Why should we care what the world thinks of U.S.?

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Permalink Reply by Al Hopkins on February 4, 2009 at 9:46pm

To use the perception of others as a driving force in your actions is to operate on the intellectual level of an eighth grader. As an adult you don’t make important decisions for yourself or your family based on whether your neighbors or co-workers will approve of it. Adults lead their lives, they are not constantly hoping to find a course of action that strangers and onlookers will approve of. The perception of others is only relevant to determining your allies.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Mergell on February 5, 2009 at 10:20am

Quite simply I believe that six degrees of seperation applies globaly.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Fischer on February 5, 2009 at 10:32am

Well that is simple. Why should any citizen of any nation care? What if you knew that the Chinese, or Iranians openly flaunted an attitude of not caring what the world thinks of them?
Leaving tourism and trade aside for now, what would that do for their national security? How many angry gunners would change their sights to the newly declared apathetic military force?

This is so obvious, I hope very much you will bring it to attention of anyone who wonders.

Going deeper, we have enjoyed the benefits of being a world culture mix, melting pot, brain drain destination and much more. Is there no resposibility that we can bear for those benefits?
Everyone in the world knows of someone who has moved to the US for reasons of higher moral pursuit. Do we want to squander that vast perception just so we can burn more gas and export more weapons for the short 10 years to come before our window of opportunity for good will and peace expires fully?

That is a no brainer for me. We owe it to our parents and all the people around the world who have invested in our idealism not to squander it on over consumption.

Michael Fischer

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Permalink Reply by Sarah Brown on February 5, 2009 at 12:28pm

Our over consuption helps fuel the world economy. Much of the world loves us cause we buy their stuff, and because we do so much buying, selling and consuming we have a lot of profit to hopefully use for good. I don't think we should waste, but buying and selling keeps the world economy thriving. When people slow the buying and selling (like now) everyone suffers and deflation and depression is the result.

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Permalink Reply by lesliepagel on February 5, 2009 at 5:36pm

We should care what the world thinks of the U.S. because it is an indicator of how well we are performing as a global leader in energy, environmental issues, technology, space exploration, transportation,....you name the topic.

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Permalink Reply by Carla Feagans on February 6, 2009 at 1:25am

We Americans are one of the most - if not the most - self-centered, ego-centric countries in the world. I am not basing my comments on any written research, but rather, my own experiences having traveled and lived overseas.

In America, we think we ARE the world and nothing else matters, not too much anyway. Most of us have no idea what is really going on with the rest of the world, nor do most of us care. We are American and proud!! Meanwhile, the rest of the world - countries a little (or a lot!) older, a little wiser, a little more perspective, realize they are but one country in a big, big world. While we are busy tooting our own horns, they are busy, watching. Some are working hard to compete, others are content to sit back and let us take on the world, having been there, done that. Or not. Some really just don't care. But they still have an awareness that we lack.

I am in no way saying I am anti-American. I am very proud to be American and grateful to have been born in this country. But we are a young country. And we are very foolish and naive to think it doesn't matter what the rest of the world is doing or even what they think. If we think we're the best but no one else does, will they still want to buy our products? our movies? our exports? If things change and we are no longer respected or perceived as the most powerful country, we won't even be able to police the rest of the world, whether we want to or not.

We can't sit back and assume that America will always be such a powerful nation. In a global economy, in an ever-shrinking world linked by better and better technology, who knows what is yet to come? When will China's massive population become a real threat?

Someone made the point that at least Indiana has a global presence with the Indy 500. How true this is! I can't even count how many times - well, in almost every circumstance in any country in the world (and I've been to quite a few), when I mentioned I was from Indiana, the response was "Oh yes, the 500 race!"

Should we care what others think? If we want to improve Indiana's reputation, we need to start with our own country! What are we doing as a state to change our image from being dismissed as one of those Midwest states full of clueless people? We need to improve our image within the U.S. first, in addition to becoming an international draw and respected city/state.

This discussion actually reminds me of the book Who Moved My Cheese. Are we so busy relaxing in the thought that the U.S. is great and that will never change that we may miss the subleties that clue us in when it's time to make a change before the rug is pulled out from under us? (or, staying with the book's theme, before the cheese supply is gone)?

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Permalink Reply by Stephen D. Charlesworth on February 7, 2009 at 1:58pm

This discussion reminds me of hearing Kurt Vonnegut speak years ago. He said a problem w/ Christianity was maybe Christ originally said 'Respect each other' and it got mistranslated as 'Love One Another'. It's a lot different and a whole different manner to love somebody than to respect somebody, and I see a lot of people getting hung up on 'I don't care if Moldova doesn't love me'. No kidding, neither do I.

Respect is a different matter, though. We for damn sure (sorry for the language) want the U.S. to be respected, and I think GWB went a long way toward diminishing and minimizing respect toward the U.S. In my travels abroad, I'd encounter people who expressed amazement we the people had hired such a doofus for such an important job. By compromising our principles too readily and treating the Constitution without respect, he and his administration sent the message that they didn't respect the Constitution, so why should the American people? Why should anybody?

I think the U.S. is an awesome country, I love living here, and I want it to be worthy of respect, which to me would mean regaining positions of strength in technological innovation, living by our principles (including freedom of speech and the press), and adopting less wasteful, consumerism centered approaches to life. So I don't really care if other countries 'like us', or don't think California wines are as good as theirs, or whatever, but yes, maintaining respect and not frivolously squandering our position is probably worthwhile.

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Permalink Reply by Timothy Maguire on February 7, 2009 at 2:02pm

VERY GOOD question, Pat! Very thought provoking.

While the US shouldn't threaten or intimidate other countries without just cause, I myself have often wondered why we care if they think we're nice people or not.

As long as we treat all foreign entities fairly and equitably, would they not continue to trade with us, regardless if they think we're greedy capitalists or not? Assuming they're not an insane dictator, bent on world domination?

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