America in the Eyes of the World
For years, America has been viewed as a powerful nation by other countries worldwide. Many generations of people in countries like Asia, Africa, and South America and others have modeled their societies after American trends and ideals. Those who immigrate to America from other countries are often surprised by the everyday simplicity we have in our access to fast food and shopping, but do not realize America’s hardships as a nation. The once perfect idea of America that existed in other countries has plummeted, as our handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic and other recent issues has altered America’s reputation as a model nation. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, President Trump’s flawed handling of the COVID-19 outbreak has changed the way that Americans are viewed abroad. The same survey has found that nearly 70% of people in France view America in a negative light and only 41% of people in the United Kingdom regard America positively. When analyzing these statistics, it is evident that America’s image has suffered in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, as only 15% of people in other countries believe that America handled the outbreak correctly.
Moreover, President Trump’s ignorant responses to the problems occurring in the United States has rendered the U.S. as a country wrought with bad leadership. In April, President Trump’s suggestion that people should inject themselves with disinfectant left the world in shock and laughter at his petrifying response. According to an article by Uri Friedman, “Trump’s proposal in April that people inject themselves with disinfectant, to the horror of scientists and laughter of people at home and abroad, marked an ‘acceleration point’ for a “post-American, post-coronavirus world … in which American opinions will count less’” (The Atlantic). Evidently, Trump’s poor representation of leadership in America resulted in the U.S. being regarded as a weaker country.
In addition, the United States is being looked down upon by other countries due to the fact that it refuses to learn from the rest of the world. America has always been set on doing things the “American way” and refuses to acknowledge that other countries sometimes have better methods in approaching problems compared to the U.S. This closed mindset was seen shortly after the coronavirus broke out in the United States. Countries like Germany, South Korea, etc, were able to handle the outbreak much better than the U.S. was. Many people have urged President Trump to view other countries’ responses to the virus and use them to better handle and maintain the pandemic in order to save lives. Republican U.S. Senator Mitt Romney is “urging the U.S. government to follow South Korea’s lead and “learn from those countries that were successful” in dealing with their outbreaks” (The Atlantic). Overall, America’s reputation abroad has suffered due to its poor handling of the COVID-19 outbreak.
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