Malaysia Sun, Malaysia
May 19 2007

Majority around the world reject U.S. role of world policeman

Malaysia Sun
Saturday 19th May, 2007

A multinational poll finds that people around the world reject the
idea that the United States should play the role of pre-eminent world
leader.

Most people say the United States plays the role of world policeman
more than it should, fails to take their country’s interests into
account and cannot be trusted to act responsibly.

But the survey also finds that majorities in most countries want the
United States to participate in international efforts to address
world problems. Views are divided about whether the United States
should reduce the number of military bases it has overseas. Moreover,
many people think their country’s relations with the United States
are improving.

Americans largely agree with the rest of the world: most do not think
the United States should remain the world’s pre-eminent leader and
prefer that it play a more cooperative role. They also believe the
United States plays the role of world policeman more than it should.

This is the fourth in a series of reports based on a worldwide poll
about key international issues conducted by The Chicago Council on
Global Affairs and WorldPublicOpinion.org, in cooperation with
polling organizations around the world. The larger study includes
polls in China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Russia, France,
Thailand, Ukraine, Poland, Iran, Mexico, South Korea, the
Philippines, Australia, Argentina, Peru, Israel and Armenia – plus
the Palestinian territories.

The people polled represent about 56 percent of the world’s
population. Not all questions were asked in all countries.

Steven Kull, editor of WorldPublicOpinion.org notes the poll
reinforces the conclusions of other recent global surveys, which have
found that the United States’ image abroad is bad and growing worse.
But he added that it goes further, exploring what kind of role the
international community would like the United States to play in the
world.

`This survey shows that despite the negative views of US foreign
policy, people around the world do not want the United States to
disengage from international affairs, but rather to participate in a
more cooperative and multilateral fashion,’ Kull said.

Majorities in all 15 of the countries polled about the United States’
role in the world reject the idea that `as the sole remaining
superpower, the US should continue to be the pre-eminent world leader
in solving international problems.’ However majorities in only two
areas (Argentina and the Palestinian territories) say that the United
States `should withdraw from most efforts to solve international
problems.’ The preferred view in all of the other cases is that the
United States `should do its share in efforts to solve international
problems together with other countries.’

In Asia, large majorities embrace the idea that the United States
should play a cooperative role in South Korea (79%) and China (68%).
A majority of Filipinos (55%) and a plurality of Indians (42%) also
take this view, but they are among the few with substantial numbers
saying the United States should play the role of the pre-eminent
world leader: 20 percent in the Philippines and 34 percent in India.
They are also relatively reluctant to support a co-operative role
(47%), but very few endorse a pre-eminent role (8%) or disengagement
(18%), while 27 percent declined to answer.

In Europe, the French are those most emphatic in their support for a
co-operative role (75%), followed by Armenia (58%). A majority of
Ukrainians (52%) also support this position, but an unusually high
number (34%) supports US disengagement. In Russia, a plurality (42%)
favors a co-operative role, but this is barely more than the
percentage (38%) that favors disengagement.

In Latin America, about six in ten Peruvians (61%) and Mexicans (59%)
believe the United States should cooperate with other countries to
solve international problems. However, as mentioned above, Argentines
are one of only two countries favoring US withdrawal from
international efforts with 55 percent taking this position and 34
percent in favor of co-operation.

In the Middle East, Israelis and Palestinians differ sharply. A
majority of Palestinians favor US disengagement (55%) while more than
a third (36%) prefers co-operation. Israelis are more in line with
most other people in that 62 percent favor US co-operation, but they
also show the second highest level of support (after India) for the
US taking the role of pre-eminent leader (24%).

Americans match the French in their support for the United States
doing its share together with other nations (75%), with small numbers
favoring a preeminent role (10%) or isolationism (12%).

Majorities in 13 out of 15 countries polled say the United States is
`playing the role of world policeman more than it should be.’ This is
the sentiment of about three-quarters or more of those polled in:
France (89%), Australia (80%), China (77%), Russia (76%), Peru (76%),
the Palestinian territories (74%) and South Korea (73%).

The US public is also among those most convinced that the United
States too often plays the role of world policeman. Seventy-six
percent of Americans agree that their country is overdoing such
activities.

In only one country does a majority disagree with the idea that the
United States tends to take on the role of international enforcer
more than it should: the Philippines. Fifty-seven percent of
Filipinos reject the idea that the United States plays a police role
too often, while only a third (31%) agrees that it does.

