desire that we could expect more in the way of responsibility -- especially from my own country.

But the track record isn't encouraging for any country, including mine. No one who wields it is ever truly immune to the corrupting influence of power.

As for the ephemeral nature of empires, you are -- of course -- absolutely right.

America's time in the sun will soon end.

My advice is to enjoy it while we can, because if there's one thing I'm certain of, it's that a dominant U.S. Empire is by no means the worst of all possible worlds.

Not even close.

I expect that to become eminently clear in the times to come, and I think it is quite realistic to hold this expectation.

to say that any state has or has no morals is simplistic at best and shows a profound lack of any historical prespective...states by their very nature are amoral and have always been so. Pretensions otherwise are simply that, pretensions and that is true of the United States as well. Just look at the rhetoric during the Spanish American war, for example, and then look what we did in the phillipines after we took over. Our history in central America fuels resentments and distrust of us to this day, and not without cause. Then there is the whole history of the cold war which is the geneisis of many of the international problems we face to this day from Iran and the middle east in general, to the disintergration of Africa. Our playing of factions against factions (in Africa) and overthrowing duely elected governments because they propose nationalizing their resources (Iran and Pakistan, Chile and others) give lie to our much spouted rhetoric of how much more noble we are. And, it is that disconnect between our Rhetoric and the reality that causes so many to hate (not Americans as a rule) our governments policies.