[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 10435-10436]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       REBUILDING AMERICA'S IMAGE

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, our go-it-alone foreign policy over the 
last 8 years has severely damaged our image and stirred up anti-
American sentiment around the world. We have lost

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the international goodwill we had following the terrorist attacks of 
September 11, 2001, and the failed strategy of the war in Iraq has cost 
us a good number of allies.
  A worldwide survey conducted last year of 28,000 people, asking them 
to rate 12 countries, put the United States at the bottom, along with 
Iran and Israel, when it comes to having the world's most negative 
image. In fact, even North Korea ranked higher than the United States 
in that survey. Another survey found that our favorability rating 
around the world dropped considerably from 2000 to 2006. For example, 
in Germany, we went from a favorability rating of 78 percent in 2000 to 
37 percent in 2006. In Spain, only 23 percent of people have a 
favorable opinion of the United States. I could go on and on, but I 
don't think anyone can dispute the fact that our image and credibility 
in the world has dropped dramatically. This negative trend hurts us. It 
makes it more difficult to implement our foreign policy, and even 
threatens our national security by making the United States a target.
  With that being said, as the most powerful country in the world we 
still have an unprecedented opportunity to both help those in less 
fortunate countries and help our country regain the moral authority we 
once held.
  A lot of interesting ideas have been proposed to repair our damaged 
image. Some of the most creative suggestions have come from students, 
such as the paper I recently received from Occidental College in Los 
Angeles. That paper makes recommendations for United States policy 
changes on issues like the war in Iraq, oil and energy issues, and 
illegal immigration, just to name a few. Calling for the United States 
to lead rather than dominate, to be a beacon more than a bullhorn, this 
paper presents a possible path to help repair our standing in the 
international community. I don't agree with everything in the paper, 
but it is full of interesting ideas that can make a difference. It is 
encouraging to see that the youth of this country have taken a serious 
interest in our country's image. I encourage my colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle to take a serious look at this and other proposals 
to see what Congress can do to help ensure that future generations 
inherit a government that is well respected throughout the world.
  It is my hope that with the new administration, our country will be 
able to turn the page of the past 8 years and focus on a foreign policy 
that is more constructive. I look forward to working with my colleagues 
and the next President to make this happen.

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