Decline in our status

Bradley Gitz in “Escape from reality” has a hunch that future historians who seek to explain the “smoldering wreck of the American economy and the precipitous decline of American status and power in the world” will look to March 11, 2021.

We don’t have to wait. Pew Research Center polling in 13 countries for the Global Attitudes and Trends series dates back to 2000. The September 2020 report shows a decline in the favorable view of the U.S. by the citizens of other countries. The invasion of Iraq dented America’s reputation. The downward trend resumed with the election of Trump, and fell further with the rising U.S. death toll from coronavirus. The median “confidence in Trump” was only 16%. The median favorable view of the U.S. was 34%, with 64% expressing an unfavorable view. An update in November 2020 found Trump had the lowest ranking of confidence in the U.S. president to “do the right thing” in the 21st century. His best confidence rating in 2020 was 23% in Australia; his worst, 10% in Germany. Even the Russian public was disillusioned, with confidence falling from 53% in 2017 to 20% in 2019.

Why so unpopular? The polling showed 75% think him arrogant, 65% think he is intolerant, 62% think he is dangerous, and only 26% think he was well qualified to be president. It was not just personality but policy that was unpopular. The tariff increases were disapproved by 68%. U.S. withdrawal from international agreements on climate change (66% disapprove) and the Iran nuclear weapons treaty (52% disapprove) was unpopular and undermined the trustworthiness of the U.S.

There is a reservoir of hope for Biden to tap as Germany, France and the UK have confidence that he “will do the right thing regarding world affairs.” Trust in America will recover, but not to previous levels. Trump’s election showed other countries that the U.S. is not as reliable as they hoped.

MARK WEAVER

Fayetteville