Posted By Amina Anderson 

Lately mainstream media has been talking about nothing but the way the world views the United States; whose credibility has been strongly shaken due to its engagement in many of the current events and wars in the world. Apparently this involvement has done nothing good to the U.S. image as it tops the most harmful countries’ chart of the Pew Global Attitudes Project that was conducted between last April the 4th and May the 29th through telephone calls or personal interviews. 

With no doubt most Muslim countries consider the U.S. to have a negative impact on the world, while Africans have the most positive views, according to the survey. Ivory Coast, Kenya, Ghana and Israel were the countries most inclined to favor the U.S., while Palestine, Turkey, Pakistan, Morocco, France and China showed very negative attitudes of the United States. 

The study also showed that global distrust of American leadership is reflected in increasing disapproval of the cornerstones of U.S. foreign policy. Not only is there worldwide support for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, but there is also considerable opposition to U.S. and NATO operations in Afghanistan. The report said these negative views of the United States are probably attributed to the fact that many countries view the U.S. and the UN as the two entities that should be responsible for dealing with the major problems that confront the world. 

To the surprise of everyone, most Americans surveyed thought that the U.S. offers better economic conditions to immigrants. That’s probably why, despite the negative image the U.S. holds, most people surveyed from other countries viewed the United States as the land of opportunities. "The perception that America provides good opportunities for immigrants is common even in countries where U.S. favorability is low or has dipped in recent years," the survey found. 

Moreover, the majority of those surveyed branded the United States as the country “hurting the world’s environment the most” at a time of rising global concern about environmental issues. Despite this, 37 percent of the Americans surveyed listed the environment in general as a top concern, a figure lower than in any other advanced industrialized country, while 47 percent said global warming was a "very" serious problem. One in three Americans blamed the United States for pollution problems.

Even though China has experienced a significant change in its economy, it came second after the United States as one of the most hamrful countries of the world especially when it comes to pollution. The survey found that 70 percent of the respondents cited environmental concerns as top global danger, while 42 percent said global warming was a very serious problem. 

Despite this, China came in the second place as the world’s second harmful countries.

The poll also showed conflicting views when it came to the world’s most dangerous threat. Sixty six percent of Israelis and sixty eight of Japanese considered nuclear weapons to be on top of the troubles. On the other hand, only 20% in France and South Africa considered nuclear weapons of any threat.

The survey is the largest global survey Pew has conducted since 2002, providing a broad perspective on anti-Americanism and documenting the nature of negative perceptions about the U.S. that makes many wonder if the U.S. would take a moment to rethink its decisions.

©  EsinIslam.Com

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