Some countries love America; others are less enthusiastic (we’re looking at you, DPRK). But there are nine countries whose citizens have overwhelmingly negative perceptions of the United States.
Global approval ratings for the United States, particularly of America’s current government, improved in 2013, with 46% of the world generally supportive. World opinion of the US had declined between 2009 and 2012.
Why did the world’s outlook on the US improve? Stuart Holliday, former Ambassador to the United Nations for Special Political Affairs under George W. Bush, credited America’s winding down of military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. “The view that we are the major shapers of the world and our image as being the world’s policeman are fading,” Holliday said. He also suggested that the global economic recovery is helping.
But there were some countries in 2013 where disapproval levels topped 50%. You will be shocked — SHOCKED — to learn that all but one are part of the Muslim world.
Here are the top nine countries (well, eight countries, and one imaginary, non-contiguous territory torn apart by internal conflict) that hate America most:
9. Tunisia (54% disapproval rating)
This isn’t surprising — in 2012 our embassy there was ransacked by Islamicists. This after all the terrible things we’ve done to Tunisia, like giving them $400 million in aid since 2011.
8. Iran (56% disapproval rating)
While Iran’s psychopathic leadership offers anti-Semitic rants against Israel and the United States, their economy is imploding, with consumer prices rising over 40% in 2013, the worst such rise in the world. Maybe the mullahs should concentrate less on a second Holocaust and more on feeding people and building roads.
7. Slovenia (57% disapproval rating)
In 1991, Slovenia broke off from Soviet-controlled Yugoslavia and became a democracy. It’s a member of NATO. So why do they hate us? Mostly because of the deep economic turmoil they have suffered through since the Great Recession — and let’s be honest, that one’s on us. Also, we support the government of president Borut Pahor, and he’s not so popular at the moment.
6. Egypt (57% disapproval rating)
Egypt went democratic, and immediately elected a terrible, anti-democratic government. Instead of letting democracy work and voting out that government, the military stepped in and now democracy is gone again. Somehow, this is our fault.
5. Iraq (67% disapproval rating)
Hey Iraq! Remember when 4,500 young American men and women gave their lives, to free you from a dictator who executed 600,000 Iraqis, and sent half-a-million more to die in a useless war against Iran? You’re welcome!
4. Yemen (69% disapproval rating)
This little dictatorship on the Arabian peninsula is one of the poorest nations on Earth, although we doubt president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi is going hungry. They may be mad at us because of all the Yemenis we’ve held without trial at Guantanamo Bay — but Obama said he’d fix that situation, right?
3. Lebanon (71% disapproval rating)
Ah Lebanon, the little country that couldn’t. The Arab world’s best hope for a free democracy has never had a shot, with foreign terrorist armies freely roaming the countryside (and getting members elected to parliament), and the Syrian dictatorship’s constant meddling. Whenever Israel gets sick to death of rocket attacks, it’s Lebanon that suffers.
2. Pakistan (73% disapproval rating)
Good ol’ Pakistan, America’s Ally in the War on Terror™. The one that knew where Osama bin Laden was hiding and neglected to mention it. Of course, our “liberal” president keeps assassinating Pakistani children with flying murder robots. I’d be pissed off, too.
1. “State of Palestine” (80% disapproval rating)
Wait, you mean 20% of Arab refugees in the West Bank and Gaza actually approve of the US government? When your “ethnic group” dates all the way back to the ancestral date of 1948, and upon receiving some level of independence in 2007, your “nation” promptly shatters into two hostile, non-contiguous halves, well, maybe you should be worried more about getting your act together than blaming foreigners. It’s hard to support a “two-state solution” when one of those “states” is a violent, chaotic mess. Believe it or not, the majority of Israelis and the majority of Americans want peace between Jews and Arabs. When the majority of Arab refugees actually want peace, and seize control of their lives from the terrorists who control the West Bank and Gaza, then the impossible can happen.
Sources: 24/7 Wall St. | Huffington Post | Wikipedia | Stanford University