Israelis, who are the United States’ closest allies in the Middle
East, are divided over whether the United States plays the global
policeman role too often. Forty-eight percent of Israelis agree and
forty-eight percent disagree.

The five other countries where majorities believe the United States
is too often acting as world policeman are: Indonesia (68%), Ukraine
(67%), Armenia (63%), Argentina (62%) and India (53%). In India, a
country which has been among the most positive about the United
States in recent years, a third (33%) disagrees.

The survey also asks respondents in nine countries whether the United
States has the `responsibility to play the role of `world policeman,’
that is to fight violations of international law and aggression
wherever they occur.’ Majorities in eight of the nine countries say
the United States does not have the responsibility to fight
aggression and enforce international law. The exception is India,
where a slight majority (53%) says the US does have this
responsibility while a third (35%) says it does not.

Palestinians (76%) are the most likely of the people surveyed to
answer that the United States does not have such a responsibility.
The next most likely are Americans themselves. Three-quarters of
Americans (75%) reject the idea that their country has a duty to
enforce international law.

Strong majorities of Armenians (70%), Australians (70%), Indonesians
(69%), and Ukrainians (69%) also agree that the United States does
not have this responsibility.

The United States’ greatest economic and military rival in
Asia – China – and one of its closest allies – South Korea – are equally
likely to reject the idea that the US government has a duty to
enforce international law. Sixty-one percent of Chinese and60 percent
of South Koreans answer no. South Koreans are only somewhat more
likely to say yes (39%) than the Chinese (30%).

In 10 out of 15 countries, the most common view is that the United
States cannot be trusted to `act responsibly in the world.’
Respondents were allowed to choose whether the United States could be
trusted `a great deal,’ `somewhat,’ `not very much’ or `not at all.’

Two Latin American countries show the least trust in the United
States. An overwhelming 84 percent of Argentines answer that they
have little confidence in the United States, including 69 percent who
think the United States cannot be trusted at all. Eight in ten
Peruvians (80%) also think the US cannot be trusted (23% not at all).

Most Russian and French respondents agree. Nearly three-quarters of
Russians (73%) express little trust and a third (31%) says the United
States cannot be trusted at all. The French are almost equally
skeptical: 72 percent do not trust the United States to behave
responsibly, including 30 percent who do not trust it at all.

Also among those who believe the United States generally cannot be
trusted are: Indonesians (64%), Armenians (59%), Chinese (59%), Thais
(56%) and South Koreans (53%). Half of Indian respondents (50%) also
express little or no confidence.

In four countries, majorities say the United States can be at least
somewhat trusted to act responsibly. Filipinos (85%) are the most
willing to trust the United States and half of them think the United
States can be trusted a great deal (48%). Eight in ten Israelis (81%)
also believe this. They are also the most willing to say the United
States can be trusted a great deal (56%). Australians (59%) also tend
to trust the United States (18% a great deal).

In two eastern European countries, about half believe the United
States can be trusted: 51 percent in Poland – though most of these
(44%) think the United States can only be trusted somewhat – and 49
percent in Ukraine, 31 percent of whom answer somewhat. About a third
of Poles (32%) and Ukrainians (37%) say the United States cannot be
trusted and large numbers are uncertain (17% and 24% respectively).

US Willingness to Consider Other Interests

Of the seven countries polled on this question, five believe the
United States does not take their interests into account when making
foreign policy decisions. Only in Israel does a large majority
believe that the United States takes their interest into account.
Indians are divided. In the other five countries, majorities answer
`not very much’ or `not at all’ when asked whether the United States
takes their interests into account.

Three former Soviet-bloc countries are the most likely to think that
the United States fails to consider their concerns. Although Poles
tend to have fairly positive views of the United States,
three-quarters (76%) think that the United States does not take their
interests into account very much (57%) or does not do so at all
(19%).

Two-thirds of Russians (66%) also think the United States ignores
their interests, including a third who think it ignores them entirely
(33%). Ukrainian feelings are similar: 63 percent say the United
States tends not to take their interests into account, including 38
percent who say it does not take them into account at all.

In Asia, the most common view in two countries (China and Thailand)
is that their interests are not considered by the United States when
making foreign policy decisions. A majority of Chinese (58%) believe
this, of whom 23 percent say the US does not do so at all. A
plurality of Thais (49%) say the United States does not take their
interests into account (30% not very much, 19% not at all) compared
to 23 percent who believe it does (15% somewhat, 8% a great deal).

