I just got back from a week-long vacation spent in a converted barn in scenic Vermont. It was great to be essentially shut off from the intertubes for a few days. One of our gang of 20 was an actual Maine delegate for Obama, so even in the land of quaint churches and maple syrup, political discussion was hard to avoid. All in all, it was a good time to escape the doldrums of the end of the primaryt season.
For those of you who are interested in how the US is perceived by our allies abroad, the Telegraph in the UK has two good articles up today on the topic. The first focuses on the UK Telegraph's recent poll of Europeans and Russians:
John McCain, the presumed Republican nominee, received only 15 per cent of the vote in unprecedented survey covering Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Russia.
- Poll analysis: Barack Obama wins over anti-Bush Britain
- Poll analysis: Russians consider the US a force for evil
- Country-by-country poll results (Excel file)
The poll also found a striking level of anti-American feeling in every country. A clear majority of Russians - 56 per cent - believe the US is a “force for evil” in the world. In Britain, only 33 per cent see America as a “force for good”.
Opinion towards America has become steadily more hostile throughout the presidency of George W Bush, with the Iraq war probably being the single most important factor.
The second article goes into depth on the devastation to the Untied States reputation that has been caused by the Bush/Cheney/McCain crew and the Iraq debacle:
Some 35 per cent of British people questioned by YouGov agree that the US is now a “force for evil” in the world. By contrast, only 33 per cent believe the US is a force for good.
That result reflects discontent with the US in the wake of the invasion of Iraq and controversial aspects of US security policy such as the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay.
Gordon Brown has had a sometimes-cool relationship with Mr Bush, but in a speech in Boston last month he recommitted Britain to the Special Relationship, which he insisted is "so firmly rooted in our common history, our shared values and in the hearts and minds of our people that no power on earth can drive us apart."
Asked about November’s presidential election, British people overwhelmingly want the Democrats to capture the White House and end eight years of Republican rule in the US.
Our friends tried very hard to tell us not to jump off that bridge called "Iraq", surprisingly, they've waited around for us to pull ourselves out of the muck. Let's hope they won't be disappointed.
