George Bush: Four More Years

[John Simkin]

A poll of 21 countries by BBC World Service was published yesterday. Fifty-eight per cent of the 22,000 who took part in the poll said they expected Mr Bush to have a negative impact on peace and security, compared with only 26% who considered him a positive force.

It found that the bulk of people in 18 of the 21 countries surveyed had negative feelings towards the president. Traditional US allies in western Europe were among those expressing the most negative feelings about the re-election.

In Britain, 64% of those polled said they disagreed with the proposition that the US would have a mainly positive impact on the world. The figures were even higher in France (75%) and Germany (77%).

Mr Bush's victory was viewed positively in only three of the 21 countries: the Philippines, Poland and India.

Doug Miller, president of the polling firm GlobeScan, said he had been monitoring trends since the start of 2003 and the figure for those who disagreed that the US was having a mainly positive impact on the world had risen from 46% then to 49% last year, and had now jumped to 58%.

"Our research makes very clear that the re-election of President Bush has further isolated America from the world," he said. "It also supports the view of some Americans that unless his administration changes its approach to world affairs in its second term, it will continue to erode America's good name, and hence its ability to effectively influence world affairs."

Asked how Mr Bush's re-election had affected their feelings towards Americans, 72% of those polled in Turkey said it made them feel worse about Americans, 65% in France, 59% in Brazil and 56% in Germany.

There was also overwhelming opposition to sending troops to Iraq, even among close allies such as Britain.

"Fully one in four British citizens say the Bush re-election has made them more opposed to sending troops to Iraq, resulting in a total of 63% now opposed," Mr Miller said.

The poll was conducted between November 15 and January 3 in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the UK. A separate poll, for the Los Angeles Times, shows Americans are also polarised over the prospect of a second term, including over the conduct of the war in Iraq.

Mr Bush's job approval rating stands at 50%, with 47% disapproving. In recent times, only Richard Nixon at the start of his second term in 1972 recorded poll ratings as poor.

(edited version of an article that appeared in the Guardian)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1394393,00.html

[John Geraghty]

God help us all, and i do mean that.

in the sixties j.edgar hoover had a list of people to be interned in the event of a national security, Martin luther king being one of them, imagine the list the bush administration has and what other measures they would introduce, i fear to think what would happen if there was another attack on the US. People dont know how close america was to civil war in the sixties, if people are held under martial law for even a week all hell could break loose. It may sound strange but it is a possibility.

Take a look at the patriot act. This violation of human rights was sitting on the shelves waiting for a national emergency to come along so that there would be an excuse to give the government new powers.

Richard Nixon thought of setting up an intelligence agency for the white house, is anyone aware if bush has a similar entity? if he does then there is no doubt that america could be beyond repair.

john