Does America's popularity abroad really matter?

In "Lonely at the Top," Joseph S. Nye, Jr. discusses the importance of soft power -- the ability of a nation to influence potential allies through attraction rather than coercion. Has declining global public opinion of the United States underminded our foreign policy effectiveness? Or is the Bush administration right to emphasize military strength and other forms of "hard power" in pursuit of its goals, whatever the rest of the world thinks?
Read the story: Lonely at the top
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I think this story is flawed in one large concept. He is implying that we did not pursue the soft power route. He is completely wrong. We went to Iraq because they ignored the 17 or 18 resolutions that the UN passed telling Iraq to come clean. We went the diplomatic route but it is obvious that the world does not care about our security. That is why we must vote for someone who will make sure that the French and the UN don't make our national security decisions for us. Anyone who says that there was no threat from Saddam is a fool. He did have ties to Al Quaeda. Maybe not to 9/11 but he definitely had ties to Al Quaeda. If there was even the slightest possiblitiy that a dictatorial state with billions of dollars could help Al Quaeda in any way you need to take action to be sure that doesn't happen. If not our next 9/11 could be much worse. Anyone with any common sense knows I'm right. Vote for George Bush and show the world that we mean business.

Ed, Boston

I'll ignore the fact that this article is exaggerating the whole'anti-America' feeling overseas. We are not as disliked as the author would have you beleive - but since reporting only half the story is what the media does best, what else would you expect. Did France and Germany sit around and ponder 'How would American's feel about this' before they illegaly purchased oil and supported a dictator and world menace like Saddam Hussien? Did Russians have news article after news article in their country asking people's opinions about their goverment selling GPS-jamming devices and having Russians on the ground showing Iraqis how to use them against American soldiers? Did the Russian people scold their leader for such tactics 'becuase that might make Aerica dislike us'? Is there a lot of concern on the minds of Saudi Arabian citizens that America might not hold their country in the best light becuase 15 of their citizens carried out the bloodiest attack on innocent civilians this century has ever seen? Did Mexican's chanting 'Usama' at their victory over Team USA care what we Americans might think about their country? Did Palestinians celebrating Sept 11th care? I could go on and on with the number of times and places people have disrespected America and acted in their own interests. It is their right to do, think, and act how they wish - and is is our right to defend ourselves. Although most Europeans citizens do not - the snotty, socialist, European leadership can afford to criticize America while their citizens sit in Mcdonald's drinking Coke and smoking Marlboros becuase they know that we Americans will always do the right thing. The next time some Germans go goose-stepping down the Champs-Elysees they know we will put their insults of today aside and come to the defense of freedom - no matter where that battlefield may lie - American soldiers will be on it.

Brian, Melrose, MA

Pretty incoherent James. The fact is going it alone is costing us lives. Bush's tough guys cowboy stuff is amateur and reckless.

Nick, Watertown

Honestly, why we even care what the rest of the world thinks of us is irrelivant. We are the superpower, like it or not, have been unofficially nominated the "world's police" and until that changes, this perception (or reality) is going to be out there. No one politian can change this. For those of you commenting on the Islam religion, I must say, that being married to a Muslim, who is now serving OUR country for the SECOND time in IRAQ, that it is a very broad statement you make when chastizing. Yes, it is a very DIFFERENT religion, and I will agree that it isn't the most peaceful one. However, do not lump all of them together. The average Iraqi citizen is happy the colition is over there--but we don't hear that because it doesn't sell newspapers. As far as the arguments here on the "war for oil", the "occupation" of Iraq--Come on peeps! SO if it has been ALL about the oil--why did it cost me $25 to fill my Honda this morning? Could it be the $1.83 per gallon prices? Doesn't sound like the prices that you should see if we just invaded and occupied a country just for it's oil now does it?

FLYONTHEWALL, JOHNSTON

If we spent half the time on diplomacy that we spent on "Shock and Awe" posturing, our troops would not be virtually alone in Iraq. Short-sighted policies (designed only to look good until after an election) have resulted in a situation where American GI's are doing most of the dying because our Government's arrogance has alienated the Germans, Russians, French and virtually every other former ally. I travel extensively and while it is not true that foreigners hate America, it is true that they don't trust us. Our President has failed to run even a successful PR campaign. He has let us down.

