The US War of Ideas at Home

WASHINGTON, DC -- I do not usually take my cue for columns from the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight. But today I make an exception. I want to publicize the findings of a report the subcommittee just published, based on ten hearings it held. The report, "The Decline in America's Reputation: Why?" is the first of three the subcommittee will publish (the others are on the "impact on US national interests" and "recommendations").

The subcommittee members concluded that they hoped the Bush administration would take their comments and suggestions in a spirit of partnership for which they were intended, and that "the media would remind foreign audiences that this sort of interaction is typical of the complex competition of views that creates our democratic foreign policy."

So, yes, sirs and ma'ams of the Committee, this particular member of the media is delighted to spread the word about the strengths of the American political system when it is working well: This report is a symptom of a deeper and wider phenomenon that I have encountered during my current extended stay in the United States, a refreshing self-assessment and soul-searching taking place in Washington about US foreign policy and the world's perception of the United States.

The United States seems finally to be turning a corner in the war of ideas -- also called "the battle for hearts and minds" -- that it has been waging for some years. This change is from the self-deceiving fake contest that intellectual charlatans such as Tony Blair, Karen Hughes, and Donald Rumsfeld have trumpeted for some years now -- with their combination of hapless mediocrity, collective failure, and eventual removal from office. The battle now is to face important issues with intellectual honesty and realism -- rather than romanticism -- as drivers of global policy, and of the integrity of America's assessment of itself, its policies, and its role and place in the world.

In discussions with several former senior government officials and a few others who still serve the Bush administration, a common theme and tone prevailed in their willingness to assess that which the Washington power structure and the prevalent American media mindset have refused to touch since September 2001: Why is criticism of the United States rising steadily around the world?

This capacity to ask the right questions about hard issues like one's own global ostracism and self-marginalization reflects the best in American political culture and personal values. Policy self-correction is a central element in successful democracies, and an important reason why most people around the world respect the American system, while vehemently disliking many of its specific foreign policy actions. 

The promise of a new American administration in January, regardless of who is elected president, signals an opportunity to fix what is wrong and build on what is right. This report (available at www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/11042566.pdf) lists eight main factors that the subcommittee identified about "the levels, trends and causes of international opinion of American policies, values and people." The eight findings are:

- It is true that United States approval ratings have dropped swiftly around the world;
- This decline is driven by opposition to specific American policies, not to America's values or people;
- It also reflects a sense that the United States has hypocritically ignored its own democratic values in its foreign policies;
- American unilateralism has aggravated criticism of the United States;
- American domination of others lingers for years, and discredits current policies;
- Visitors to the United States, especially students, have more positive views of the country than non-visitors;
- the often heavy-handed visa and immigration experience creates the impression that Muslims, in particular, are not welcome;
- The combination of all these factors causes many Muslims to feel that the United States is using the "global war on terror" as a cover for its attempts to destroy Islam.

The report notes the silver lining amidst the world's criticism of Washington's policies: Because its core values are respected, the United States has something to work with to turn around the dramatic decline in its global standing. It also notes the "key finding that emerges from the data... that substance matters, of course, but style does too."

It makes the point that aggressive rhetoric impacts on perceptions of others, especially when it is backed up by unilateral action.

This is an important report for what it reveals about America and its place in the world -- both the criticism that the United States receives, and the respect that it elicits. This is not an easy exercise for any country. Those political leaders and systems that do subject themselves to honest self-criticism emerge stronger for it. 

This is one reason millions want to emigrate to the United States, Germany and Canada, and why we have few reports of young men or entire families trying to sneak into Egypt, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Iran or Algeria.