World views US 'more positively', page 1

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Topic started on 2-4-2008 @ 06:50 AM by budski

World views US 'more positively'

news.bbc.co.uk

Attitudes to the United States are improving, an opinion poll carried out for the BBC World Service suggests.

The average percentage of people saying that the US has a positive influence has risen to 35% from 31% a year ago, according to the survey.

Those saying the US has a negative influence fell five percentage points to 47%.

The poll, part of a regular survey of world opinion, interviewed more than 17,000 people in 34 countries.

The survey period was the three months up to the end of January 2008.

However, the poll finds that views of US influence in the world are still mainly negative, though they improved in 11 out of the 23 countries also polled a year ago.

Perceptions of the US worsened in three - Canada, Lebanon and Egypt.

(visit the link for the full news article)

reply posted on 2-4-2008 @ 06:50 AM by budski

Contrary to what some may think, I don't view the US in anything but a positive light.
I don't view the LEADERS in a positive light, but that's another story.

I wonder if this has anything to do with coverage of the US elections, and people breathing a sigh of relief that shrub is on his way out.
People may be hopefull that under a new administration things may change.

Perhaps one of the most surprising parts of the poll is that canada views the US in such a negative way, although given the events last year in the waterboarding/torture revelations and canada initially placing the US on a watchlist of countries who practice torture, it may not be that much of a surprise.

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply posted on 2-4-2008 @ 06:55 AM by Karlhungis

Is a 4% jump to 35% really something to get excited about? Perhaps if a truly significant portion of the population was polled, but when you are talking about 17,000 out of 6,000,000,000, it isn't exactly noteworthy and doesn't exactly represent any significant change of opinion if you ask me.

reply posted on 2-4-2008 @ 07:35 AM by andy1033

Have you ever heard of a margin of error. Anyway polls are used just like peer pressure to get you to think along with the majority. Its mind games. I wonder what the true number is?

reply posted on 2-4-2008 @ 08:00 AM by Rasobasi420

HA!!

Isn't that just about the exact same figure as Bush's latest approval rating (give or take a few points for error). It seems to me that the population of the US is truly a microcosm of the world's population, and the opinion of this nation, and it's administration are just about in line with the rest of the world.

reply posted on 2-4-2008 @ 09:05 AM by sty

I am not a US citisen and also i do not live in the US (nor I am going to live) - just wanted to say that my opinion about US improoved because of the ATS website. Keep the good work !

reply posted on 2-4-2008 @ 09:11 AM by thought

I think a lot of non-Americans are starting to get a "this, too, shall pass" attitude about the Bush Administration, the elections are right around the corner and people are hopeful the nightmare will end.

reply posted on 2-4-2008 @ 09:20 AM by Tenebrous

Wow, thats like saying someone is dying in an improved fasion. I agree, the 4% rise is probabaly less then the margin of error on the study, and even if it is true, its still 35%.

reply posted on 2-4-2008 @ 09:29 AM by Apolon

Lets put this "accurate" poll to the test shall we?
Can someone start online poll right here and lets see how will it end? That should give as an accurate reading.
Anyone cares to start? Ground rules should be established. It is not what we think of USA but rather of their government and their foreign and domestic policy.
Do you believe foreign and domestic policy and actions of USA are fair and in accord with international law?
Something in that manner perhaps.
That way question is loud and clear and is not implying hatred or animosity towards American People bur rather target the government itself.

reply posted on 2-4-2008 @ 10:04 AM by budski

reply to post by Karlhungis

Well not really - it's 17,000 from 34 countries, and the poll has been done annually since 05 - so it's not 6 billion.

depending on the demographics of the poll, I would still take this as a reasonable indicator of popular opinion - after all polls are usually within a certain range percentage wise, otherwise there'd be no point doing them.

Here's the poll information in full, including methodology:
news.bbc.co.uk...

reply posted on 2-4-2008 @ 10:19 AM by Karlhungis

reply to post by budski

I'm sorry. I read "World views..." as a statement that represents... the world.

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