Losing Face, U.S. Policy Enraging the World

A new survey of the Arab world shows increasingly negative views towards the United States. The survey included 4,000 people from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates and has a margin of error of only 1.6 percent.

In total, eight out of ten Arabs hold a view of the United States that is less than favorable and a meager six percent say the troop surge in Iraq has worked. While 83 percent had unfavorable views, 70 percent said they had no confidence in the U.S. whatsoever.

The number of people holding negative views towards the U.S. is growing, and so are the number wanting troops to leave. Up from 44 percent last year, this year's poll found that 61 percent believe Iraqis would be better off if the U.S. were to pull out of Iraq.

As for the War in Iraq, eight in ten believe Iraqis are WORSE off than prior to the U.S. invasion. One third of those polled mistrust media reports that violence has declined at all. Concerns that Iraq will cause instability in the region were up from 42 percent last year to 59 percent.

And while the U.S. continues to paint a dangerous picture of Iran, the majority of Arabs do not see the country as a threat. In fact, 67 percent of them believe Tehran has the right to a nuclear program.

I find these figures to be very interesting and I think they illustrate the workings of the propaganda machine our country maintains. Our government has proved itself to be ignorant of the culture and beliefs of an entirely foreign region, managing to create widespread violence and untold amounts of death. Simultaneously, our media has fed us stories of fear, decreasing violence, and finally dropped the issue altogether.

Government officials and leaders repeatedly tell us that progress is being made, the region more stable and the lives of Iraqis improving. They have lied to us time and time again, why people still choose to believe them is beyond me. I guess it's just easier.

If there's anyone that would have a good idea of what's happening in the Middle East, you'd think it would be the people who live there.

The results of the poll show you what they see, and it's not a rosy picture of progress.

Source:
Reuters