Anti-Americanism Reaches New Highes

June 27, 2007— -- Anti-American attitudes rise to a new high amongst people from both Muslim countries and some of the nation's oldest European allies, according to The Pew Global Attitude Project released Wednesday.

American doesn't stand alone as the target of thrown rotten tomatoes from the global village. In the extensive international opinion poll, all world powers registered a sinking sense of confidence, including leaders like Russia's Vladmir Putin and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, as well as, nations like China, Russia and the U.S.

"Instead of showing a sense of optimism and can-do that has been evident in history since World War II, well, that seems to be moving away," said former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who co-chairs the report. "There's this kind of sense of nihilism now."

Though the numbers paint an overall pessimistic global take on the American image, Albright pointed to strong showings in Africa and non-Muslim parts of Asia.

"I am an optimist who worries a lot," Albright insisted

America is most likely to win a popularity contest in Africa where 74 percent of people express positive opinions of the U.S. followedn by Latin America (55 percent), Eastern Europe (48 percent), Asia (44 percent), Western Europe (43 percent), and Middle East (21 percent).

This is the sixth and largest installment of The Pew Global Attitudes Project. The survey encompasses 45,000 almost hour long interviews from 47 countries around the world over a two month period.

Polling analysis by ABC News overall affirms the survey as representative of Pew's high standard, but data for some of the major countries is too focused on urban areas, which don't represent a truly national opion, including China, India and Brazil, as well as Bolivia, Ivory Coast, Pakistan, South Africa and Venezuela.

Old Allies, New Disdain

Traditional allies Great Britain and Germany log new lows in favorable opinions of the U.S. this year after long slides downward since 2000. More than half of the populations of 'Old Europe' -- Britain, France and Germany -- held a positive view of the U.S. at the start of this decade. Around 2003 and 2004 with the start of the Iraq war, more people in these same nations disapproved as opposed to approved of the U.S.

However, like many regions, the people of the U.S.'s long-standing allies are able to separate views of American citizens from their government. More people express positive opinions of Americans than they do of the country as a whole, though these numbers are also sinking.

Germany provides a dramatic example where 63 percent said they have positive opinion of Americans, while just 30 percent rate the U.S. favorably down from 42 percent from two years ago, and nearly 80 percent in 2000, according to a State Department survey.

U.S. Image 'Abysmal' in Middle East

Turkey registered the lowest favorability rating for the U.S. of any other country at nine percent. The U.S. continues to be widely unpopular in the Middle East -- more than three-in-four Palestinians, Turks, Egyptians, and Jordanians expressed dislike for America.

Pew Program Director Donald Kimelman noted that overall negative feelings about the U.S. tracked with dislike of unilateralism and American-style democracy. "Rarely do we see such uniform answers," he said.

This divide falls in line with negative views of U.S. style democracy. Most people in most countries surveyed say they dislike American ideas about democracy.

"However, sizable majorities in most African nations – as well as in Israel, South Korea and Japan – continue to express positive views of the U.S. approach to democracy," wrote the Pew Global Attitude Project.

Inline with this fact, even 63 percent of American themselves said the government decides to bestow the blessing of democracy only when it serves its interests, rather than universally.

Sources of negative opinions of the U.S. are broad, while not deep enough to dissuade many nations from looking to the America to resolve different global issues –- suggesting a feeling of resentment rather than total rejection. The U.S. comes up as often as the United Nations as the party that should be responsible for dealing with the world's problems, notable global climate change and nuclear proliferation.

Opposition to the American military in Iraq is a global phenomenon. At least half of those surveyed in 43 of 47 countries said the U.S. should withdraw from Iraq as soon as possible. This sentiment is shared by most Americans – 56% say it is time for troops to leave Iraq. The most recent Washington Post – ABC News poll from June 1st said 61 percent of Americans think the war is not worth fighting

One of the widely shared beliefs among all of Pew's surveyed nations is that U.S. policies widen the gap between rich and poor countries. At least half of respondents in 32 of 47 countries believe that the U.S. contributes to the rich-poor divide.

"The U.S. has created capitalists without creating capitalism that would let others share in economic wealth," commented Albright.

On this strain, the American way of doing business also saw slips in approval, especially in Middle Eastern countries and more developed Western economies.

America's soft power remains strong. Global likeability of U.S. technology and popular culture register nearly the same high rates as seen in 2002. However, greater swathes of some populations are turning up their noses at American books, television and music. More than two-thirds of Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Turks, Palestinians, and even Indians say they dislike U.S. media exports.

This divide falls in line with negative views of U.S. style democracy. Most people in most countries surveyed say they dislike American ideas about democracy.

"However, sizable majorities in most African nations – as well as in Israel, South Korea and Japan – continue to express positive views of the U.S. approach to democracy," wrote the Pew Global Attitude Project.

Inline with this fact, even 63 percent of American themselves said the government decides to bestow the blessing of democracy only when it serves its interests, rather than universally.

On the web: http://pewglobal.org/