Will U.S. standing in the world rise once we exit Iraq?
John Mayer’s tepid anti-war ballad “Waiting on the World to Change” always bugged me, a slacker’s lament that makes excuses for its own lack of passion. At least now the once-popular song is dated, and we’re no longer waiting to see if the world’s attitude will change towards us. It already has.
President Obama has clearly contributed to this changing world his first 100 days. He’s authorized a staged withdrawal from Iraq, incorporating advice from top military commanders. This policy, earning grudging approval from Sen. John McCain and some concern from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is bound to sit right with moderates everywhere. He’s communicated unequivocally and directly to the Arab world, starting with an inaugural address that proclaimed a need to “responsibly leave Iraq to its people.”
The Decider has given way to the Diplomat, and the world likes what it sees. Yet gaining global approval hardly requires turning tail; our buildup in Afghanistan demonstrates a focus not on fleeing conflict but redirecting resources where they can best help us fight our enemies.
The Pew Research Center just wrapped up an eight-year comprehensive study of global attitudes towards the U.S., and stat after stat shows that our favorability rating took a nosedive since 2000, with the ongoing war in Iraq a major cause of discontent. Yet even though we stood on shakier ground last fall, many across the globe held out hope for better relations.
Those better relations were certainly evident during the recent G-20 summit. There is some rock-star hype around Obama, to be sure, but it doesn’t account for the degree of his current global approval. Far too much anger has been generated by past U.S. unilateral actions for other nations to fall in line just because they like Obama’s style. No, there’s a real change in the air, based on policy, not personality.
Will our Iraq pullout make us safer? Hard to say, given that there will always be those who wish us harm, even if their numbers lessen. Yet when it comes to looking forward to the day that our global reputation is saved, rising phoenix-like out of the ashes of that one disastrous move—well, the wait on that change is over.
Will U.S. standing in the world rise once we exit Iraq?
Our standing may rise upon exiting Iraq, but primarily because many nations simply have more trust in a non-conservative American president. Case in point: according to that Pew study, the socially liberal nations of France, Germany and Britain overwhelmingly have confidence in President Obama to “do the right thing” globally. Yet Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country, does not, with only a 20 percent confidence rating.
Many don’t understand that some will dislike America no matter what we do – and that our global detractors have even more worrisome problems.
When the towers fell on 9/11, I watched in tears as CNN cut away to live Middle Eastern scenes of men, women and children dancing jubilantly in the streets. An ecstatic celebration of our 3,000 dead, of the great blow struck against the Great Satan. In the Palestinian territories, those fed and clothed with the aid of American dollars (an estimated $2 billion since the Oslo Accords) erupted in joy, firing weapons into the air as if they wished they had piloted the airplanes themselves.
CNN never aired those images again. But I remember. This was before Iraq. Before the war on terror. “Cowboy Bush” had been in office just 7 1/2 months. And still, presumably because we support Israel as well as the Palestinians, these Arabs rejoiced in our tragedy.
Heritage Foundation Middle-Eastern expert James Phillips explained by phone that Obama might currently be more popular in the overall Arab world, but “they are not going to like his policies, which are going to be pretty much the same. We will be defending our own interests and those of our allies.” And when Obama does that, “those that hate Israel and support the radical groups Hamas and Hezbollah are going hate us, regardless.”
Part of anti-U.S. feeling historically stems from our “global policeman” role – a role many nations abhor until they need it. Similarly, Phillips noted, Muslim extremists today hate Iraqi security forces just as much, since they are now defending a democratic country.
Europeans automatically like us more with Obama in office — but the Pew report also found an increase in their hostility toward Jews and Muslims. I wish other nations would look at the plank in their own eyes before picking the speck out of ours.
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309 comments Add your comment
The Other Jack
April 16th, 2009
10:52 am
USinUk
If the crisis is so good for everything and this administration is just a bustin’ with glee at having this crisis to use, why would they want to stop it?
USinUK
April 16th, 2009
10:49 am
chuck –
“Here’s a prediction for you USUK, you will continue to ignore the pertinent information in posts that prove you wrong. You will focus on typos and grammatical errors INSTEAD of the arguments in the post.”
aw. you’re so cute when you’re riled.
wow – so I haven’t corrected ANY factual errors and rebutted TOJ’s arguments? I’ve only corrected his spelling??? you must attend the same reading comprehension classes …
“Here’s ANOTHER ONE: The economy will get better THIS YEAR…..BEFORE 90% of the stimulus dollars are spent and it will HAVE NOTHING TO DO with the economic polies of EITHER PARTY.”
wow. going out on a limb on THAT prediction, when every major economist is saying the same thing.
I agree with you that the economy will begin its recovery in the late part of this year – and it will be because of the efforts of the Fed and Treasury in shoring up the banks and increasing liquidity. however, I disagree with you in that how WELL we recover, how steep the growth, will be helped by the stimulus package. I don’t expect you to agree with me, but them’s my opinions.
