Not surprisingly, the world disagrees

The nebulous and pervasive notion of anti-American sentiment abroad has recently been… The nebulous and pervasive notion of anti-American sentiment abroad has recently been quantified by a study from The Pew Research Center. The world community sees America’s war on terrorism in a very different light than we do, questioning our reasons for initiating conflict and wondering how we plan to restore order.

British support, dependable at the Iraq war’s outset, has dwindled sharply. Large majorities in Germany, France and Russia still believe their avoiding the war in Iraq was a good idea. Turkey, Pakistan, Morocco and Jordan remain nearly unanimously opposed to U.S. involvement. Citizens of several countries report that they think America is overstating the dangers terrorism poses to the world.

In France and Germany, majorities believe that the United States is conducting the war on terrorism to control oil and dominate the world. People in Muslim nations, who also see helping Israel and targeting Muslim governments as American ulterior motives, share this view.

No one is suggesting that America bend its will to try to please all the people, all the time. Nations can and should pursue their own unique and varied goals — and America has different goals from many of the nations that disagree with its policies. That said, when world public opinion is clamoring against us, it is incumbent upon us to at least listen.

The Iraq war is a mess. Some say it was destined to fail from the beginning, while others say there was a compelling reason to mobilize troops. Regardless, at this point, the word “quagmire” is becoming more and more appropriate. We lack a clear plan or exit strategy, and soldiers die every day. The rest of the world is right to question us on this.

We have isolated ourselves in a world that is ever-shrinking. We flouted the United Nations in getting involved in Iraq, which would have been fine — if we had been right, if we had had a victory that, in addition to being quick, was clean and decisive. That hasn’t happened. The American presence is floundering, and American corporations are making out best.

World opinion is a useful barometer, a way for us to step back and see our actions from a new perspective. Right now, the world is looking at the mess America has made of things, and is rightly asking what we plan to do to clean it up.