Will we ever win back the trust of the world?

[zanne]

During times like this, I try to envision a post-2008 world. We are not at war anywhere, having successfully resolved our differences with the mideast. We have turned to compromise, not force, to resolve these issues. Our president goes to other countries, holds real press conferences and doesn't lie. We stop trying to take advantage of oil-producing countries and stop preaching about democracy. (Add your own daydream to the list). Would the world trust and/or like us again?

[magellan]

1. Hell, *I* wouldn't trust us again. (nt)

[thepurpose]

2. My vote is hell no. We have gone to far this time.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. Clinton did. I hope another reasonable, non-war-crazy Dem could too. -nt

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

4. Eventually.

But we are gonna have to work at it. It's gonna be expensive and we are going to have to show we are serious by bringing people to account for their misdeeds and perfidy. We will also have to take a close and dispassionate look at career bureaucrats and remove the neocon enablers and those who have used this maladministration and its policies to their own idealogical ends and get them out of there.

It won't be fun or pretty.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

10. The problem is that democratic countries are sometimes schizophrenic.

Carter --> Reagan/Bush I --> Clinton --> Bush II

Doesn't it look awfully like a mentally sick person who switches back and forth between "good" and "evil" personas?

You can't fully trust a person like that. The best you can do is engage them while they're in "good" mode and somehow try to encourage them to STAY that way. But you don't have control over that, no one has.

[napi21]

5. Probably, but I doubt I will see it in my lifetime!

It's no different with a Country than it is with personal relationships. Once trust is destroyed, it takes a very long time to re-establish it again.

[patricia92243]

23. Good point. And again, like personal relationships, there are degrees

of breaking trust. Bush has led to hugh degrees of breaking trust, and therefore will take longer for the world to kiss and makeup with us.

[spanone]

6. The 'terrists' will spend decades seeking revenge, I fear.

Bush* has planted deep seeds of hate throughout the world and they will take years to germinate.

[TahitiNut]

7. Only when the current crop of war criminals are imprisoned or dead.

We're an outlaw nation ... and only the corrupt governments (not the people) will ally with us.

[PaDem]

8. Very unlikely...........

even before Bush we were on shaky ground. Always have been, and for good reason. Until our foreign policy radically changes we'll be perceived as the big bully in the world. And that includes our Israel policy. Sadly the Dems and Repubs don't differ very much on foreign policy. I think the Dems are more cautious and wiser generally speaking, but the policy is similar regardless of who is in charge.

[calico1]

9. Possible..

With more honest people. But it will take decades.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. Not as long as we still try buying or bullying the world.

Most of the world has caught on that we are not their friends or trustworthy, and haven't been for most of our history.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

12. Look at Germany.

Never overestimate the importance of the present day. In thirty or forty years the rest of the world will care about the Bush era less than it cares about what America was like in the 60s and 70s now.

[zanne]

16. Good point, Donald Ian Rankin

I think the "importance of the present day" is pertinent to the USA. We don't like to think about history and we're a little short-sighted about the future.

[rock]

13. As we are a Democracy

(with possilbly rigged vote-counting) we are always one election away from installing a psychopathic, idiotic, napoleonic ... Well, you get the drift.

[ThomWV]

14. Only If The World Sees Us Clean Up Our Own Mess

If Bush is impeached, if some heads roll, if some serious prison time is served, then we will have won back our once-held respect in the world.

[Richard Steele]

15. Yes, but it will take time. "Time" as in GENERATIONS.

Germany, Italy and Japan have regained the World's "trust",
since WWII, but the AMOUNT regained still varies from place to place.
And it depends upon many variables, like past historic relations
and how DIRECTLY our actions affected people.

In, say, the UK: I imagine the populace will have a "thank God that's over"
attitude the day after B*shCabal™ is removed from power.

But in Iraq, where the tons of Depleted Uranium we spread will be
maiming the unborn for the next thousand years, not so much trust
will be forthcoming.

EVER.

[mcscajun]

17. After Bush is long gone, the neo-cons are kicked out of all their

protected places of power, we pay more attention to the UN and the wishes of other countries, and stop trying to be the world's police, we sign onto things like the Kyoto Accords, acknowledge the jurisdiction of the International Court, and we make public statement to the effect that we will not impose our will on others, then yeah, maybe.

I'm not holding my breath, though.

[Demeter]

18. When the Vast, Right-Wing Conspiracy Is No More

and the criminals have been tried and convicted in the International Criminal Court. And reparations are paid and the US economy acts like an engine of wealth, instead of crime.

[EST]

19. No, we cannot "win" it back. Once gone, gone forever.

However, due primarily to the epemeral nature of humankind, if we set a course that is true to the claims we make about ourselves, we can build a new trust and respect.

The "old" generations will be dead and gone and the newcomers have an open book to write their own history.

[The2ndWheel]

20. That's a post-2008 world?

Sounds more like a post-world world.

[zanne]

21. Zanne's buzz. Time of death: 10:23

[ktowntennesseedem]

22. Takes a long time to gain trust and respect, only an instant to loose it

No way to know the precise formula, but since we've spent the better part of 5 years destroying our reputation (and reinforcing the opinions of those who hated us to begin with), I'd say few of us will be around to see that day. And that's if we turn this thing around now and don't screw up something else.

For me, I guess the real question is "how long will it take for the world to forget?"

[intaglio]

24. Who say YOU have lost OUR respect?

The US is more than just it's governance or it's politicians; it is it's people.

You as a people do not lose respect. The vast majority of the US people are honourable, responsible people who care for others and yes I even include a large number of republicans in that. You are not your leaders.

As a state you do have a huge task in front of you for it is up to you to clean the Augean Stables that has become your Legislature and Executive. You have no Hercules to help you and probably not even a nearby river to divert so it will be hard dirty smelly work but I for one think that You - as a people - can do it.

[Deja Q]

25. No - that's the entire point of what's going on.