Bi-Weekly Discussion - How the World Views America

Details

This is going to be an online meetup using Zoom. If you've never used Zoom before, don't worry — it's easy to use and free to join.

Click on the link below at the scheduled date/time...

***

HOW THE WORLD VIEWS AMERICA

INTRODUCTION:

In this meetup, we'll discuss how people in different countries around the world view the United States and why. We'll start by looking at the pervasive influence of American pop culture, from blockbuster movies and chart-topping music to iconic sports figures, and examine how these affect America's "soft power" around the globe. Then, we will scrutinize the political ramifications of U.S. foreign policy, investigating how America's actions on the international stage - both militarily & economically - shape perceptions abroad. We'll also analyze data from public opinion polls to gauge America's likability across different nations. In the final section, we'll consider how the policies and demeanor of various U.S. administrations influence global perspectives. Join us as we unravel the complex layers of admiration, critique, and influence that define how the world sees America today.

RELEVANT MATERIAL FROM PAST MEETUPS:

We had a meetup back in Jan. 2023 entitled "Is Politics Downstream from (Pop) Culture?" In the Introduction, we reviewed some of the basic concepts from media effects theory, particularly how the outdated "hypodermic needle theory" that alleges strong psychological priming effects from a single exposure to a media message has shifted to "cultivation theory" that suggests subtle priming effects only arise from messages that are repeated in many forms of media consumed over a long period of time. This would suggest that any single Hollywood movie or American pop song is unlikely to have major lasting effects on how foreign audiences view America, but repeated consumption of American pop culture by foreign audiences will probably have some effects - for good or ill.

Back in Mar. 2021, we had a meetup entitled "Can The "Liberal International Order" Be Saved?" We broke the concept of the "liberal international order" (LIO) into its 4 principle components: (1) democracy & human rights promotion, (2) the dollar hegemony & the economic policies of the Washington Consensus, (3) the military alliances that support Pax Americana, and (4) the multilateral "rules-based order" & international law. We discussed what expert opinion & public opinion polls can tell us about each component, particularly in light of some high-profile failures of the LIO in recent years like the inability to implement democracy in the Middle East, rising income inequality in Western nations stemming from deindustrialization & globalization, the 2008 financial crisis & Eurozone debt crisis, multiple migrant/refugee crises in both the US & EU, increasing political polarization, and the rise of populism & nativism.

Since America's image is party shaped by diplomacy & lobbying of foreign governments, it may be useful to refer to a meetup we had back in Mar. 2018 entitled "Foreign Influence: A Menace or Just Business?" We discussed how political scientists look at the "soft power" of the U.S. and other liberal-democratic countries that garners good will from things like pop cultural influence, scientific achievements & innovation, and humanitarian programs. We contrasted this "soft power" with the "sharp power" of authoritarian regimes which involves sewing confusion & stoking internal tensions in rival nations rather than trying to win goodwill for their own nation.

***

DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR OUR DISCUSSION:

To prepare for our discussion, just watch this video from Oct. 2020 that does a good job of analyzing a bunch of Pew Research polls on how people from various countries perceive the U.S. and some of the factors that influence this. The video is a little over an hour long, but the part where they're going over the polls is only about a half hour (watch until 31:13) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQO-rhKvA88

The articles you see linked below under each section are just there to supply additional details. You can browse and look at whichever ones you want, but don't worry - we'll cover the stuff you missed in our discussion.
In terms of the discussion format, my general idea is that we'll address the topics in the order presented here. I've listed some questions under each section to stimulate discussion. We'll do our best to address most of them, as well as whatever other questions our members raise. I figure we'll spend about 30 minutes on each section.

