BBC's World Service

Leader

Thursday June 19, 2003

The Guardian

The BBC's survey of global attitudes to the United States is important evidence for anybody trying to explain why America both fascinates and infuriates the rest of the world. The White House will note that while America won the Iraq war, it is losing the battle for global public opinion on issues like nuclear proliferation, world poverty and climate change. Among the 11,000 people polled across 11 countries, from Brazil to Russia, Washington's decision to topple Saddam Hussein is regarded as more wrong than right. More worryingly, in Muslim Indonesia and Jordan, the US is considered as more dangerous than al-Qaida.

Many recognise America's idealism, its wealth and its freedoms as the nation's greatest strengths. Poorer peoples aspire to achieve America's riches. In Brazil, the most unequal country in the world, the poll demonstrates a desire for its public to emulate America's economic opportunities. Jordanians want a better working democracy. Interestingly, while the rest of world admires much in the US, most people would not actually want to live there. Its food and drink were deemed unpalatable, although its movies and music scored highly.

According to the BBC's ICM poll, the world appears to be fracturing between an English-speaking one and a non-English-speaking one. Canada, Australia, Britain and America are on one side (along with Israel), with countries like France, Russia, Jordan and Korea on the other. The former regard America as "a force for good in the world"; the latter do not. What does all this tell us? American values are not the problem, Washington's actions and policies are. The fault lies with George Bush. All that gunslinging and cowboy talk do little for America's image overseas. Mr Bush has to do more to win over other nations to his point of view and convince the globe of his good intentions. The message is clear: the world has less of a problem with America than it has with Mr Bush.