America's standing in the international community

[Јas]

This poll was inspired by the following post by John Dibble in another thread about Iraq.

We'll sacrifice our credibility with the international community(what's left of it anyhow) if we draw out as is, with the possibility of a civil war in Iraq that will result in Islamist control and a new, permanent terrorist haven for a country.

I'm interested in seeing the difference in opinion between the American left and right and non-Americans on how a US withdrawal in the near future would affect it's international standing.

Personally, I don't think withdrawal, at this stage, would have a substantively positive or negative effect. Remaining would only increase it's standing, in my view, if some form of 'normalisation' occurs, i.e. stable democratic government,  reasonable respect for the rule of law, great reduction in terrorist activity, etc. Though none of these things seem likely, at least in the short to medium term.

[Frodo]

'Disimprove' is not a word. 

[KEmperor]

'Disimprove' is not a word. 

Give him a break, he's Irish.

[Frodo]

And to answer the poll, I don't see how any reasonable person would conclude that our standing in the world would be anything but harmed no matter what we do, whether we stick it out, or withdraw.  The way I see it, we are damned if we do, and damned if we don't, as far as our international prestige is concerned. 

[Frodo]

'Disimprove' is not a word. 

Give him a break, he's Irish.

I strongly doubt that Gaelic is his mother tongue.  Either way though, this is a minor issue and I am being deliberately a jerk. 

[KEmperor]

'Disimprove' is not a word. 

Give him a break, he's Irish.

I strongly doubt that Gaelic is his mother tongue.  Either way though, this is a minor issue and I am being deliberately a jerk. 

Yes, but 2/3rds of the Irish posters on here seem to have difficulty with the English language.

[Grad Students are the Worst]

'Disimprove' is not a word. 

Give him a break, he's Irish.

I strongly doubt that Gaelic is his mother tongue.  Either way though, this is a minor issue and I am being deliberately a jerk. 

Yes, but 2/3rds of the Irish posters on here seem to have difficulty with the English language.

John O'Callaghan?

[Jack Vance RIP]

'Disimprove' is not a word. 

Give him a break, he's Irish.

I strongly doubt that Gaelic is his mother tongue.  Either way though, this is a minor issue and I am being deliberately a jerk. 

Yes, but 2/3rds of the Irish posters on here seem to have difficulty with the English language.

I'm Almost offended.

Btw, I voted Disprove (non-American) or 'Disimprove' if that is what you want.

[Frodo]

'Disimprove' is not a word. 

Give him a break, he's Irish.

I strongly doubt that Gaelic is his mother tongue.  Either way though, this is a minor issue and I am being deliberately a jerk. 

Yes, but 2/3rds of the Irish posters on here seem to have difficulty with the English language.

I'm Almost offended.

Btw, I voted Disprove (non-American) or 'Disimprove' if that is what you want.

A better word would have been 'harm' or 'hurt'. 

[KEmperor]

'Disimprove' is not a word. 

Give him a break, he's Irish.

I strongly doubt that Gaelic is his mother tongue.  Either way though, this is a minor issue and I am being deliberately a jerk. 

Yes, but 2/3rds of the Irish posters on here seem to have difficulty with the English language.

I'm Almost offended.

Btw, I voted Disprove (non-American) or 'Disimprove' if that is what you want.

Don't be offended, you're the literate one.

[Јas]

I'll defend any accusations that my grasp or use of English is poor.
My American, on the other hand, may be less than perfect.

(Disimprove, btw, is, of course, a word.)

[opebo]

And to answer the poll, I don't see how any reasonable person would conclude that our standing in the world would be anything but harmed no matter what we do, whether we stick it out, or withdraw.  The way I see it, we are damned if we do, and damned if we don't, as far as our international prestige is concerned. 

Correction - the harm has already occurred, and was caused by the wanton aggression.

Pulling out immediately can only improve our standing among Europeans and the like, while at the same time reducing the myriad reasons middle easterners have to hate us by one. 

I'm aware that some will say that it is a great disadvantage to be perceived as 'weak' - for example, it could encourage the Chinese to believe we will not act in response to a re-taking of Taiwan.  The blame for this must be laid at the feet of those who got us into the war, and in any case we must get out eventually as we cannot 'win', and the ill effects internationally are greater for staying.

[Speed of Sound]

I'll defend any accusations that my grasp or use of English is poor.
My American, on the other hand, may be less than perfect.

(Disimprove, btw, is, of course, a word.)

Sorry, I try to stay away from "forum pics" but I believe this is truly in order:

[jokerman]

Pulling out imediately would be irresponsible and would not help our standings.

[Vasall des Midas]

Pulling out would hurt. Apologizing would help.

[Gustaf]

It doesn't really matter what America does, only the way you do it. Bush is pretty much a marked man, so whatever he does is going to hurt America's standinng. Including pulling out.

[Old Europe]

Short-term: improve

Long-term: no effect or "disimprove"



With regards to Gustaf's comment above, the immediate resignation of Bush and Cheney would probably be a much more effective way to improve America's standing in the world than a immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

[freedomburns]

'Disimprove' is not a word. 

Methinks he is disimproving the English language.

[Јas]

'Disimprove' is not a word. 

Methinks he is disimproving the English language.

Methinks your effort to display mordant perspicacity fell wide of the mark, given your apparant disregard of the less common aspects of the English lexicon, but that's neither here nor there.

[Tik]

'Disimprove' is not a word. 

Methinks he is disimproving the English language.

Methinks your effort to display mordant perspicacity fell wide of the mark, given your apparant disregard of the less common aspects of the English lexicon, but that's neither here nor there.

huh huh! you gots fancy tongue wagglin' mistuh

[True Democrat]

Improve of course, but what is popular isn't always right.