Esteem for US Rises in Asia, Thanks to Iraq War
Saturday, April 26, 2008 at 07:41PM A thesis by Mike Green, who holds the Japan chair at Washington’s Centre for Strategic and International Studies. He was also the Asia director at the National Security Council and is one of America’s foremost experts on Japan and northeast Asia.
The US’s three most important Asian alliances - with Australia, Japan and South Korea - have been strengthened by the Iraq campaign. Each of these nations sent substantial numbers of troops to help the US in Iraq. They did this because they believed in what the US was doing in Iraq, and also because they wanted to use the Iraq campaign as an opportunity to strengthen their alliances with the US.
More generally, in a world supposedly awash in anti-US sentiment, pro-American leaders keep winning elections. Germany’s Angela Merkel is certainly more pro-American than Gerhard Schroeder, whom she replaced. The same is true of France’s Nicolas Sarkozy.
More importantly in terms of Green’s analysis, the same is also true of South Korea’s new President. Lee Myung-bak, elected in a landslide in December, is vastly more pro-American than his predecessor, Roh Moo-hyun.
Even in majority Islamic societies, their populations allegedly radicalised and polarised by Bush’s campaign in Iraq and the global war on terror more generally, election results don’t show any evidence of these trends. In the most recent local elections in Indonesia, and in national elections in Pakistan, the Islamist parties with anti-American rhetoric fared very poorly. Similarly Kevin Rudd was elected as a very pro-American Labor leader, unlike Mark Latham, with his traces of anti-Americanism, who was heavily defeated.
The Chinese co-operated closely with the Americans in the war on terror, especially in tackling what they alleged was extremism among some of the Muslim Uighurs in the vast Xinjiang province.
It is American values, or more accurately the universal values of democracy to which the US adheres, that are more popular and receive greater adherence in Asia than before, in the politics and civil societies of Asian nations such as Indonesia, India, Japan and many others.
Green cautions that a US failure in Iraq, a retreat and leaving chaos in Iraq behind, would gravely damage US credibility in Asia.
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Reader Comments (7)
One of the myths of the left is america has alienated the world due to Iraq. Of course this discounts hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of muslims on the ground who have allied themselves with us. As for Asian countries, they will look for an ally who had staying power and reliable, Iraq shows the US has both.
That's right, robert. Amen. Well said.
We're getting ready to move to the Republic of Korea (S. Korea) and Pres. Bush recently received the ROK president. Their mutual regard is very strong and it'll be interesting to see up close and personal the interworkings between the two countries.
The "Bush made the world hate us" myth has all but been disproven by the election of so many pro-American leaders in the world. The ones who hate Bush are liberals universally, in the U.S. and abroad, and we shouldn't confuse the two. In fact, I submit it is liberals who soil the reputation of the U.S. around the world. Muslim countries hate us because of our abortion and porn industries, promoscuity, and other countries detest and are stunned by the likes of Jimmy Carter and his collaboration with the terrorists in Palestine.
Running away would not only "gravely damage US credibility in Asia", but would gravely affect the safety and security of Asia. Yes, it's back - The Dominoe Theory. This time it's actually hapening before our eyes.
Silvio Berlusconi is another one, who is pro-American.
Even Gordon Brown said, World owes a debt of gratitude to Bush.
What were the reasons, however, that Howard lost election in Australia?
Well, this is a bit encouraging:
wordsmith, Canada's last election yielded a more conservative, U.S. friendly PM as well.
Fortunately Mike Green's piece is only a thesis. One only need to read the first paragraph to understand that he has little credibility.
Japan sent 600 "substantial" troops to Iraq, all of which have since been removed.
South Korea sent 2000 "substantial" troops, of which less than half are still in Iraq.
Australia sent 3000 "substantial" troops, of which less than a third are still in Iraq.
Not much support initially and when the truth of Bush administration malfeasance began to be realized--even less support.
I can only speak from a viewpoint of when I was in the Army (1979-1999) and my extensive business travels. Foreigners do not hate the United States, Amy. Foreigners despise the Imperialistic and interventionist foreign policies that our political parties have deemed "acceptable," whether it be the Bush administration in Iraq or the Clinton administration in Bosnia. Foreigners despise the U.S. meddling in *their* affairs. Foreigners despise U.S. political leaders telling *them* what is in *their* best interests. How would you react if a foreign country dictated to *you* what is in *your* best interest? Much the same manner as foreigners, I would imagine.
Having served in the Army in the Middle East before, during, and after Operation Desert Storm as an interpreter--and interacting with the "ordinary" person--my experience with Muslims (and others) in general has been very different than yours. While there are radical beliefs in every religion, the *vast* majority of Muslims--just like the *vast* majority of Americans--are tolerent and could care less about our "abortion and porn industries, promoscuity."
Best wishes to you and your family in South Korea! I hope you and Johnny return to the United States quickly and safely.
This guy you quote is about as reliable as Douglas Feith.