Korean Job Discussion Forums

[thepeel]

[stevemcgarrett]

BJWD:

[Octavius Hite]

NO, I made a crack about the newsworthiness and "unbiased" coverage of the National Post. Then I went into a resonable argument as to why we should stop talking about global warming and start focusing on the state of the environment in general. Then you went into a tirade focusing only on my dig at the National Post (who, btw, is likely to see it's founder, Mr. Black, head to jail very soon for being an all around scumbag) which was 2 sentences and merely meant to challenge your source.

I knocked the paper and then gave a reasonable argument that somewhat opposes you (in many ways I agree with you, just not your anti-science agenda). I didn't get personal until you cameback and started on about the National Post. You never dealt with the topic, you just focused on my "politics".

[crsandus]

So a rope walks into a bar and orders a beer. The bartender looks at the rope and says "Sorry but we don't serve ropes here."

The rope walks out of the bar and asks the first person he meets to tie a knot with him and fray one end of the rope.

The rope goes back into the bar and again orders a beer. The bartenders eyes him suspiciously and says "Aren't you the rope that was just in here?"

The rope replies "No, I'm a frayed knot."

[crusher_of_heads]

[supernick]

If there was just the one poll or survey, it might seem worthwhile pocking holes to make it look like Swiss cheese, but unfortunately for some, there are many that have similar results regarding America�s image and influence. Even after all the holes, the results won't change much.

Personally, I was surprised that the U.S. was found to be in a less favourable opinion than N.Korea. This could be because the N.Korea might look like a threat, the U.S. has actually engaged in warfare in recent years, and further, assessments on N.Korea by the U.S. simply aren�t trusted.

Why don�t some of you look on the bright side of the poll where there where 2 countries that ranked below the U.S.


http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/306.php?nid=&id=&pnt=306&lb=hmpg1

The global view of the United States� role in world affairs has significantly deteriorated over the last year according to a BBC World Service poll of more than 26,000 people across 25 different countries.

President Bush announces his new Iraq strategy on 11 January 2007 (Eric Draper/White House photo)

As the United States government prepares to send a further 21,500 troops to Iraq, the survey reveals that three in four (73%) disapprove of how the US government has dealt with Iraq.

The poll shows that in the 18 countries that were previously polled, the average percentage saying that the United States is having a mainly positive influence in the world has dropped seven points from a year ago--from 36 percent to 29 percent�after having already dropped four points the year before. Across all 25 countries polled, one citizen in two (49%) now says the US is playing a mainly negative role in the world.

Over two-thirds (68%) believe the US military presence in the Middle East provokes more conflict than it prevents and only 17 percent believes US troops there are a stabilizing force.

The poll shows that world citizens disapprove of the way the US government has handled all six of the foreign policy areas explored. After the Iraq war (73% disapproval), majorities across the 25 countries also disapprove of US handling of Guantanamo detainees (67%), the Israeli-Hezbollah war (65%), Iran�s nuclear program (60%), global warming (56%), and North Korea�s nuclear program (54%).

Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes comments, �According to world public opinion, these days the US government hardly seems to be able to do anything right.�

The survey of 26,381 respondents across 25 countries was conducted for the BBC World Service by the international polling firm GlobeScan together with the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland. GlobeScan coordinated fieldwork during November 2006 to January 2007 (mainly following the US mid-term elections).

GlobeScan president Doug Miller comments, �The US Administration�s recent decision to send more troops to Iraq is at odds with global public opinion that thinks the US military presence in the region provokes more conflict than it prevents. This policy is likely to further hurt America�s image.�

Among the 25 countries polled, the most common view in 18 of them is that the United States is having a mainly negative influence, in five the most common view is that the US is having a positive influence, and in two views are evenly divided. The most positive countries are Nigeria (72% mainly positive) and the Philippines (72%), while the most negative countries are Germany (74% mainly negative) and Indonesia (71%).

