Will the US ever be able to regain a positive stature in the world?

Question

or will George Bush's policies over his two terms as president cause so much damage to our reputation that we will always be looked at as arrogant, world-dominating busy-bodies?

Answer 1

First, GB isn't the first to make us look arrogant (although he's done a capital job of it.)
Second, all it will take to recover is a leader with conviction, compassion, and humility.

Answer 2

Don't put all the blame on bush for our image. One of the differences between the conservatives and the liberals is how they view America in the world. Joe Lieberman in Connecitcut was actually pushed away by the liberals in terms of how they regarded him after he gave a speech saying he still believed America was a positive force in the world.

Now, I'm not saying I agree with everything Bush has done. I do think the administration has made some mistakes, but in researching political administrations, platforms and such over the last few decades, I've seen a few patterns. Namely that when liberals want to keep themselves in the headlines, they preach gloom and doom.

They can't afford to have america look good because if it does, that means that the republicans in power are doing a good job. If you look at the first six months of Bush's term, he was actually making good progress AND had good press. The Democrats instantly took up the position that anything Bush did, they'd speak out against. And if they couldn't speak out against what he was doing, they'd speak out against him. They don't have a defined plan, and they have a history of being soft in the wrong departments so they haven't been able to formulate a coherent force that would give us a positive outlook. (And again, if they had a positive outlook, they wouldn't be able to preach gloom and doom)

Another good example is a woman running for congress in Connecticut. Her commercials do nothing but say that the current republican congressman makes nothing but mistakes, but then uses unconnected national issues to try to demonstrate it. Then she says "change begins at home" and ends it. She doesn't say what she can do, or that she can even do well.

Meanwhile, the republicans have mentioned several specific thins she's done which are exactly what she says the other guy is doing, and they've got examples of why their candidate could work.

Personally I'm voting for Lieberman.

Bush's policies aren't all bad. Not everyone thinks of us as world-dominating busy-bodies. The problem is that when we do try to do something, someone (I'm sorry but usually one of the liberals) comes out and says "oh here we go again" and doesn't give any ideas a chance to become potentially good.

There's a lot of ignorance about history which is why we are seen in a bad light. Make sure you know just what this country has done and is trying to do before you say we're arrogant. And make sure you realize who really is doing the damage.

Remember: we're not the ones calling for a holy war and trying to sweep across two continents to initiate it.

Answer 3

Bush did cause a lots of damage in his 6 years in office to the positive stature of the United States, but thanks to the constitution of the USA that he will be booted out in a couple of years. The democrats must build the nation again. The lessons we learnt from the Bush regime is that arrogance is the worst enemy of a country and is worst than a dictatorship. I can easily call Bush, "Saddam of our country". He must be sitting in a court of law to answer questions of US deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan and destroying of a sovereign nation of Iraq.

Answer 4

Well, you can't blame Bush for everything. "The Ugly American" has been around for some decades now. But if your ideas become more generally accepted, the world will appreciate all the good things the US do and have done more. Go for the Presidency!

Answer 5

Well, let's look at things historically.

Japan is doing okay. Germany is doing okay. The world doesn't seem to hate France or Russia with much passion these days, despite their militaristic pasts.

Of course, they all lost. Perhaps that's what it takes. If so, well, I'm not sure I care about world opinion THAT much... particularly since I don't think we can be realistically compared to any of the above nations, except by people with no sense at all of proportion or history.

Answer 6

The US will never be popular everywhere, but there is a chance that if we get someone with a better idea of foreign policy then perhaps our reputation can be improved.

The top dog will never be the favorite of the other players.. and is going to be hated by many. Only when we're at their level will they be completely satisfied.

Answer 7

How is this different from any other time? They just want our dollars. They don't care who signs the check.

Bush has done little damage. Check history. Quit being a parrot and find a new drum to beat.

Answer 8

I think the US is on the downward slope at the moment. All empires die, and I think the US is destined to end up someday like Spain is now. Not quite a third world country, but not far away either.

None of this will matter in a few hundred years.

Answer 9

yes we will,, Bush has done a lot to destroy the ideals of America,, but the USA will be rid of him soon,, and can begin to rebuild the character, morals and ethics,, that have been destroyed by George W. Bush,, obviously having no conscience,, and help the people in Iraq that he invaded and created so much destruction for them

Answer 10

WHO CARES >
You talk as if the world liked us befor GW Bush
Newsflash they hated us before and they will hate us after Bush leaves office