Survey: World disappointed with Obama's international policies

cyberhog

Pew Research Center
June 13, 2012

Global approval of President Barack Obama’s policies has declined significantly since he first took office, while overall confidence in him and attitudes toward the U.S. have slipped modestly as a consequence.

...support for Obama has waned significantly in China. Since 2009, confidence in the American president has declined by 24 percentage points and approval of his policies has fallen 30 points. Mexicans have also soured on his policies, and many fewer express confidence in him today.

...publics around the world continue to worry about how the U.S. uses its power – in particular its military power – in international affairs.

There remains a widespread perception that the U.S. acts unilaterally and does not consider the interests of other countries... And in nearly all countries, there is considerable opposition to a major component of the Obama administration’s anti-terrorism policy: drone strikes. In 17 of 20 countries, more than half disapprove of U.S. drone attacks targeting extremist leaders and groups in nations such as Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.


In a number of strategically important Muslim nations, America’s image has not improved during the Obama presidency. In fact, America’s already low 2008 ratings have slipped even further in Jordan and Pakistan.

...majorities in Egypt (76%), Jordan (73%) and Lebanon (62%) oppose Obama’s re-election.

...majorities or pluralities in 17 of 20 countries say it is a bad thing that U.S. ideas and customs are spreading to their countries.


In nearly every country where trends are available, support for Obama’s international policies has declined over the last three years...On a number of specific issues, there is a sense that Obama has not lived up to the expectations people had for him when he first took office. The 2009 Pew Global Attitudes survey found that many believed the new American president would act multilaterally, seek international approval before using military force, take a fair approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and make progress on climate change. As the current survey reveals, few now believe he has actually accomplished these things.

http://www.pewglobal.org/2012/06/13/global-opinion-of-obama-slips-international-policies-faulted/


BIB The exception is American public opinion. In the US, 62% approve of the global drone campaign. So it seems the only opinions that matter in this world to Americans are their own.

Matt Holck

still making rules with weapons

Manic Moran

cyberhog wrote: »

So it seems the only opinions that matter in this world to Americans are their own.

I suspect that is common to most nations, no? Compromise and negotiate where you can; where you can't, stand your ground. Which country does not do this?

cyberhog

Manic Moran wrote: »

I suspect that is common to most nations, no? Compromise and negotiate where you can; where you can't, stand your ground. Which country does not do this?

The only nations I can think of that pursue deeply unpopular policies and then show scant regard for the international disapproval those policies generate are nations of the totalitarian or authoritarian variety.

The survey made the point that:

Americans are the clear outliers on this issue

But Americans don't care if virtually the entire world views Obama's drone attacks as unjustified and wrong, in much the same way that North Korea doesn't care if the entire world thinks its long range missile tests are unjustified and wrong.

troposphere

I have always found this type of polling to be a bit ridiculous. It is not like it makes any difference.