Some of the sharpest drops in positive ratings over the last year came from four countries that have tended to be quite positive about the United States. Poland�s positive ratings dropped 24 points from 62 percent a year ago to 38 percent. The Philippines dropped 13 points from a very high 85 percent to a still-high 72 percent. India fell from 44 percent to 30 percent. Indonesia plunged 19 points�40 percent to 21 percent positive�perhaps due to the waning of the positive effect of the American aid to Indonesian tsunami victims.

Asked about specific foreign policy areas, in most of the 25 countries the most common view was disapproval of how the US was handling the situation, including how the US is handling the situation in Iraq (21 countries disapproving), detainees in Guantanamo and other prisons (22 countries), the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon (20 countries), Iran�s nuclear program (20 countries), North Korea�s nuclear program (19 countries), and global warming or climate change (19 countries).

The US military presence in the Middle East is exceedingly unpopular. In 23 of 25 countries the most common view is that it �provokes more conflict than it prevents.� While in only one country (Nigeria) is the most common view that the US presence is stabilizing.

Interestingly the American public also seems to have serious doubts about US foreign policy. Majorities disapprove of how the US is handling the war in Iraq (57%) and global warming or climate change (54%), while pluralities disapprove of US treatment of detainees in Guantanamo and other prisons (50%) and its handling of Iran�s nuclear program (50%). Views are divided on US handling of the war in Lebanon. The one area that receives plurality endorsement is the US handling of North Korea�s nuclear weapons program (50%). A majority of 53 percent of Americans say that the US military presence in the Middle East �provokes more conflict than it prevents,� with just 33 percent saying that it is a stabilizing force.

More broadly, a majority of Americans (57%) say that the US is having a mainly positive influence in the world. This is down from 63 percent a year ago and 71 percent two years ago.

In total 26,381 citizens in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and the United States were interviewed between 3 November 2006 and 9 January 2007. Polling was conducted for the BBC World Service by the international polling firm GlobeScan and its research partners in each country. In 10 of the 25 countries, the sample was limited to major urban areas. The margin of error per country ranges from +/-2.5 to 4 percent. For more details, please see the Questionnaire/Methodology.

[Kuros]

[Adventurer]

Israel and America have done things that would warrant a less than positive image in the world, but what about far worse countries like North Korea, the Sudan, Zimbabwe. No one has addressed that. And I do have a problem with the sample. I am not saying I don't think Israel is not engaging in human rights abuses, expropriating land, the U.S. invaded Iraq, has Guantanamo etc... It doesn't mean that the survey is really a good survey. However, it should concern those two countries that were portrayed negatively, because you want good relations with other countries and peoples, so the results should not be ignored. How many Arab states were being rated? A proper survey would be interesting where all the countries of the world are ranking and voting or at least
more than 27 out of 160 or so countries.

[freethought]

Adventurer has a point, but the reason is relatively simple, in my view. Look at Sudan/Darfur. When was the last time you heard anything about it that didn't have something to do with a celebrity speaking up? It gets no attention and so people don't know about it, or think about it. The events in Sudan are also an 'internal' matter, and so get less attention since it doesn't involve a war between nations.

Same for the NKs. Neither of the Kim's has really done anything of note for a long time. yes, weapons tests etc, but they're a closed nation, limited access, and don't really do anything outside of their borders.

Same for Zimbabwe. Essentially all internal.

These cases get little to no attention (NK gets a little more). They are not in the public eye, and so they are out of the public mind.

As for sample size, if a telephone or email poll of 1000 people can tells us what Bush's approval rating is, or how many people support gay marriage in Canada, then this sample size is more than large enough and diverse enough to provide roughly equally reliable numbers. This wasn't some surbey conducted by fred for his grade 11 social studies project. It was a real and professional survey.

[No_hite_pls]

[Kuros]

[freethought]

Kuros, your comment clarifies, but isn't accurate, since South Korea was included in the polling. I've posted a link below to the actual survey, which ought to clarify a few things.

http://www.globescan.com/news_archives/bbccntryview/

[Kuros]

[contrarian]

Anybody that thinks Canadians are peaceful has never watched a hocky game.

I have an Israeli passport, that said the Israelis have some hard attitudes and don't try us on attitude. They have every righy to show a little attitude.[/img]

[Ilsanman]

And the world has every right to have disdain for your 'country'.