Not that I'm entirely surprised, but a new survey of British attitudes makes very bleak reading:
Britons have never had such a low opinion of the leadership of the United States, a YouGov poll shows. As Americans prepare to celebrate the 230th anniversary of their independence tomorrow, the
poll found that only 12 per cent of Britons trust them to act wisely on the global stage. This is half the number who had faith in the Vietnam-scarred White House of 1975.
Most Britons see America as a cruel, vulgar, arrogant society, riven by class and racism, crime-ridden, obsessed with money and led by an incompetent hypocrite.More than two-thirds who offered an opinion said America is essentially an imperial power seeking world domination. And 81 per cent of those who took a view said President George W Bush hypocritically championed democracy as a cover for the pursuit of American self-interests.
What's to blame? The Bush team's sloppy diplomacy must come near the top of the list. Yet as the Telegraph leader observes, that doesn't explain everything:
Americans find themselves damned either way. If they remain within their own borders, they are isolationist hicks who are shirking their responsibilities. If they intervene, they are rapacious imperialists. Indeed, many of their detractors manage to hold these two ideas in their heads simultaneously. Yet a moment's thought should reveal that they are both unfair.