Who creates the bad image of the United States abroad?
Ana Velitchkova
Eye on Earth
Four major factors shape the image of the United States abroad: the government's foreign policy, the army stationed or participating in military operations abroad, its companies expanding abroad and the products of the U.S. entertainment industry spread all over the world.
Usually, people abroad do not have contact with ordinary Americans and know little about their values and daily life. Here and there, U.S. not-for-profit organizations try to help alleviate crisis situations and their efforts are appreciated. However, they cannot outweigh the influence of the above-mentioned four major factors.
The president formulated the guiding principle of the U.S. foreign policy as: "You are either with us or against us." There is no middle position possible. It is followed strictly. The way the United States treated the United Nations showed to the international community the respect it has for any other country in the world. Countries that think they can afford having different opinions, like France and Saddam's Iraq, run a risk giving such opinion. Consequently, they receive the United States' fury. Countries that think they cannot afford having different opinion do not give such.
To be with the United States means one can hope for U.S. aid and investments, trade with the United States and, probably, one won?t be attacked by the United States.
To be against the United States often means the opposite. Of course, in both cases, one pays the appropriate price. In order to be with the United States, one has to give up part of his or her sovereignty and the right to freely express opinions on issues important to the United States. Part of the price Bulgaria has to pay for being with the United States consisted of several weeks ago removing the prime minister?s national security adviser from office because the United States didn?t like him.
This foreign policy of imposing U.S. superiority on everyone else is accepted initially because of lack of means to oppose it. It fosters hostility, however, and in the long run, it begs for resistance and conflict.
Americans are familiar with that. They are the ones who pay the price of the U.S. foreign policy. They have to experience attacks like Sept. 11, and their sons fight and die in foreign lands.
Unlike most other countries where foreign policy relies on diplomacy, U.S. foreign policy relies primarily on the army. Politicians concentrate on domestic affairs.
Often, the U.S. Army finds itself in the position of an ambassador or a peacekeeper. As Army personnel have been trained principally to kill - or at least they are perceived to have this role by most people in the United States and abroad - their positions as ambassadors and peacekeepers seem awkward if not even absurd.
Foreign army presence in a country is generally considered an occupation. The United States has never experienced one, but you can try to understand what it means. Imagine this was happening to your country:
"The Saudi army attacks the United States because of fears the United States is possessing weapons of mass destruction and harming the Saudi people and because they conceive the U.S. leader a dictator. Also, the Saudi people want to bring to this country their philosophy of Islam as they sincerely believe this is the best thing to happen to this country. Islam promotes peace and values and gives people a chance to find the right way in life. The Saudis happen to have a stronger army and defeat the United States. Every Saudi soldier - as well as the rest of the Saudi people - thinks his job is to kill as many American enemies as possible, and so he does. Thousands of Americans die in the war. When the United States is defeated, a provisionary Saudi government is established in the United States to teach the Americans the values of Islam and help them organize their country in a way similar to the Saudi way of life and government. The Saudi army has the best intentions as peacekeeper. Some American people agree with the Saudis and try to help the foreigners change their country. Others consider the Saudis invaders and oppose them. The Saudis cannot understand why the Americans are so angry with them. They just want to bring peace and a better way of life."
The Saudis and Islam were chosen randomly and in reality have nothing to do with the events described in this imaginary story. Any other people, religion or philosophy could replace them in the story. A real people and religion were used to make the story look authentic.
Eye on Earth appears every Thursday. Ana is a graduate student in foreign language and literatures from Bulgaria. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Egyptian.
Copyright 2009 - Daily Egyptian
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