Public Anxiety Over Foreign Policy Nears Crisis
by Jim Lobe
WASHINGTON, Apr 4 (IPS) - Increasingly anxious about the course of U.S. foreign policy under President George W. Bush, particularly in Iraq, the country appears to be moving toward a "full-blown crisis of public confidence," according to the latest "Confidence in U.S. Foreign Policy" survey designed by veteran pollster Daniel Yankelovich released here Tuesday.
Among other findings, the survey, the fourth in a semi-annual series by the New York-based Public Agenda and the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), found that nearly six in 10 respondents doubt the government is being honest with them about foreign policy -- a 10-point increase from just six months ago.
It also found a sharp rise -- from 58 percent to 67 percent of respondents -- in the belief that U.S. foreign policy is "on the wrong track" and a similar increase in the percentage who "worry a lot" that the war in Iraq is leading to too many casualties.
The survey, conducted in late February and early March, also found a spectacular decline in confidence in the utility of military force to solve foreign policy challenges, such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) or terrorism.
A 43-percent plurality of respondents, for example, said that attacking countries that develop WMD would enhance national security "not at all" -- a 14-point jump in six months -- while those who said it would enhance security "a great deal" dropped from 36 percent to 17 percent over the same period.
In dealing with Iran, in particular, 44 percent of respondents said they preferred diplomacy to establish better relations, while 28 percent opted for using economic sanctions. A mere 13 percent said Washington should either threaten (eight percent) or actually take (five percent) military actions against Tehran, while 11 percent said they thought there was no need to do anything.
(Continued here.)
WASHINGTON, Apr 4 (IPS) - Increasingly anxious about the course of U.S. foreign policy under President George W. Bush, particularly in Iraq, the country appears to be moving toward a "full-blown crisis of public confidence," according to the latest "Confidence in U.S. Foreign Policy" survey designed by veteran pollster Daniel Yankelovich released here Tuesday.
Among other findings, the survey, the fourth in a semi-annual series by the New York-based Public Agenda and the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), found that nearly six in 10 respondents doubt the government is being honest with them about foreign policy -- a 10-point increase from just six months ago.
It also found a sharp rise -- from 58 percent to 67 percent of respondents -- in the belief that U.S. foreign policy is "on the wrong track" and a similar increase in the percentage who "worry a lot" that the war in Iraq is leading to too many casualties.
The survey, conducted in late February and early March, also found a spectacular decline in confidence in the utility of military force to solve foreign policy challenges, such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) or terrorism.
A 43-percent plurality of respondents, for example, said that attacking countries that develop WMD would enhance national security "not at all" -- a 14-point jump in six months -- while those who said it would enhance security "a great deal" dropped from 36 percent to 17 percent over the same period.
In dealing with Iran, in particular, 44 percent of respondents said they preferred diplomacy to establish better relations, while 28 percent opted for using economic sanctions. A mere 13 percent said Washington should either threaten (eight percent) or actually take (five percent) military actions against Tehran, while 11 percent said they thought there was no need to do anything.
(Continued here.)
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