Good lord.
Something to keep in mind next time someone argues that we need to care what other countries think.
I notice that there is no row in the table for the USA. Were Americans not asked the same question? Is there, in fact, any evidence to suggest that that a sample of American opinions would be any less worthy of a 'Good Lord' response?
It might just be that, in addition to dismissing the opinions of the rest of the world, the USA needs to ignore what Americans think too ...
That is not really the issue, now is it? If your wife thinks you are a lousy lover, you have to do something about it. If Mr. Universe thinks you are, do you really care?
Why? What did Mr. Universe tell you? He's a damn liar!
what if you are having a fling with mr universe?
Hey! I dont kiss and tell!
Your analogy doesn't stand up (sic), Dr. Guy. Trying to stay in role, the statistics quoted suggest that Mr. Universe thinks you are a lousy lover. All I'm saying is this: before you publish your sex manual, shouldn't you ask your wife what SHE thinks?
I think you are buttressing my point. I guess you took my response to mean that yea, we should give a damn about europeans, and none about Americans. On the contrary, your conparison to American opinion has nothing to do with our ignoring european opinion.
America has a case for ignoring the opinions of others if and only if it is better informed. If it is not, then it is in no position to ridicule the rest of the world. I have still seen no evidence to support claims that America occupies any kind of high ground on this issue.
And that is the difference. It is not that anyone else's opinion is better informed or not (that is truly immaterial). We dont care, because they do not matter. When they get to be top dog, then we can care.
You dont emulate a bum to get to be CEO of a company. "Europe" (the rest of the world to the enlightened literati of America and to Europeans themselves, including their vassal states) has had over a thousand years to do someting other than beat each other up. America has had barely 200. So who are you going to listen to for investment Advice - Ken Lay? Or Warren Buffet?
At last we get to the nub of your argument. But it's obvious that you don't even believe it yourself. After all, why would you bother to contribute to a thread about what the rest of the world thinks if you really didn't care what the rest of the world thinks?
For the fun of it! Why else?
And these turds call Obama elitist!
It would seem Americans are at least as well as informed as "other countries".
American's don't ridicule the rest of the world. They just don't care about it. And the world gives little reason for Americans to care.
It would? How so? There are no stats relating to the USA in the table you posted. In the absence of any evidence to support your claim, it remains mere supposition.
Actually, I think there is a difference between being interested in learning what people in other countries think about the US and Americans and wanting to base domestic policy and laws on how they do things in other countries.
I know when I have travelled, or met people here for other countries, I am often interested to hear what they think about the US and Americans. I'm also usually interested to learn the differences between how we see them and how they really are.
So I do care, I just don't want our elected officials, judges or diplomats to let what others think be the driving justification for decisions or actions.