Anna Nicole, you always post links to what seem to be interesting articles, and then when I click the links it's for subscribers only. Doh!
The problem with America's place in the world is that as a whole we're very self-centered. That's why Americans are ignorant about world geography and often "forget" completely about Canada and Mexico. International news doesn't "sell" well here, because most people don't care about what happens outside our borders unless it directly affects them. Tragedies and terrorism were happening around the globe before 9/11, but it was only until 9/11 when it happened to Americans directly that we as a collective started caring about terrorism and reporting attacks that occur in other countries. But for America, it's still all about us and 9/11. We just want to go to the Middle East and blow them up as revenge for 9/11, even if it means not targeting the right people. Otherwise we would've been more concerned about what was happening in Liberia, which most Americans, if they were even aware of the situation there, are apathetic about. Today is also the 30th anniversary of the right wing coup in Chile (which America was indirectly involved with), but will that even be mentioned in American news channels? No.
The world that previously showed support and sympathy for the U.S. after 9/11 "turned on us" after the invasion of Iraq. While the average American believed what was fed to them about the war in Iraq being about fighting terrorism, liberating the Iraqi people and installing democracy, and defending America's freedom (when was it ever in jeopardy???), the rest of the world saw the illogistics of it all. The U.S. was using sympathy for 9/11 to get support for an unrelated invasion of Iraq and ignoring Afghanistan and the reason we invaded that country in the first place. Bush went from fighting justifiedly against al-Qaeda to seizing an opportunity for an unjust invasion of Iraq. We started giving the French real reasons to hate us.
Much of the antipathy is due to the U.S.'s unilateral invasion of Iraq and snubbing of the UN. Bush went against the UN's request for more time, went against the UN and world opinion that this was an unjust war, and then when things go wrong in the post-war theater Bush expected the UN to bail him out. My undergrad degree was International Economics, with a lot of international relations courses, and my theory on the invasion of Iraq was oil, but not why most people assume. Bush didn't want the oil for the U.S., he wanted to control it against Iraq's biggest oil customers. I think before the invasion, the U.S. only got 3% of its oil supply from Iraq, so we didn't need the oil. But who was buying the other 97%? France, Germany, and Russia. France was the major partner in the Oil For Food program before we invaded, and was also paying for some of the oil with weapons components (not WMD, though). Who were the three major opponents of the invasion of Iraq? France, Germany, and Russia. After the U.S. invaded Iraq and it was apparent that we were now in control of the country and the oil, who all of a sudden recinded their opposition to the war and signed treaties with the U.S.? France, Germany, and Russia. They had no choice. When they realized that the U.S. controlled Iraq, the oil, and the entire reconstruction effort, they were forced to sign agreements in order to continue buying oil. This war was being planned ten years ago by the neo-con "hawks", many of whom were in Bush Sr.'s stable. But they couldn't proceed with Clinton in office for 8 years. They needed a Republican in the White House in order to invade Iraq. How convenient that Bush Jr. was made the Republican nominee in 2000. Republican caucuses had no other option, really. As soon as Bush took office in 2001, there is documented proof that he initiated activity with Iraq, assumedly to lead up to the war. After 9/11 the Bush administration had their "in" for invading Iraq. They used emotions after 9/11 to justify invading Iraq, and people ate it up. Here, that is. The rest of the world was now leary of the wounded guy that turned out to be a bully again.
It's not only worldwide anti-American sentiment that's growing. People here in NYC are beginning to hold the same opinions. For example, the reports that 9/11 might have been avoided, and the recent news that the Bush administration might have covered up ecological hazards near ground zero, etc.
Jeez, am I rambling again? I'm sorry. I get a little overzealous when it comes to discussing stuff like this. 9/11 was a horrible event in U.S. history. Don't turn a blind eye to horrible events that happen everywhere in the world. Don't forget that more people die each year from hunger, smoking related illnesses, or drunk drivers, none of which the current administration is making efforts to combat. Take care everybody.
I lost my gag reflex and all you got was this lousy message board posting.