More Great News: World [HEART] USA
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A few posts ago we reported on amazingly good news for America on the domestic front, with drug use, crime, welfare and divorce statistics all plummeting to new lows.
Now, writing in the Washington Post, Moises Naim, editor in chief of Foreign Policy, tells readers there is the same type of news on the foreign policy front. He writes: "Few want to see the world's stage led by autocratic regimes such as those in Russia or China." He continues:
Polls in multiple countries have shown for years that the legitimacy and prestige of the United States has deteriorated. Yet WorldPublicOpinion.org reports that the same populations that don't want the United States to be the world's "leader" say that they don't want America to withdraw from world affairs. For example, 93 percent of respondents in South Korea, as well as 78 percent in France and 71 percent in Mexico said last year that the United States should play a role in solving international problems. Moreover, despite the overall negative perceptions of the United States, most people surveyed believe that bilateral relations between the United States and their country are improving. In no country surveyed does the population think that the nation's relations with the United States are getting worse.
It's simply amazing that America can wield so much power on the international stage and yet not breed latent resentment among civilized countries -- not even with a highly controversial leader like George Bush in charge. It's a testament to the respect that America has earned over the centuries and a warning to those who would prematurely write its epitaph. As Naim makes clear: "To be sure, anti-Americanism will never disappear. Nor will America's enemies go away. But strong anti-American currents will increasingly coexist with equally strong international demands for the United States to play a larger role in world affairs."
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