***

I. AMERICAN CULTURAL INFLUENCE ON THE WORLD:

Why did American pop culture (esp. music & movies) and American consumer products (e.g. McDonalds, Coca-Cola) become so popular abroad after WW2? Did it help America's global image, or inspire resentment about "Coca-colonization"?
Has the decline of U.S. "public diplomacy" (i.e. concerted efforts by the U.S. government to shape our global image) led to a deleterious situation where foreign audiences now view the U.S. through the filter of our pop culture which is often violent & sexually explicit, as Martha Bayles argues?
Do American films that portray U.S. foreign policy in a negative light (e.g. Bourne films, Michael Moore documentaries) stir up anti-Americanism abroad, or do they show that the U.S. is capable of an admirable degree of self-criticism?
What sorts of cultural messages are conveyed to foreign audiences by American music genres like rock, pop & hip-hop? Has hip-hop become a global vehicle for youth rebellion in the 21st century, similar to punk rock in the 1970s-80s?
Why weren't American consumers more interested in foreign pop culture in the 20th century? Is this changing in the 21st century (e.g. World Cup soccer, world music, foreign films & TV series, etc.), and if so - will it foster more international understanding & appreciation of various cultures?

OPTIONAL ARTICLES:

Jonathan Wellemeyer, "Hollywood and the Spread of Anti-Americanism [according to participants in the 2006 IQ2 Debate]" (WUNC)
Russell Heimlich, "American Popular Culture Gets High Marks Abroad [in 2012]" (Pew Research)
John O’Sullivan, "Selling America Short, and Nasty: A review of Through 'A Screen Darkly: Popular Culture, Public Diplomacy, and America’s Image Abroad' (2014), by Martha Bayles" (Claremont Review)
Alyssa Rosenberg, "What American pop culture tells the world" (Wash. Post.)
Dexter Fergie, "How American Culture Ate the World: A new book [Sam Lebovic’s 'A Righteous Smokescreen'] explains why Americans know so little about other countries." (New Republic)
Hisham Aidi, "America's Hip-Hop Foreign Policy: How rap became a battleground in the war on terror" (Atlantic)

II. POLITICAL IMPACTS OF U.S. POLICIES ON OTHER COUNTRIES:

Did America's military interventions & CIA-fostered coups during the Cold War (e.g. Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, Iran, Nicaragua) and the War on Terror (Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria) hurt America's public image - or only with left-wing groups?
Apart from earning the ire of the "Arab street", how has U.S. support for Israel affected its global image?
To what extent are the perceptions among foreigners about China as a rising power based on the hope that America will soon be knocked off its high horse? Is that changing as Russia & China become more militarily aggressive?
Have the trade protectionist policies of the Trump & Biden administrations hurt America's public image?
Why did Trump's handling of the COVID pandemic hurt America's image almost as much - or in some cases more than - China's image?
To what extent is "wokeness" (i.e. left-wing racial identity politics) perceived as an American cultural export in recent years? Judging by the way the George Floyd protests spread abroad in the summer of 2020, is this accurate?
Does "Pax Americana" now look more attractive to Europeans & East Asians now that Russia & China are flexing their military might & seeking to become regional powers?

OPTIONAL ARTICLES:

Pew Research, "Global Opposition to U.S. Surveillance and Drones, but Limited Harm to America’s Image [in 2014]" (Pew Research)
Richard Wike, et al., "U.S. Image Plummets Internationally [in 2020] as Most Say Country Has Handled Coronavirus Badly" (Pew Research)
Terrence Mullen, "The High Geopolitical Costs of U.S. Economic Policies: Biden’s economic plans risk alienating the Global South when the United States needs them most." (CFR)
Frank Furedi, "Joe Biden’s woke imperialism: Developing nations have had enough of the West’s lectures." (Spiked)
Thomas Chatterton Williams, "The French Are In A Panic Over 'Le Wokisme': The nation’s vehement rejection of identity politics made me recalibrate my own views about woke ideology." (Atlantic)
Janan Ganesh, "US soft power grows as the alternatives become clear - US soft power grows as the alternatives become clear. America is more attractive in the light of Russia's failed aggression and China's domestic troubles." (Financial Times)
Laura Silver, et al., "Most Israelis Express Confidence in Biden, but His Ratings Are Down From Trump’s" (Pew Research)
Munqith Dagher & Karl Kaltenthaler, "The United States Is Rapidly Losing Arab Hearts and Minds Through Gaza War, While Competitors Benefit" (Wash. Institute)