However Indians are divided. Forty-six percent say the United States
does not take their interests into account (23% not at all), while 44
percent say that it does take their interests into account (24%
somewhat, 20% a great deal).

The Israelis stand out as the only country where a strong majority
(57%) says that the United States takes their interests into account
a great deal while an additional 25 percent say that it does so
somewhat. Thus a remarkable total of 82 percent of Israelis say that
the United States takes their interests into account. A mere 14
percent disagree.

US Overseas Military Bases

Despite the widespread belief that the United States should not be
the world’s pre-eminent leader and that it plays the role of world
policeman more than it should, countries express mixed views about
whether the United States should reduce its military presence around
the world. Nonetheless, very few support increasing the number of
bases.

Twelve publics were asked whether the United States should have more,
fewer or the same number of long-term bases overseas. In six of them,
including the US public, majorities or pluralities think the United
States should maintain or increase the number of bases it maintains
overseas. In five countries, majorities call for reductions. One
country – India, again – is divided.

Those most in favor of the United States’ at least maintaining its
overseas military presence are Filipinos, Americans Israelis and
Poles. Those most likely to support a decreased presence are
Argentines, Palestinians, the French and the Chinese.

Filipinos – whose government forced the United States to shut down
its last base on Philippine territory 15 years ago – are the most
likely to say that the United States should maintain its long-term
overseas military presence. Nearly four in five respondents in the
Philippines (78%) say the United States should either keep `about as
many’ bases as now (60%) or add more bases (18%).

Sixty-eight percent of Americans think the United States should
either keep as many bases as now (53%) or add bases (15%). Only 27
percent say the United States should have fewer bases.

A majority of Israelis (59%) believe the United States should
maintain a strong military presence overseas. Of these, 39 percent
say the United States should keep its current number of bases and 20
percent say it should have more.

Respondents in Poland – one of the United States’ staunchest allies
in Europe – also believe the United States should keep as many or
more military bases overseas as it has today (54%). Most of these
(45%) believe the United States should maintain the same number of
bases and 9 percent believe there should be more.

Pluralities in Armenia and Thailand favor keeping or increasing US
overseas bases over decreasing them. Armenians are in favor of
maintaining the US military presence abroad by a margin of 42 percent
to 37 percent. Thais support it by a margin of 34 percent to 25
percent, with 41 percent not answering.

Of the twelve countries polled, Argentines are those most in favor of
shutting down US bases overseas (75%). Palestinians and the French
are next with seven in ten (70% and 69% respectively) saying the
United States should reduce its military presence abroad.

A majority of Chinese – an emerging military and economic power in
Asia – also thinks the United States should have fewer bases. Three
in five (63%) say it should reduce its overseas presence.

A majority of Ukrainians (62%) think that the United States should
have fewer bases while 13 percent say it should keep the current
number. Only 3 percent think it needs more and 22 percent are unsure.

Indians are evenly divided between those who say the United States
should increase or maintain its bases overseas and those who believe
it should decrease them. Thirty nine percent believe the US needs
more (26%) or the same number (13%) and 39 percent say it should have
fewer. About a fifth of Indian respondents (22%) are unsure.

Also contrary to the largely negative views of the United States’
role in the world is the perception in some countries – including some
that are highly critical of the United States – that bilateral
relations with the United State States are improving. Eleven
countries were asked whether relations of their country with the
United States were `improving, worsening, or staying about the same.’

Six of the eleven countries say their relations with the United
States show signs of improvement, including majorities in India (58%)
and China (53%) and pluralities in Australia (50%), Armenia (48%),
Indonesia (46%) and Thailand (37%).

In the remaining five countries, majorities or pluralities say
relations with the United States are staying about the same: 60
percent in Poland, 56 percent in South Korea, 52 percent in Israel,
52 percent in the Ukraine, and 45 percent in Russia.

In no country, does even a plurality think relations are getting
worse. South Korea has the largest minority saying that relations
with the United States are worsening (34%), followed by Thailand
(28%) and Indonesia (23%). Among the other eight countries, only 8
percent to 20 percent feel this way.

`The publics in many countries differentiate between their negative
views of the US international role and their perceptions of bilateral
relations, which are seen as improving in a significant number of
countries, even some that are highly critical of the United States,’
said Christopher Whitney, executive director for studies at The
Chicago Council on Global Affairs.