Questions for the Public
Is it important to you whether or not the rest of the world approves of American foreign policy? Are you concerned that the majority of the world seems to disagree with the US-led occupation of Iraq?
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Monika Blaumerller
Washington, DC
Business development consultant
I think that leaders know how to forge alliances and that gives them legitimacy. I see other nations like Germany wanting to cooperate with the US; to help the Iraqis to get power back, for example.
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John Golden
Maryland
Computer company representative
It does matter to me, but I don’t know that that’s a true statement or not. I think that you have to work in a world environment where policies are inter-related. I also believe though, strongly, that it’s important that the US lead the world. We are, currently, the biggest stake holder in a lot of these issues and we’re also the largest impactor on a lot of these issues and we have to take a leadership role. Not that we don’t have to listen to other countries and what their views are, because they are important, but we have to make our own way in this thing as well.
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Dilli Karki
Virginia
Limousine driver
If you cannot give any reason for going to war, then the entire world is saying that this is a personal thing for America.
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Petra King
Student/Nanny
Washington, DC
I’m grateful that they were helpful in the beginning, and if the roles were reversed, I know we would help them because that’s what America was built on.
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Aeron Kopriva
Washington, DC
School teacher
Yes it’s important to me, and the international community does matter, even if I were to say it doesn’t matter to me. It’s kind of beyond opinion at this point.
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Randy Robertson
Salesman
Not really, because everyone is entitled to their opinion… The United States is interested in protecting its own interests and that’s true of any national group. Everybody has their own agenda. Ideally, what you do is you get everybody where you work out your differences, because your adversary always thinks he’s right in his own eyes. So knowing this, that means you can make a deal with your adversary and work out an accord. If we can’t, then we can kill them with a clean conscience and move on.
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George Saatsakis
Washington, DC
Waiter
I could care less what other countries think of our policy, because I think of our country as leaders and not followers. We take a stand for what we believe in and follow through, which is a lot more than other countries can say for themselves.
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Ralph Solomon
Washington, DC
Musician
Not at all. We foot the bill for a lot of the rest of the world toward that end. I think we should have a louder voice, even in the UN, than we have.
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Berin Uriegas
Washington, DC
Computer programmer
I disagree with what we’re doing in Iraq. I’m not sure that we necessarily need the world’s permission. Nobody asks our permission to go start a war. If France decides it wants to go fight in Afghanistan or the British want the Falkland Islands, they don’t ask our permission to go. So why should we have to ask theirs? As a sovereign nation I definitely think we have the right to defend ourselves. I don’t think we have the right to go out and start wars. If we’re retaliating for an attack, I don’t think we necessarily need permission.
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Charles Washburn
Washington, DC
Retired postal worker
I think we’re kind of asking for [trouble] and we’re getting it. I just don’t react very well to Bush.