Did Bush make the US unpopular?

[The Guid]

I have always presumed that Bush made the US more unpopular around the globe. Having looked around it does seem to have fluctuated throughout his presidency, most importantly I have been unable to find figures of reports from before his time as President. Can anyone enlighten me and point me to evidence for or against?

[Gil Hamilton]

Depends on where and who you talk to I think. Alot of people who dislike the United States don't generally have a problem with Americans themselves, but rather US government policy and Bush has extremely aggravated that.

You get other people who deal with obnoxious American tourists and thing Americans are utter pigs, which if you see how American tourists generally act, that isn't necessarily unreasonable. That isn't Bush's fault, it's a long standing thing.

Then you get places like Okinawa, who hate Americans because the US servicemen stationed there treat local Okinawans like absolute garbage and also never got over that one girl being gang raped. Places like that you get people barely tolerating American presence because entire economies have grown up around US Military bases and they need the money, but generally have nothing good to say about Americans. Bush didn't have anything to do with that.

[Darth Wong]

"You are either with us, or you are with the terrorists" - George W. Bush

People don't like to be threatened. Bush has absolutely made the US far more unpopular around the world. His apologists claim that the US was already unpopular, but it's gotten far worse. It's actually gotten to the point that many politicians around the world attempt to score points by accusing their opponents of kowtowing to Americans, even in countries that are nominally allies of the US.

[Kanastrous]

Bush took us from being merely mostly obnoxious to being genuinely threatening, to a lot of people.

[Maxentius]

I have a lot of relatives in Italy, and during the Clinton administration I heard not much of a peep out of them regarding American politics.

Nowadays, I can’t go visit family or call my cousin without getting at least one obligatory Bush snipe. So I would say yes, Bush has definitely fucked over the international perception of this country with his vapid, hardline stance on terrorism.

[Darth Wong]

Mind you, the American people haven't helped either. Do Americans think that foreigners can't see the things they say to each other on their news channels, in their magazines, and on Internet forums? It wasn't just Bush himself; it was the invigoration of the entire movement behind him: Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, and all of their legions of dittoheads. These assholes talk as if the rest of the world is blissfully unaware of the things they say, then they act shocked when the rest of the world gets increasingly negative about America. It's like the stereotypical nasty high-school cheerleader bitch in teen comedies who treats everyone like shit and then acts surprised and hurt when she finds out that people don't like her.

[ArmorPierce]

It really amazes me how an retarded arrogant ignorant perpetual frat boy like George Bush got to be president and still is seen by many as great.

[Darth Wong]

It really amazes me how an retarded arrogant ignorant perpetual frat boy like George Bush got to be president and still is seen by many as great.

That part actually doesn't surprise me. You live in a country where almost half the population thinks that Noah's Ark was real, and who will vote for whoever they perceive to be on the same side as their church leaders. If you capture the Bible thumping Moron Vote that way, then all you need to do is a bit of fearmongering and you can capture enough of the others to swing the vote in your favour.

[Flagg]

Mind you, the American people haven't helped either. Do Americans think that foreigners can't see the things they say to each other on their news channels, in their magazines, and on Internet forums? It wasn't just Bush himself; it was the invigoration of the entire movement behind him: Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, and all of their legions of dittoheads. These assholes talk as if the rest of the world is blissfully unaware of the things they say, then they act shocked when the rest of the world gets increasingly negative about America. It's like the stereotypical nasty high-school cheerleader bitch in teen comedies who treats everyone like shit and then acts surprised and hurt when she finds out that people don't like her.

The best quote I saw that encapsulates this was on CNN during Obamas oversees trip. The question was regarding whether or not Obama was "overstepping his bounds" or some such bullfuckery and this intelligent looking woman in a business suit outside a bank said the following almost verbatim: "I think what he's doing may confuse foreigners as to who our president really is, Obama or Bush."

[Dartzap]

I think from a UK perspective, the whole Blair/Bush double act really did sour things for some people, the whole thing was just so ridiculous, and made us look even more foolish than before.

Of course, we do tend mock America slightly more than most, due to the "special relationship" but the last 8 years has seen a massive increase in it.

[Ubiquitous]

As far as I am concerned, the US has NEVER been popular with foreigners during my lifetime. Even before Bush people would always be complaining of 'Americanisation' and all that crap. Bush has just been the latest instalment in the international Anti-America whine-fest. And the same will happen after a few years of Obama, too. People always like to snipe at the number one and use it as a scapegoat for all their woes.

[Thanas]

^The US acting like a dick could never have anything to do with that, no Sir.

If your neighbour would set his house on fire after doing some stupid-ass move you specifically warned him about and then expects you to help you out, what would your answer be? And if he then ppublicly states that your views do not matter at all, would you do as he orders you to do or simply say: Fuck you?

International Anti-America whinefest indeed.

[Jaepheth]

I think there are a few characteristics of the US that always annoyed other countries. Then Bush was elected and he embodied most all those characteristics and made it worse by constantly reminding others of those characteristics.

Those characteristics being:
1. over-inflated sense of self importance
2. feeling of entitlement
3. never listens to anybody
4. hardly ever considering the "big picture"
5. wasteful
6. war-mongering
7. willful ignorance

[weemadando]

In Australia, the perception has always been one of American arrogance - especially since Vietnam.

However Bush moved it to a whole new area - as Wong mentioned - of a genuine fear of America and it's intentions. That's now translated into disappointment - over Iraq and the WoT in general, all of the bullshit that spews on our news shows to do with US domestic politics and now all the sub-prime effects.

