After I read your perceptions of what the rest of the world thinks of us, I went to the Pew Global Attitudes Project for some hard statistics and a reality check.
You might want to take some time to browse the various Pew studies. They reveal a complex picture, in which much of the world--Muslims included--sees much to admire in America, as well as seeing much to dislike. (Much the way thinking Americans view their own country.)
The reports don't paint a universally rosy picture, of course. There's that persistent belief that Arabs weren't involved in the September 11th attacks, for example. But those brain farts are the exception, rather than the rule.
I found these results a bit disquieting:
42% of Christians in America think of themselves as Christians first and Americans second? That isn't the whole definition of "fanatic", but it's certainly a leading indicator. When it comes to accusing Muslims of fanaticism, perhaps we shouldn't throw stones?
On the subject of religious extremism, I'd say that the glass is considerably more than half full:
Solid majorities of people in the Arab world (which is what I assume you mean by "the marches") share our attitude toward Islamic extremism. It's counterproductive, to put it mildly, to accuse "those people" of "hav[ing] a deep and abiding hostility to the West and its values." A good way to make enemies is to go around telling people who share your values that they don't, because they understand the insult full well.
That sure looks like a portrait of two peoples who actually have way too much in common.
These are just tidbits from the Pew buffet. It's worth browsing the whole pile of statistics to accumulate the overall picture. It's complex, like I said, but it's certainly not as unremittingly bleak as you seem to think. It's good news, Tom, don't be afraid, the Pew studies don't bite!
Flame » in reply to Smoothly done, Robert...
"the people in the marches have a deep and abiding hostility to the West and its values."
The whole thread (78 posts)
- Reactions
- Moral equivalency
- "Civilization won't stand long when when the self-proclaimed good guys use war as an excuse to take a holiday from civilization"
- And our side won't last long when we're the only ones using a rule book.
- "The soft nihilism of low expectations"
- Smoothly done, Robert...
- One for the road...
- We *should* know better.
- "the people in the marches have a deep and abiding hostility to the West and its values."
- The right-wing reaction to the story was faster.
- re: Nations
- Revisionist history of the highest order.
- Heh, heh. Phony point.
- Moral equivalency