The BBC conducted a poll of 34 nations on attitudes towards world powers and America's approval ratings went from 31% on 2007 to 35% in 2008, while the negative rating went from 52% in 2007 to 47% in 2008. Obviously, there is much room for improvement.
Sure, you could say that we're aloof juggernauts like the Yankees, but that would be foolish while we are engaged in combating a worldwide terrorist campaign. The cynic in me says that domestic politics has become mired in a debate over whether we became some Stalin-like isolationist gulag (dems) or imperial crusaders trying to bring about the "End of Times" in a biblical sense (repubs). I'm no policy wonk, but I do think engaging in free trade and humanitarian relief boosts our credibility to the world. Also, more clarification of our foreign policy agenda should be dictated from the highest levels of our government so that the world understands we're not "killin' brown people", but rather countering an extreme threat to civilization and human rights. Of course America's strength has always been it's innovation in the economic sector, production capability, and it's tolerance, no need to put the kaibash on a good thing.
This Year Only One Flag Was Burned at The Annual "Death to America" Protest
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