WP: Bush faces increasingly poor image overseas

[Red Panda]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55326-2003Feb23.html

Bush Faces Increasingly Poor Image Overseas
 
By Glenn Kessler and Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, February 24, 2003; Page A01


The messages from U.S. embassies around the globe have become urgent and disturbing: Many people in the world increasingly think President Bush is a greater threat to world peace than Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

U.S. embassies are the eyes and ears of the U.S. government overseas, and their reports from the field are closely read at the State Department. The antiwar protests by millions of people last week in the cities of major U.S. allies underscored a theme that the classified cables by U.S. embassies had been reporting for weeks.

"It is rather astonishing," said a senior U.S. official who has access to the reports. "There is an absence of any recognition that Hussein is the problem." One ambassador, who represents the United States in an allied nation, bluntly cabled that in that country, Bush has become the enemy.

 

 

[Blindfaith]

Thought:  If President Bush wouldn't have waited so long to take Saddam out of power, his image may not have suffered as much.  He's given people a lot of time to decide not to like him, unlike his father who said, "we're going, and if you want to join, come along then". 

My next thought:  The people overseas don't like him.  So?

 

[Lacmeh]

It´s not so much of importance,t hat Bush is liked. Bush will be gone in max 5 years. It is the image of the US that counts. If the US is not liked in the rest of the world, it will have a harder time to get concessions to trade agreements and things like that.

 

[Starscream]

Today at 09:49 AM blindfaith said this in Post #2

My next thought:  The people overseas don't like him.  So?

Whether we like it or not, Bush does represent us.  I want America to be known as a friendly and protective neighboor and IMPO Bush is doing a very poor job of that.

Immediately after 911 I was surprised and touched to see how seemingly the whole world spoke up to support the US.  Now look at us ...

 

[MichaelFJF]

Trade agreements, etc. will never be a problem as long as the U.S. is the world's sugar daddy. Bush doesn't care about his overseas popularity, and quite frankly it's nice to see someone act on their convictions and not public opinion. M

 

[Stormy]

I do not like the image that people have of us. But I do not blame it all upon the President.

 

[Lacmeh]

The US is no longer the world´s sugar daddy. If it would be, the EU wouldn´t go to the WTA asking for formal conviction of the US over broken trade agreements and standards. And the WTA wouldn´t fine the US.
In the future, if the US want something from another nation or block of nations, like EU, the price will be much higher due to antisympathy.

 

[MichaelFJF]

Today at 10:45 AM Lacmeh said this in Post #7

The US is no longer the world´s sugar daddy. If it would be, the EU wouldn´t go to the WTA asking for formal conviction of the US over broken trade agreements and standards. And the WTA wouldn´t fine the US.
In the future, if the US want something from another nation or block of nations, like EU, the price will be much higher due to antisympathy.

A quick review of 2002 foreign trade billions is in order. Hence the sugar daddy comment. My statement stands. M

 

[Caffeine Socialism]

"Bush faces increasingly poor image overseas"

And at home, no?

 

[O'Mara]

The EU?

You must be kidding. On some recent trips to Europe I have noticed how people in Europe are beginning to resent the EU because many of them are losing their cultural identity. The conglomeration of very different nations is causing tention between countries. The EU may not implode, but it's strength is only as great as the bond between nations.

The US is a union of 50 states with one money, one miltary, cohesive governments, and a feeling of loyalty to not only own's own state but more so to the Union.

The EU is a union of 15 states (while there are how many total states in Europe?) With seperate militaries, VERY different cultures and a population who feels little or no loyalty to the Union but rather much loyalty to their home country.

The EU has a LONG way to go before they will be a stronger Union than that of the US.

Do you really think that the UK is really interested in being unified with other European States? Of course not, it's a political game.

 

[Aurelius]

Also, the Australian dollar has risen against the greenback.

Our currency is now worth almost as much as a second-hand kumquat.

