The Art of Misinformation and Crowd Management - International Mass Media

From News Limited:

Mistrust over US responsibility - poll

April 18, 2007 11:00am

THERE is widespread global concern that the US cannot be trusted to act responsibly in the world, according to a multinational poll released today.

But while there is broad international frustration with how the United States conducts its foreign policy, few people around the world wanted the US to completely back off its role as a global policeman, the poll found.

"There's clearly a trend in terms of deepening negative attitudes to the US in how it executes foreign policy,'' said Christopher Whitney, executive director for studies at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs which helped co-ordinate the 18-country study.

The US has long faced criticism internationally for its interventionalist foreign policy, Mr Whitney said.

This survey found that the frustration is broader in scope than previously thought and has deepened in the wake of the war in Iraq.

But mixed with this frustration is an understanding that the US has a significant role to play internationally and should not withdraw completely, Mr Whitney said.

He noted there was not consistent support for closing US military bases overseas and that many respondents felt that their bilateral relationship with the United States was improving.

"It is not a consistent message of 'we don't want the US to be involved,' it's more nuanced,'' Mr Whitney said.

"They just want the US to play a more co-operative role and be a more constructive international player in terms of working through international organisations and listening to allies and friends when they have concerns.''

The most stark results were those showing a lack of trust that the United States would act responsibly and a sense that it had overreached on the global stage.

A majority of respondents in Argentina (84 per cent), Peru (80 per cent), Russia (73 per cent) France (72 per cent), Armenia (58 per cent), Indonesia (64 per cent), China (59 per cent), Thailand (56 per cent), South Korea (53 per cent) and India (52 per cent) and more than a third of those in Australia (40 per cent) and Ukraine (37 per cent) answered "not at all'' or "not very much'' when asked how much they trusted the US "to act responsibly in the world,'' the poll found.

The Philippines and Israel proved the staunchest supporters with 85 per cent and 81 per cent of respondents, respectively, saying they trusted the US either a "great deal'' or "somewhat,'' followed by Australia at 59 per cent and Poland at 51 per cent.

More than three out of four Americans thought their country tended to take on the role of international enforcer more than it should.

Large majorities elsewhere also felt that way: France at 89 per cent, Australia at 80 per cent, China at 77 per cent, Russia at 76 per cent, Peru at 76 per cent, the Palestinian territories at 74 per cent, South Korea at 73 per cent, Indonesia at 68 per cent, Ukraine at 67 per cent, Armenia at 63 per cent, Argentina at 62 per cent and India at 53 per cent.

Only one country surveyed had a majority of respondents who disagreed: the Philippines with 57 per cent. Israeli respondents were split at an even 48 per cent.

The study was conducted in 18 countries - China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Russia, France, Thailand, Ukraine, Poland, Iran, Mexico, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Argentina, Peru, Israel and Armenia - plus the Palestinian territories. Not all questions were asked in each country.

From the Australian Broadcasting Commission:

Aussies back US amid global distrust

April 18, 2007. 12:01pm (AEST)

A majority of Australians continue to trust the United States but elsewhere in the world there is growing mistrust of the planet's only superpower, according to a multinational poll released today.

The study was conducted in 18 countries which together represent roughly 56 per cent of the world's population.

This survey found international frustration with the US is broader in scope than previously thought and has deepened in the wake of the war in Iraq.

The most stark results were those showing a lack of trust that the United States would act responsibly and a sense that it had overreached on the global stage.

Fifty-nine per cent of Australians surveyed said they trusted the US either a "great deal" or "somewhat" and the Philippines, Israel and Poland were the other staunch supporters with 85, 81 and 59 per cent respectively.

But 40 per cent of Australians answered "not at all" or "not very much" when asked how much they trusted the US "to act responsibly in the world".

But 80 per cent of Australians think the US takes on the role of international enforcer more than it should, agreeing with three out of four Americans.

Globally, the majority of respondents answered "not at all" or "not very much" when asked how much they trusted the US "to act responsibly in the world".

Eighty-four per cent of Argentinians answered "not at all" or "not very much" as did 80 per cent of Peruvians.