It's not all Bush's fault but most of the blame can still be placed at his door.

[Stark]

As far as I am concerned, the US has NEVER been popular with foreigners during my lifetime. Even before Bush people would always be complaining of 'Americanisation' and all that crap. Bush has just been the latest instalment in the international Anti-America whine-fest. And the same will happen after a few years of Obama, too. People always like to snipe at the number one and use it as a scapegoat for all their woes.

There's a BIG difference between being unhappy about cultural annihilation or unfair trade practices (lol Australia) and then having some monkey idiot declare, Moses-like, that the world is now split between America's friends (read, slaves) and America's enemies... because he says so. This is only compounded, as Mike said, by the way American media talks about what they expect from 'allies' (ie, complete blind subservience) and it's hardly surprising the people in other Western nations got a bit jacked off.

People have always said bad things about America, but people who honestly think Bush's massive arrogance and mishandling of pretty much every foreign policy initiative hasn't made it far worse has their head in the sand. Saying 'oh it always happens' and thus ignoring what one of the worst American Presidents in history ACTUALLY DID TO FUCK OFF ALL OF AMERICA'S ALLIES is fucking hilarious.

Then again, I'm old enough to remember when people actually believed the whole 'America, leader of the free world' thing, so maybe if you grew up in 'America is a pack of stupid wankers who fuck other people up' phase you wouldn't notice the difference.

[M]

As far as I am concerned, the US has NEVER been popular with foreigners during my lifetime. Even before Bush people would always be complaining of 'Americanisation' and all that crap. Bush has just been the latest instalment in the international Anti-America whine-fest.

Actually, in 1999/2000 83% of the British had a favourable opinion of the US. From 2002 on this number dropped each year; by 2007 only 51% looked favourably upon the US.

The numbers come from this Pew poll. I originally found them through Glenn Greenwald's column, which contains further analysis. Overall, the numbers show a significant decline in US popularity from 2002 on pretty much everywhere that is not Africa or Israel.

Depends on where and who you talk to I think. Alot of people who dislike the United States don't generally have a problem with Americans themselves, but rather US government policy and Bush has extremely aggravated that.

Indeed Pew's complete report notes that, particularly in Western nations, there is a wide gap between popularity of the US and popularity of its citizens. For instance, in Germany only 30% had a favourable view of the US, but a solid 63% thought favourably of Americans.

[Darth Wong]

As far as I am concerned, the US has NEVER been popular with foreigners during my lifetime. Even before Bush people would always be complaining of 'Americanisation' and all that crap. Bush has just been the latest instalment in the international Anti-America whine-fest. And the same will happen after a few years of Obama, too. People always like to snipe at the number one and use it as a scapegoat for all their woes.

You're full of shit. I can still remember when it was common in Canadian politics to suggest that "we should be more like the Americans". It would be an understatement to say that you don't hear that kind of rhetoric any more.

[ArmorPierce]

Then again, I'm old enough to remember when people actually believed the whole 'America, leader of the free world' thing, so maybe if you grew up in 'America is a pack of stupid wankers who fuck other people up' phase you wouldn't notice the difference.

I actually believed that until around 9/11. A little bit afterward.

[Civil War Man]

What I'd also be interested in seeing is how US citizens view their own country. There are people in my own family (myself included) who have been downright ashamed of being American in light of what has happened under the Bush administration, particularly in the wake of Abu Ghraib.

[Civil War Man]

What I'd also be interested in seeing is how US citizens view their own country. There are people in my own family (myself included) who have been downright ashamed of being American in light of what has happened under the Bush administration, particularly in the wake of Abu Ghraib.

Ghetto Edit: We know how people view Bush and Co. I would just be interested in seeing how this negative reaction has damaged the average citizen's faith in the system itself.

[Frank Hipper]

And people wonder why I think Bush has handed bin Laden a victory out of all proportion to what he achieved with September 11th.

Who needs enemies with a government like this?

On September 12th, 2001, there was footage on the news channels of people from all over the world crying over dead Americans...wonder how many of those same people would be indifferent, or something else entirely, today?

[Invictus ChiKen]

"I think what he's doing may confuse foreigners as to who our president really is, Obama or Bush."

Well in fairness it is an easy mistake to make. Obama looks and acts like a preisdent.

Bush acts like an old drunken frat boy.

What I'd also be interested in seeing is how US citizens view their own country. There are people in my own family (myself included) who have been downright ashamed of being American in light of what has happened under the Bush administration, particularly in the wake of Abu Ghraib.

Ditto. We are suppose to be the good guys maybe this is naive coming from a guy that grew up on 80s cartoons like G. I. Joe BUT 'Good guys don't torture people."

[Kanastrous]

And people wonder why I think Bush has handed bin Laden a victory out of all proportion to what he achieved with September 11th.

Who needs enemies with a government like this?

On September 12th, 2001, there was footage on the news channels of people from all over the world crying over dead Americans...wonder how many of those same people would be indifferent, or something else entirely, today?

Palestinians might have more company, on the dance floor.

[Pelranius]

And the Serb nationalists as well.

[American Infidel]

I have always presumed that Bush made the US more unpopular around the globe. Having looked around it does seem to have fluctuated throughout his presidency, most importantly I have been unable to find figures of reports from before his time as President. Can anyone enlighten me and point me to evidence for or against?

He has without question.
He adopted and carried out policies that most of our European "allies" and large portions of thier voters don't support, and has been demonized over it ever since.