 

[O'Mara]

And on Bush's image. He is characatured as a cowboy everywhere throughout the world. But then again, Europe makes fun of US residents by talking like southerners and saying words like "hootenanny."

If you ask someone from Eire or the UK to speak like an American, they tend to do their best John Wayne voice.

Turn about's fair play since US residents tend to tease the Britts and French by adopting a snooty accent and an arogant attitude.

However, the only European group (as a very generalized whole) that I have experienced that had real animosity toward Americans and not just light hearted teasing were the French.

 

[Aurelius]

Hootenanny!

On a serious note, the one accent that nobody seems to be capable of getting right is the Australian accent.

I always shudder when a Simpsons epside features an Aussie character because I know it's going to sound absolutely ridiculous. They come out with this mish-mash of nasal Cockney and call it an "Australian accent."

Horrid.

 

[Red Panda]

Today at 07:49 AM blindfaith said this in Post #2

Thought:  If President Bush wouldn't have waited so long to take Saddam out of power, his image may not have suffered as much.  He's given people a lot of time to decide not to like him, unlike his father who said, "we're going, and if you want to join, come along then". 

So you think that if the US had unilaterally knocked out Saddam without any allies or UN backing, that such an approach would have *enhanced* the view of Bush abroad?   

It's the lone gunman/cowboy view that these countries *already* have.  I don't see how more of that same behavior would improve his impression.....???

My next thought:  The people overseas don't like him.  So?

Contrary to what Bush seems to think, the USA needs the help and cooperation of other countries sometimes.  People have long memories when it comes to being slighted and/or trampled on.  Why do you think that Turkey is demanding such a large aid package now?  Because they remember getting screwed during the 1st Gulf War, and have decided to hold that over the head of the USA.

 

[Red Panda]

Today at 08:18 AM Starscream said this in Post #4

Whether we like it or not, Bush does represent us.  I want America to be known as a friendly and protective neighboor and IMPO Bush is doing a very poor job of that.

Immediately after 911 I was surprised and touched to see how seemingly the whole world spoke up to support the US.  Now look at us ...

We squandered a perfectly good opportunity here.  We had the whole world backing us, everyone was on our side and felt compassion for our loss.  We could've made more progress in six months, than in the past 10 years.  But instead, Bush decided to ignore the historic potential of using all that goodwill.  So instead he embarked (along with Cheney, Rumsfield, Wolfowitz and Perle) on a unilateralist policy to create an American Empire. 

It's blindingly short-sighted actions like these that convinced me early on that Bush is patently unqualified to be President.  With any luck, the next election will solve that.

 

[Red Panda]

Today at 09:01 AM MichaelFJF said this in Post #5

..quite frankly it's nice to see someone act on their convictions and not public opinion. M

Osama bin Laden acted on his own convictions instead of public opinion.  So did the Jewish extremist who shot prime minister Yitzak Rabin.  And the abortion clinic bombers and the folks who put anthrax in US postal letters - they all act on their convictions.

Was any of that nice to see?

Old adage: be careful what you wish for; you may get it.




 

 

[Red Panda]

Today at 12:20 PM Aurelius said this in Post #13

this mish-mash of nasal Cockney and call it an "Australian accent."

Horrid.

How appropriate for a penal colony.

 

[Rae]

Red:
Many people in the world increasingly think President Bush is a greater threat to world peace than Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Rae:
Yep. I'm one of them. And John Ashcroft is at least as bad...did you hear about his "security enhancement" act which can strip Americans of their citizenship for being members of legal political groups in the US? Urgh.

 

[Aurelius]

Hey...

How appropriate for a penal colony.

ROTFL! Nice one!

 

[Red Panda]

Today at 01:12 PM Rae said this in Post #18

Red:
Many people in the world increasingly think President Bush is a greater threat to world peace than Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Rae:
Yep. I'm one of them. And John Ashcroft is at least as bad...did you hear about his "security enhancement" act which can strip Americans of their citizenship for being members of legal political groups in the US? Urgh.

Yep.  You can now be targeted, for merely being a member of the Green party.