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January 24, 2008

The perception gap overseas

Thomas Lifson
Sometimes the vast gulf between elite opinion and popular opinion about the United States overseas comes into focus. Today is one such day.

On the one hand, Foreign Policy magazine presents us a collection of a dozen articles from Deep Thinkers via this editorial prism:

America's relationship with the world is in disrepair. Anger, resentment, and fear have replaced the respect the United States once enjoyed. So, we asked a group of the world's leading thinkers to answer one question: What single policy or gesture can the next president of the United States make to improve America's standing in the world?

That is a questionable assumption of course. India, France, Germany and other important countries have warmed to the United States. But the consensus among academics and journalists in those countries is no doubt anti-American. When elites talk to other elites at all those conferences, symposia, and award ceremonies, they mostly agree with each other that America's policies are terrible.

Among the articles, Fouad Ajani (Steady as She Goes) appears to be fairly lonely in a generally positive view of current policy. Notable titles include Open the Door to Damascus by Jessica T. Mathews and End the Embargo by Nadine Gordimer.

Meanwhile, when it comes to actual behavior of actual people in an actual country (and a Third World black one at that), the process known as "voting with your feet" produced a dramatic scene in Jamaica yesterday. (Check out the pictures by Bryan Cummings here.)   

Luke Douglas of the Jamaica Observer writes:

THOUSANDS of job-seekers yesterday crowded the Ministry of Labour's recruiting facility in downtown Kingston to apply for hospitality jobs in the United States, overwhelming staff and forcing organisers to review the interviewing process.

Armed with certificates, passports and recommendations, the prospective workers, mostly women, massed at the recruiting centre from before dawn in an effort to be selected for the programme.

But by midday, with hundreds continuing to squeeze through the facility's doors, it became obvious that the ministry's staff would be unable to process all the persons gathered.

Promises to open additional processing centers did no reportedly send any applicants home.

America remains the promised land for people all over the world, who appreciate the opportunities of our country. No matter what the jet-setting self-referential elites think.

Hat tip: David Paulin

Posted at 10:44 AM | Email | | | Share Share