A US Return to Isolationism?
Scrogdog:
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The public's belief that the United States should mind its own business internationally has reached levels not seen since after the Cold War ended more than a decade ago, a poll has found.
Opinion leaders from various parts of society also are less likely to feel the United States should be the most assertive of the leading nations, according to the poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. The poll, sponsored this year by Pew and the Council on Foreign Relations, has been conducted by Pew every four years since 1993.
Anxiety about the war in Iraq is likely a big reason for the shift in attitudes.
"What's striking is the common thread, both the opinion leaders favoring a less assertive role for the United States and the public's isolationist views," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center. "This particular period of time marks a transition from the post-9/11 era."
After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the public's attention to international affairs spiked upward and their worries tilted sharply toward national security and defending against terrorists.
The new Pew poll found that 42 percent of the public said the United States should "mind its own business internationally" -- up from 30 percent who felt that way in 2002 and comparable to the mid-1970s after Vietnam, and the early 1990s after the Cold War ended.
Among the poll's other findings:
· The influential Americans were inclined to think spreading democracy around the Middle East is a good idea, but doubt it will work.
· Both opinion leaders and the public were inclined to view China as a potential problem, but not as an adversary of the United States. In fact many opinion leaders see China as a potential ally in the future.
· The public was more likely to say the United States should remain the only superpower, but leaders in the fields of religion, academics and science were inclined to say it is OK if another country becomes as powerful as the United States.
The poll of 2,006 adults was conducted from Oct. 12-24 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. The poll of 520 men and women who are leaders from the news media, foreign affairs, academics, security, the military, religion, science and state and local government was done both by telephone and online from Sept. 5-Oct. 31.
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I am not surprised by this, but I do find it a bit worrisome. The most powerful nation on the planet being isolationist? Hmmm.
Are we doomed to see history repeat itself because we have failed to learn from it? I think that might be the case.
Captain Mako:
Isolationism is becoming less and less of a realistic choice as each day passes. With modern technologies and the expansion of the international economy we can no longer hide behind two huge oceans that others have to cross in their crickety wooden ships. :P
Unfortunately, this is the typical reactionary attitude I would expect. Exactly why all democracies have to protect against mob rule, which is the greatest threat to democracy. There are troubled times ahead politically (and economically), if we look back at all the other times this has happened. :-\
tom:
I support Isolationism to a degree. to think we can lock our selvs up is wrong. we need to spy and watch forces in the world. we have to lkeep a close eye on the europiens in case they start another quest to take over the world. the terriost we need to hit them so hard that any country or group will be afraid to bomb us or kill a american. We need to make a huge impresion in iraq. and one of the results needs to be fear. but to be totaly isolated could bring us to a place where we can be attacked like in ww2. we need some kind off balance. where we are so strong and feard no one will mess with us. and where we let the rest do what they do with out it efecting us.
tom:
But the problem is to fight this war we have to set a stage for the women to be free. and for people to rule not teriost. we are winning that war. when its done i say stay isolated untill a americam is killed then kill 5000 for every american. talking has not worked it is a failed experment. diplomacy has not worked... covert actions has not worked.. helping countries has not worked ( THEY HATE US NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE HELP OR GIVE) Its time for the attude that if they bring death on us we bring so much death on them that attacking us is unthinkabel. Your pole here is tanted as people outside the us can vote. unless your looking for a world view. i can tell you what their view is. its keep giving your tax dollars to us and let us kill you, cut you down and tell you what to do. pffff im over it. im over my taxes i pay going to some country that the people hate us. so im supporting isolation with money and grass roots politics.
tom:
So if the world wonders if they have pissed americans off the anser is yes. and if the world is wondering will we ever use the bomb again well people in many countries are breeding more americans who want to push the button and the way that group is growing scars even me. I think the world should back off americans before they bite off more than they can chew.
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