Hate Americans?

AUSTRALIANS are more hostile than ever towards the United States and view China's global influence more favourably than that of Canberra's key ally, a new global poll has found.
The poll, released yesterday in the influential US magazine Foreign Policy, describes America as globally "red, white and booed", noting: "The United States's standing dropped sharply as a result of the Iraq war, and it hasn't hit rock bottom yet." SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

Who Do You Love?

Red, White, and Booed
The United States’ standing dropped sharply as a result of the Iraq war, and it hasn’t hit bottom yet. Australians, French, Italians, and even the British grew even more hostile to the United States in 2005.
The notable exception was Poland, which grew even more pro-American, perhaps because of U.S. support for Ukraine’s Orange Revolution, with which Poles can identify, and renewed authoritarianism in Russia.

The poll of 39,435 people was conducted for the BBC World Service by international polling firm GlobeScan, together with the Program on International Policy Attitude (PIPA) at the University of Maryland. The 33-nation fieldwork was coordinated by GlobeScan and completed between October 2005 and January 2006.

I Love a Good Poll
I only have difficulty with the ‘sensationalism’ associated with media presentations of poll results. Where possible, to cut through the simplified generalities, I prefer to get my hands on the raw data and sort it myself.
This one is a great example, from both the Sydney Morning Herald and US magazine Foreign Policy, pushing the ‘we hate you America!’ line.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are some Australians and Brits and especially French and Italian folk who think the hate Americans.
If life were only that simple.
Personally I don’t care much for Neil diamond, or at least his music. I certainly harbour a certain loathing for some members of the US Administration, or at least what they stand for. Mind you, in the case of VP Dick it’s more a case of blind fear in every regard. But I have a sneaking admiration for good old Connie.
But wait! My son in law is American, and I love the kid! I also think his family rate among the seriously likable people I have known.
Not having seen the raw data yet, I wonder if the poll actually distinguished between the American people and the American Administration, or even corporate or ‘pop’ America?
The last three have a tremendous influence on how a culture is viewed. None of them give any real insight into the character of your ordinary American, if there is such a beast.
Before I started blogging I leaned towards the idea that the US was totally devoid of any left wing thinkers.
Well, that misconception has been shattered by a small army of US bloggers styled as liberal. Not liberal in the sense of benignly conservative and rapacious, but more a left leaning sort of concept.
I’ll probably never meet the people behind Born at the Crest of the Empire or Blognonymous (Kvatch) or the rest of this bold front, but I often feel I would like to.
No, I don’t hate Americans, or even Poms. (Brits hold a special role in every Australian’s love/hate scheme.)
What I do maintain is the right to judge anyone, of any nationality, who elevates themselves to any leadership role. Leaders are public property, and in this global age, they have become global public property.
The behaviour of leaders in any field tends to reflect well or badly on their fellow nations, if not humanity in its entirety. Meanwhile I’ll keep searching for the raw data behind this poll.