III. AMERICA'S LIKEABILITY IN OTHER COUNTRIES:

Judging from public opinion polls, what do foreigners generally like and dislike about America?
To what extent is American free-market capitalism seen as a "double-edged sword" by foreigners, particularly those in social democracies, in terms of generating lots of innovation but leaving the working class more vulnerable?
To what extent is America's public image being impacted by the handling of the refugee at the southern border? Does it make the U.S. seem xenophobic to build walls & limit access to refugees, or do Europeans see an analogy with their own problems with the 2015-2016 wave of refugees from the Middle East & N. Africa?
What are some of the stereotypes that foreigners have about Americans, both positive (e.g. friendliness, optimism, generosity) and negative (ignorance, guns, racism, etc.)?
Are stereotypes about Americans mostly based on real-world interactions with Americans (e.g. vacations & business trips to America, meeting American tourists) or inaccurate depictions of America in pop culture & sensationalist news media coverage?

OPTIONAL ARTICLES:

Richard Wike, et al., "What People Around the World Like – and Dislike – About American Society and Politics: U.S. seen positively in advanced economies for its technology, entertainment, military and universities, but negatively for its health care system, discrimination and the state of its democracy" (Pew Research)
José Niño, "The Decline of American Soft Power" (Quillette)
Joseph S. Nye Jr., "American Democracy and Soft Power: As President Joe Biden meets with fellow leaders at COP26, many are asking just how badly US soft power was damaged by Donald Trump's presidency. True, Trump trashed democratic norms that must be restored, but American culture retains great sources of resilience which pessimists often underestimated." (Project Syndicate)
Forrest Brown, "What travel warnings do other nations give their citizens about US violence?" (CNN)
Wikipedia, "Stereotypes about Americans"

IV. IMPACT OF DIFFERENT PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATIONS ON AMERICA'S IMAGE:

What sorts of characteristics of an American president are appreciated by foreigners, and how does this vary by country & region?
Is it accurate to say that most foreigners like Obama & Biden and dislike Bush & Trump? If so, is this because foreigners tend to appreciate a more multi-lateral approach, or rather because their government officials tend to promote this view in their news media?
Is it accurate to say that Donald Trump's generated less anti-American sentiment than George W. Bush's presidency, because foreign audiences saw news coverage of widespread anti-Trump protests in the U.S. and deduced that Trump wasn't as representative of America as Bush seemed right after 9/11?
What do foreigners - particularly those in allied countries - think about the possibility of Trump winning a second term in 2024?

OPTIONAL ARTICLES:

Richard Wike, "7 charts on how the world views President Obama [in 2015]" (Pew Research)
Richard Wike, "9 charts on how the world sees President Trump [in 2017]" (Pew Research)
Brenden O'Connor, "Why anti-American sentiment is weaker under Trump than it was under George W. Bush" (Conversation)
Richard Wike, et al., "America’s Image Abroad Rebounds With Transition From Trump to Biden - But many raise concerns about health of U.S. political system" (Pew Research)
Frida Ghitis, "Opinion: Here’s what America’s allies think about a potential Trump second term" (CNN)
Frida Ghitis, "Opinion: The world rushes to court Trump [as possible winner in 2024]" (CNN)

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Events in Intellectual Discussions Geopolitics

American History International Relations Foreign Policy Topics

Philadelphia Political Agnostics

See more events

Philadelphia Political Agnostics

Online event

This event has passed

Philadelphia Political Agnostics

public group

Bi-Weekly Discussion - How the World Views America