Will America Ever Regain It's Reputation?

[Tabasco Sauce]

Will America Ever Regain It's Reputation? Bush has, it seems, done all he can to tarnish the image of America. He came out strong immediately after 9/11, made sense on Afghanistan, but Iraq... seems to be the straw that breaks the camels back.

The world, at its least extreme point of view finds us distasteful, at worst, evil. We have created a generation of hatred in the Middle East, and we are slowly slipping in Afghanistan. Can America ever reclaim its spot as the paradigm of Freedom? Will another John F. Kennedy say that

"my fellow americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

Will we one day stop supporting strife by action, and start supporting freedom by example? My Fellow Americans, no American president was perfect, Kennedy had the Bay of Pigs, Lincoln and Habeas Corpus didn't get along, but in this election, can we turn the tide of hatred and war, and bring back peace? Can we resuscitate the American dream?

 

[warpus]

Elect Ru Paul and we'll just continue laughing at you, sorry!

 

[Tabasco Sauce]

Elect Ru Paul and we'll just continue laughing at you, sorry!

 

[RedRalph]

I'm not sure, a lot depends on the actions of the next President. Once a country heads down a certain path, its not always the case that a change of the head of govt will change the direction its taking. Here in Ireland, there whole generation of kids who are growing up to see the Americans as aggressors, and warmongers (not every kid, of course, but a lot of them, I cant speak for England, but I strongly suspect its true there too). theres a whole generation of adults, who, for the first time, are seeing the americans satirised on TV as warmongers and Aggressors, as an extremely religious country and one where things like gun rights appear to take precedence over human lives.

Put it this way: Americas motives for going to war are going to be suspect for a long, long time to the rest of the world, so the only weay I could see them regaining its repuataion, maybe even improving it, would be to not go to war for a decade or too, but history tells us thats not too likely.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

America never lost it's rep in my opinion. The things that make America great are still there. So, you have a couple of wackos in your goverment. Show me a goverment without them.

The 'problem' with that is that America is (one of) the most important player(s) in the political world, so you're in the spotlight and any blemish will be painted all over the papers and internet all over the world.

 

[Fetus4188]

America's reputation is a large inertial mass. It's Bush's reputation that is shot.

 

[Tycoon101]

Of course we'll regain it! We just need to hire some 6-star diplomats and our Badboy will melt off like pounds from fat man in a steam room.

 

[philippe]

America never lost it's rep in my opinion. The things that make America great are still there. So, you have a couple of wackos in your goverment. Show me a goverment without them.

The 'problem' with that is that America is (one of) the most important player(s) in the political world, so you're in the spotlight and any blemish will be painted all over the papers and internet all over the world.

QFT
Yeah, I'm glad the netherlands or Belgium ain't a superpower, imagine the internet fall-out on balkenende or vanderdonk or Leterme

 

[Rambuchan]

For those who take their presidential rhetoric and propaganda with a pinch of salt, there was hardly ever a reputation such as that stated in the OP.

 

[Julian Delphiki]

^You need to watch more Hollywood movies to appreciate AMEERIKA!

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

It will take 20 years of pure sanity, no invasions, bringing home troops on foriegn soil and reducing carbon emmisions.

 

[Hehehe]

Well I still like America, but it seems it is kind of fashionable to hate America. Maybe this will change when America gets a new president, stops torturing prisoners and whatever disputes between Europe and America are solved.

In my opinion, America is great as a superpower. Ok they've done their mistakes, but would you people rather have communist China as the only superpower? Attacking Iraq might be bad but I don't think Chinese would be much better if China was the only superpower.

 

[Princeps]

It will take 20 years of pure sanity, no invasions, bringing home troops on foriegn soil and reducing carbon emmisions.

And no more Friedmanian vomit and crank science.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

And no more Friedmanian vomit and crank science.

Reagan is popular and respected. Friedman = Reagan so I think friedman style politics would work.

 

[Patroklos]

America's "reputation" has very little to do with current events or the action of Bush. The simple fact is that in this new non cold war world countries don't need the leadership, or at least the level of leadership, that was required by those past circumstances. European and other nations are coming into their own, and they rightly chaff at being under the influence of someone else.

And it isn't just the US either. Rivalries are heating up all over the world between all sorts of nations over all sorts of things, and I am not talking military. There simply isn't this spectre of threat that kept many nations from fully expressing their individual interests anymore. There were a lot of things that were put on the back burner for a long time and nations are just now realizing that alot of things they did or they way they did them don't make sense anymore or can be done better now.

Good. American;s for the most part have no problem with other nations growing into their own shoes. And just like the teenage angst against your parents waned, so will this current irrational hatred of the US (as well as the US's sometimes condesending attitude towards its former charges).

 

[bhsup]

Absolutely. See, the problem is misconceptions on the part of the rest of the world. We're still the good guys, the knight in shining armor, the man in the white cowboy hat riding in to save the day. It is just that, for some reason, the world is topsy turvy right now and nobody seems to recognize us for what we are. But I am confident that'll eventually clear up.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Good. American;s for the most part have no problem with other nations growing into their own shoes. And just like the teenage angst against your parents waned, so will this current irrational hatred of the US (as well as the US's sometimes condesending attitude towards its former charges).

I love America, I loathe arrogant Americans though.

 

[Godwynn]

Reagan is popular and respected. Friedman = Reagan so I think friedman style politics would work.

Friedman supported a massive budget deficit and the war on drugs?

That's news to me.

 

[Patroklos]

I love America, I loathe arrogant Americans though.

Probably as much as American's loath unjustly accusatory Europeans. We will both grow out of it, or it will develop into a more healthy rivalry.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I see the footwear has a snug fit