As someone who grew up in Berlin, Germany I hear a lot about what Europeans think about the United States. When I was a kid in Berlin I remember cheering on US Olympic atheletes with my friends instead of the German ones (i’m not quite sure why). I was young and obviously didn’t pay attention to international politics but I do remember that the US, under Clinton, was very popular in Europe. Europeans often embraced American culture and the American way of life. Ironically, things started to change soon after my family moved to the States (1998).
The Bush Years
Putting policy aside, the Bush administration seems to have made NO effort rhetorically to stay friendly with our European allies over the last eight years. Add to that the many policy disputes between the Bush administration and European leaders (climate crisis, iraq, guantanamo, torture) and it doesn’t paint a pretty picture for our “image” abroad. Why do these things matter? Because we will never solve our biggest problems alone, and the world is STARVING for American leadership that embraces cooperation and rejects unilateralism (did they just get it?).
The Obama Effect
If you don’t believe any of this (and, hey, I could be wrong) look at what happened with Obama’s Berlin speech. His Berlin speech (from his tour abroad during the campaign), though it was extremely broad and barely presented any detailed policy ideas, was a HUGE success in Germany. Obama basically said: “we have common problems, let’s solve them together” (obviously in a much more eloquent way) and the German people were ecstatic.
You may argue that there wasn’t much substance behind the speech BUT symbolic gestures matter! The first step to “changing our image abroad” is convincing the world that we’re in it together. It seems that by electing Obama we are taking this first step. Obama convinced people all around the world that he would change the way America has lead over the last 8 years. By electing Obama, therefore, we have automatically regained a lot of credibility abroad. At least, that’s what I think…
So where do we find some evidence for this?
www.watchingamerica.com is a website that translates (into english) news articles from all around the world in an attempt to see what the world thinks about us! It’s really cool, I recommend it. So check out some of these articles about the US election:
France’s Le Monde writes that “this one election has changed the order of things and restored America’s moral leadership.”
Germany’s Die Tageszeitung writes that “Obama will be considerate.”
Germany’s Der Spiegel writes that the “US is actually serious about ending unilateralism.”
The Moheet from Egypt writes, “the wheel of democracy is not going backward.”
Hong Kong’s Yazhou Zhoukan writes about “Obama’s literary grace.”
Of course, not all the articles are quite so positive… Here is one from Italy’s Il Giornale titled, “He’s just a President, not the Messiah.”
How do you think Obama is affecting our image abroad? Does it matter? What’s next?
2 Comments
November 16, 2008 at 11:41 am
Philipp – I most definitely agree. I couldn’t believe during the debates how McCain just wouldn’t address the issue of how the world views us. Above ALL the obviously important impending issues today, I think that one just about tops it all off. We need the support of the world that we once had, and amazingly, choosing Obama has already changed our image.. Being abroad right now, I can totally see what you mean about the world’s views on America. All last week (not to mention the last several months), Obama’s been on the cover of all the papers and magazines here. It’s just astounding. I’d see him on the metro, on the street.. and when ppl hear I’m American, it’s the first thing they comment on. Rather than a negative comment on the war or on Bush, the sentiment is now of “Congratulations!! You must be so proud of your country!!”
And I am.
December 11, 2008 at 7:04 pm
First, off, I’d like to say Cody just referred me to this blog and that I am really enjoying it, I know this comment’s about a month late, but I’m working my way through all of your posts and this one really struck a chord with me.
I completely agree with you on our image. I thought that during the election there should have been much more emphasis on which candidate would help restore our image with the rest of the world. Most people were concerned with Iraq and terrorism when it came to foreign policy, but I think this is truly the underlying problem with our foreign policy. Bush lost us much of the credibility we had, not just with nations we are at odds with, but with our strongest allies as well.
As the American stock market continues its rollercoaster ride, so do the European, Asian and other markets. We are in the midst of a great surge in globalization, whether we like it or not. This means our relations with foreign nations and our image has become more important than ever. Obama understands this, and I am extremely pleased with the way the world reacted after the election. I am positive he will make good on his promises of direct diplomacy and restoring our creditability.
I’m really digging your blog, keep up the good work, it’s refreshing to hear someone’s opinions presented in a truly coherent and respectful way.