The Other Jack
April 16th, 2009
10:49 am
USinUk
–Housing markets remained depressed overall, but there were some signs that conditions may be stabilizing–
What is stabilizing? I have a client that is a big developer. We talk about this all the time. They have stopped building and because of this, they are starting to move a small amount of their inventory of new homes. Is that a good thing? No. They are not growing, they are not earning a profit. They are just depleting their inventory. That’s not good.
it seems that we have been “approaching the bottom” for three months. I saw the same kinds of reports in December. But your original premise was to criticize my friend for selling her house. She has an MBA, is a CPA and teaches classes on economics. I can’t even begin to approach what she knows. She has never been married and is a very attractive 50 year old, poor family and she is now in very good economic shape but is in fear of losing everything. She is also a huge Obama supporter . . . still loves the man but she thinks that his policies and the Congress’s policies are wrecking what is left of the economy.
To say that Chuck and I see a socialist under every rock is to trivialize what is happening. The US ins leaning toward socialism. The only thing that is failing much worse than capitalism is socialism.
I told you what a package of ham cost two weeks ago and what it costs two days ago. Please tell me a single price of anything that has declined during those two weeks. So am I supposed to feel good about the numbers on your computer screen when everyone i know is worried sick about how incredibly fast prices are rising? You don’t get it. You are setting in another country watching numbers on a screen. Numbers that are not telling the whole story.
–ah, because that’s not media’s JOB to promote protests.–
No, their job was to promote their coverage of the upcoming event, exactly what every network in the world did before the G20 summit. By the major liberal media, not covering one of the largest unified demonstrations in the US, the liberal media made this a FOX News event. Once you start suspecting the media, you will begin to learn how they operate, but this unfettered trust that you give the media is disturbing at best.
this is an eexample of CNN’s coverage: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2009/04/15/cnn_reporter_calls_tea_parties_anti-government.html
What you saw was not a reporter but a liberal activist screaming at a conservative demonstrator. I just can’t figure out why she would have a CNN flag on her microphone. And it’s really very simple: If you can watch that video and think it is fair, there is nowhere we can go from here. If that is not obliviously biased to you, then good luck to you. I would just ask that you avoid any discussion about media and bias until you learn more about it.
–nope – you just want the rights of a fetus to outweigh the rights of the woman carrying it. and that’s where we disagree.–
No, as smart as you may think you are, you do not know what other people are thinking. but the big question that I have for you is simple. mPleease don’t avoid or discard this one:
Why does the left constantly insist on calling abortions everything that sounds nice and pretty when talking about the killing of an unborn child? Simple question. And you can’t deny that this is what is happeneing. Look at how many arguments we have had on here, but we never get to that question because of reactions just like the one that you gave.
Once again:: Why not call an abortion an abortion? Why is it pro-choice instead of pro-abortion?
USinUK
April 16th, 2009
10:40 am
chuck –
“oops, MARCH 17th”
I was ready to ask you what I should invest in and who wins the Kentucky Derby!!
seriously, go back to the 10 November NYT article (I would link, but that seems to give W2W palpitations)
also, while you may not like it, crises have ALWAYS led to major changes … do you think we would have gotten the FDIC and market regulation if not for the Depression? do you think we would have gotten airport security measures if not for the spate of hijackings in the 1970s? and, lastly, the Patriot Act – do you think that most Americans would have handed over their privacy if not for the crisis of 9/11??
it happens after EVERY major crisis.
chuck
April 16th, 2009
10:40 am
Here’s a prediction for you USUK, you will continue to ignore the pertinent information in posts that prove you wrong. You will focus on typos and grammatical errors INSTEAD of the arguments in the post.
Here’s ANOTHER ONE: The economy will get better THIS YEAR…..BEFORE 90% of the stimulus dollars are spent and it will HAVE NOTHING TO DO with the economic polies of EITHER PARTY. HOWEVER, it will take a downturn in about 2 years as more of the MASSIVE SPENDING DEBACLE is implemented and the government controls too much of the GDP.
chuck
April 16th, 2009
10:34 am
oops, MARCH 17th
Mara
April 16th, 2009
10:32 am
USinUK – re: your 10:01 and 10:15 posts
you’re on a roll toDAY, aintcha! You go grrrrrrl!
and that Susan Boyle video was amazing! Who knew that there was someone in the world that could finally leave Simon speechless with amazement? Totally loved that part where he rests in chin in his hands, gives a little sigh, and with a slight smile closes his eyes in bliss…
USinUK
April 16th, 2009
10:32 am
chuck –
“I read and quoted was on May 17th 2009. Here is a direct quote from it”
um. MAY 17th 2009???
wow. you ARE good. able to predict things 2 months away.
chuck
April 16th, 2009
10:30 am
USUK, the NYT article I read and quoted was on May 17th 2009. Here is a direct quote from it:
******Since Mr. Emanuel’s pronouncement, other members of the Obama Administration have picked up on the same theme. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the secretary of state, told the European Parliament in Brussels last week: “Never waste a good crisis. And when it comes to the economic crisis, don’t waste it when it can have a very positive impact on climate change and energy security.”******
In other words, if we can scare the crap out of them we can push through these policies that they don’t want.
USinUK
April 16th, 2009
10:29 am
GtG –
“Is DC above or below the Mason Dixon?”
below – the m-d is between Maryland and Pennsylvania