In Russia the figure was 73 per cent, in France 72 per cent, in Armenia 58 per cent, in Indonesia 64 per cent, in China 59 per cent, in Thailand 56 per cent, in South Korea 53 per cent, in India 52 per cent and in the Ukraine 37 per cent.

Most respondents also thought the US takes on the role of international enforcer more than it should.

France was at 89 per cent, China at 77 per cent, Russia and Peru at 76 per cent, the Palestinian territories at 74 per cent, South Korea at 73 per cent, Indonesia at 68 per cent, Ukraine at 67 per cent, Armenia at 63 per cent, Argentina at 62 per cent and India at 53 per cent.

Only the Philippines disagreed, with 57 per cent. Israeli respondents were split at an even 48 per cent.
Mixed messages

The poll found broad international frustration on how the United States conducts its foreign policy, but few people around the world want the US to completely back off its role as a global policeman.

Christopher Whitney, executive director for studies at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, helped coordinate the 18-country study.

"There's clearly a trend in terms of deepening negative attitudes to the US in how it executes foreign policy," he said.

But he said the frustration was mixed with an understanding that the US has a significant role to play internationally and should not withdraw completely.

He noted there was not consistent support for closing US military bases overseas and many respondents felt their bilateral relationship with the US was improving.

"It is not a consistent message of 'we don't want the US to be involved,' it's more nuanced," he said.

"They just want the US to play a more cooperative role and be a more constructive international player in terms of working through international organisations and listening to allies and friends when they have concerns."

The random sample surveys were conducted by telephone and in person from June 2006 to March 2007, with margins of error ranging from 1.5 to 4 percentage points.

- ABC/AFP

The differences are marked, one outlet takes a soft approach to the U.S. while the ABC (government outlet) strenuously supports America, the lead-in that “a majority of Australians continue to trust the United States”, is utterly false. Our research and other available stats would indicate the statement from the ABC is the worst type of misinformation (blatant propaganda) which is to be expected from that organisation. Not by any stretch of the Oz imagination could it be said that 650,000 dead civilians resulting from an illegal invasion based on orchestrated LIES constitutes “trust” in the perpetrators. After embarking on a unilateral course of invasive militarism, neo-colonial expansionism, plunder and theft it is hardly surprising that sentiments toward the U.S. have soured. The USA has become the pariah of the world. No amount of tortured stats or contrived polls removes the stain of innocent blood from the hands of murderers or removes the stench of death that follows coalition leaders wherever they make an appearance.

It is widely known that stats and to a greater degree polls cannot be taken seriously, as results are easily manipulated, for example, answer the following impromptu ‘poll’ question:

“Do you think that George W Bush should appear before the International Criminal Court or be tried for his war crimes in the USA?”

Most people realise that poll questions are ‘leading’ and beg pre-determined responses. Nevertheless, polls remain a pre-eminent propaganda and crowd management tool for spin-doctors, propagandists and politicians.

The above two ‘news’ releases differ only superficially, the contrived primary message – carried in the sub-text – is clear, the USA remains engaged with the world as a legitimate state not as a rogue, terrorist nation controlled by criminals. The reality that the USA is a terrorist state responsible for civilian deaths, plunder, cultural desecration and vandalism on a scale not seen since the middle ages is obscured by the nature of the ‘poll’ – Goebbels would have welcomed the use of polls had they been appropriate for his time.

The USA is desperately attempting to garner support in a world that is increasingly hostile to its double standards, hypocrisy and flagrant criminality. Put simply, America is losing its aggressive war of world domination. Other powers have demonstrated that the civilised, respectful and peaceful approach is more effective in achieving beneficial results for all!

With the advent of readily accessible global information systems/mediums the public is not as easily duped as it once was. It remains to be seen whether the theory of public inaction born of complacency, to which conservative regimes subscribe, is valid in today’s world. The above two ‘news releases’ may be the first of many feeble attempts by criminal regimes to avoid the inevitable accountability they fear most -- every effort by propagandists will be made to distract the public from the ugly truth. Whether reality, fantasy or denial prevails cannot be determined. The answer may be discovered on the 'wire'!

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