Mary, Hopkinton

While the cliche about being yourself and ignoring the opinions of others may offer comfort to anxious teenagers, I'm afraid that it doesn't make for very good foreign policy. The idea that we should beat our collective chest and proclaim that we don't need the cooperation of other world powers is absurd. More international animosity means more populist hatred of the United States, which is exactly what brings about terrorist attacks in the first place. We can keep waving flags around and slowly destroy any good will we have left around the globe, or we can open our eyes and realize that the more international cooperation we seek out, the easier it will be to reach our goal of ensuring safety for our citizenry at home and around the world.

Mike, Wallingford, CT

Do what is right rather than be unpopular?!?!? To you Bush fans, what is right about the Iraq war? He kept changing the reasons for it, and even a soldier refused to go back saying it's a war for oil! What's right about Halliburton's role there? The administration is bullying their way to pander to corporations at the expense of American lives...you call that the right thing? Yes, Saddam is gone and that's wonderful but we were lied to about the reasons for the war and the methods in ousting Saddam were far more tragic (and still are) than if we'd used planning and didn't stick up our noses at the UN.

Anna, Boston

Yes, it does matter and I believe Bush's administration agrees as well. However, sometimes we can't please everyone. The President is doing everything in his power to protect OUR country. Is he perfect? No. But he has the country's best interest at heart. If he didn't act on the information he rec'd and the US was attacked again, Democrats would be bashing him for not taking a leadership role and protecting the country. He chose to act on the information provided and now people are criticizing him for not having 100% support from the International community. Which is it going to be?

Kris, Londonderry

Yes, we live on a small planet, and when we behave like the boorish, bully on the block it resonates. Like the revisionist version of the rabid nationalistic sentiment and misplaced aggression as patriotism, that we are number one in everything, that we never do anything to any country except help them and save them, that some people never believe that the US has often put people in charge in countries whose resources we covet, that will "play ball " with the US, that we've undermind and helped oust duly elected officials in favor of dictators who will follow our orders. "These colors don't run....the world!" The US pretends that we are a democracy or a representative republic, but corporations with huge $$$ amounts, make policy and get their lackeys elect, and the US pretends that we are trying to export "democracy" to other countries when in fact ,we are trying to export capitalism , so that the corporations that actually run the country can then benefit financially. If in the process a few hundred American soldiers, (products of the lower to middle class) die in the process, what do the upper class people whose children are in college or taking over their parents companies care? Then the usual propaganda is spouted, "They hate us because of our lifestyle". Wrong, Canada's lifestyle is quite similar but no one attacks them , because Canada is not trying to run the world, and use , consume and abuse all the natural resources, oil, water, timber, minerals in the process. Or own media are owned by huge conglomerates who also profit from war, so it's in their best interest to not question the government. The warmongers and war profiteers currently in office are bringing the US and the world to ruin. If you are not actively trying to stop them and educating yourself in the process you are part of the problem. If you are actually supporting the criminals in charge , you are an accessory, and you share some of the blame for the carnage in the world, the death of our soldiers in Iraq in a war based on lies, and you should turn off the rightwing radio hatemongering propagandists and read more and think, what country is one who actually used a WMD against a huge civilian population ? US, in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We needed to test it on actual people and our government at the time saw their chance. This was a war crime for which they were never punished.They lied and said they had to kill to save lives , but that was just more lies. But, the winner gets to write their own revisionist history of every event, and the strongest country gets to bully and lie their way through history, while their citizens continue to allow them to get away with it .

Gaia , The Earth

We will only have peace through strength. You don't reason with religious extremists who are strapping bombs to children. You fight back. Golda Meir said there will be peace in the Middle East when Arabs begin to love their children more than they hate Jews. Stop with the propaganda that Islam is a religion of peace. No non-Muslim in a Muslim country or on the borders of Islam's expansion believes that. Civilized countries all over the world, like Kenya, Nigeria and the Philippines are falling back into the third century due to Islamic terrorism. God bless President Bush in this important battle to preserve Western Civilization.

John, Newton