LONDON – Israel, Iran and the United States were the countries with the most negative image in a globe-spanning survey of attitudes toward 12 major nations. Canada and Japan came out best in the poll, released Tuesday.
The survey for the British Broadcasting Corp.'s World Service asked more than 28,000 people to rate 12 countries – Britain, Canada, China, France, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, North Korea, Russia, the United States and Venezuela – as having a positive or negative influence on the world.
Israel was viewed negatively by 56 per cent of respondents and positively by 17 per cent; for Iran, the figures were 54 per cent and 18 per cent. The United States had the third-highest negative ranking, with 51 per cent citing it as a bad influence and 30 per cent as a good one. Next was North Korea, which was viewed negatively by 48 per cent and positively by 19 per cent.
Canada had the most positive rating in the survey, with 54 per cent viewing it positively and 14 per cent negatively. It was followed by Japan and France.
"It appears that people around the world tend to look negatively on countries whose profile is marked by the pursuit of military power," said Steven Kull, director of the University of Maryland's Program on International Policy Attitudes, which conducted the research along with pollster GlobeScan.
"Countries that relate to the world primarily through soft power, like France and Japan and the EU in general, tend to be viewed positively," he added.
Harper would have us believe that Canada doesn't register on the radar, with his constant, confusing, "Canada's back" rhetoric when he speaks of foreign affairs. The above findings serve as further proof that Canada already has a reputation, one we should be proud of, and certainly one that doesn't require a more "assertive" posture.
4 comments:
I think it is true that the average person abroad is not highly knowledgeable about Canada. For example, I doubt most people abroad know the name of our PM or could tell you anything about him. However, what little people do know about Canada, it is very positive and I say lets keep it that way. Besides I've found those who don't always stick their noses in other people's business tend to be better liked than those who do, even if they don't do a lot.
Steve,
I think there's a difference between what the average Joe thinks, and what governments and public officials think. Not saying we're necessarily "back" in any meaningful way, just that I don't think this survey suggests to the contrary.
And by the way, who views North Korea positively? I mean, sure, there are a lot of reasonable people who would view Israel positively, or the US positively, or even Iran positively if you were into poking those other two in the eyes, but North Korea? What do they do other than shit disturb and starve their own people?
Steve
The difference between the percentage positive and negative was no definite opinion given. So for instance Israel polled 56% negative and 17% positive with 27% of the respondents that hadn't or couldn't form a definite opinion about Israel's influence on the world.
Iran and the E.U. are tied at 28% for people not having any opinion about their influence and Canada is in the top 4 in terms of respondents that had little or no opinion of our influence at 32%. Tied with Russia at 32% and North Korea at 33%. Beat out by India at 37%
So we are the most well respected but one of the least influential countries in the survey.
I didn't include Venezuela at 27% positive, 27% negative and 46 no opinion.
Miles has a point about sticking our noses in where they are not welcomed.
However if we could increase our influence without increasing negative world perception I would be all for it.
How do think our role in Afghanistan figures into this?
I feel pretty, oh so pretty...I feel pretty and witty and gaaaay....and I pity, every country who isn't me today... *la la la la*...
However if we could increase our influence without increasing negative world perception I would be all for it.
And that's impossible. In a world where hard power (money and military) is the only kind of power that counts, there is nothing we can do...nor should want to do when those are the rules of the game.
When the big boys with their toys finally make a big mess of everything, we might see soft power assert the type of credibility and moral leadership it should have, but until then, ol' Harper (who I suspect loves to be hated, because he equates fear with respect) should stop trying to live his out his delusions of grandeur by sacrificing Canada's reputation.
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