Americans
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Date: September 18, 2017 06:25PM
Controversy: Does everyone else dislike Americans?After a decade of strong anti-Americanism all across the globe following the “War on Terrorism,” the notion that a majority of people in the world actually like the U.S. almost seems inconceivable. With Bush no longer in charge, though, such is the case. Global surveys indicate that, over the past three years, a plurality of people in the world have approved of the U.S. as a global power. Per the 2011-2012 BBC World Service Poll, 47% of people across 22 countries have a mainly positive opinion of America’s global influence, versus 33% holding a mainly negative opinion. The EU, per the same poll, had a minimally higher 48% approval rating. Gallup’s 2011 Leadership Poll shows that 46% of people in 136 countries approve of the leadership role of the U.S., with 26% disapproving. In that poll, only Germany surpassed the U.S., with a 47% approval rating. Pictured above is a crowd listening to Kennedy’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech in (you guessed) Berlin, as a reminder of how constructive the relationship between the U.S. and other countries can be given the proper leadership – and how responsive people can be to this.On the other hand: I don’t need to remind you that the approval ratings of the United States five or six years ago were, in fact, abysmal – and I do mean, abysmal. And regardless of the man in charge, Anti-Americanism is a widespread phenomenon, make no mistake. But the next time you hear someone say “that’s why everyone hates [you] Americans,” just remember that, fortunately, the world isn’t as stubbornly hateful a place as it’s made out to be.