I'm sure that those who are self-reflective enough to understand that the US is imperfect and that fundamentally it is a greater threat to itself than any foreign power could hope to be, answer this way out of love for the country and a desire to see it improve, or despair at seeing it being taken down or made worse. Not because they hate the US and wish to live somewhere else.
I tried answers that would be obvious to a more educated person, such as all the individual countries of the Middle East, but then I noticed that the questionnaire was asked to the average American - so I then started guessing the things that don't even make sense, such as Germany, France and Italy. It's sad that one of them worked!
I mean I guess Germany kind of makes sense, because of both world wars, but I don't think the average American even knew Italy even fought in WWII, despite them being an Axis Power.
Well, Israel and the US are allies (the reason why the United States is vetoing Palestinian membership in the UN) and I'm not sure how it could suddenly come to an Americans head that Israel is a "bad guy".
Well Israel's prime minister was stirring up a lot of sentiment against former president Obama, and by extension the Democratic party. Now look who is in the Oval Office. The one person who has destroyed our health care system during the worst pandemic in a century, and turned this country into a laughing stock throughout the world.
I guess Israel was counted through the Middle East, but Israel is getting constant help from the US and is not like the Arab states in the Middle East where if your not Muslim, your dead. Israel has the highest quality of life in the Middle East and is a peaceful and prosperous nation, just geographically situated in a bad area.
The fact that you feel the need to announce you are not bigoted against Jews before anyone else even responded to you suggests that you might be bigoted against Jews.
It's not just WWII. In the 80s and 90s, a lot of Americans were concerned that Japanese businesses would take over everything (now, that concern has shifted to China).
Where's Canada? I'm telling you now USA; those drug dealing Snow Mexicans are tunneling in under your border fences and their coming for your daughters! I've warned you...
Nice updated version! <3 Interesting recent swing back to mid 20th century type answers, seems like Cold War II is realer than ever nowadays. I wonder if without the current virus China would’ve still figured so highly this year though??
One noticeable thing here for me is the rapid rise of Russia in this list. I would bet it has to do with media coverage of Russia's supposed influence in the US election and perhaps Russia's involvement in the Syrian civil war and Ukraine.
Or maybe it has to do with Russia's influence in the US election? Which was a real thing that happened. Just a thought.
... could also be Russia actively meddling in elections all over the world notably in Europe, trying to bring down NATO and Western democracy, propping up nationalists and Nazis and populists and nativists and those given to identity politics and other undesirables because these people inspire disunity and strife, invading and occupying sovereign nations to redraw borders through military conquest for the first time in Europe since the end of World War 2, Putin's obvious desire to resurrect the Soviet Union, the shooting down of commercial passenger airlines, the shameless murder of numerous critics of the regime both within Russia's borders and abroad, and their support of Donald Trump who remains the single greatest threat to the present international order and prosperity of the world. Could be that, too.
??? After that list of stuff Putin is doing you still think Trump is a bigger threat to world prosperity? Oops, just now realized this comment was from 2020...
Currently with Trump mostly out of power at Mar-a-Lardo and mired in legal troubles, and Putin threatening to annex parts of Ukraine? No. Putin is clearly a bigger threat at present. But that has the potential to change.
Funny that Americans still see Iraq as a threat, when it was the US who invaded them by lying that they had weapons of mass destruction (which they didn't). Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilian deaths has been the result of it, and George W. Bush who was the one who invaded Iraq has not been penalized of his war crimes.
Japan was a nastier ennemy than Germany during WW2 (attacked Pearl Harbor, treated American POWs much worse, used kamikazes and was the last to surrender), and wasn't changed as much as Germany after the war. Hirohito remained the emperor until his death in the 80s, and if you don't know their current naval flag, you'll be surprised.
This may be why. But a score of 1% here is nearly statistical noise.
If you look at the years, it makes sense. Keep in mind that the 2001 poll was done BEFORE September 11. And by 2005, the U.S. had already established a new regime which could hardly be considered an enemy. So maybe Americans aren't so ignorant after all?
2% of Americans equates to over six and a half million people, who started eating “freedom fries” cos Cheney and Rumsfeld told them to. Not to mention more than three million people who think Japan is still your enemy. Jokes mate, it would be too funny if it didn’t explain current American politics so well…
They have been a U.S. ally for years. Not sure why people would have a grudge against them. Possibly growing support for India makes people dislike Pakistan. Again, not too sure on why some people don't like Pakistan.
Maybe it means you prefer many other countries which are not in this poll results.
Significant difference? huh
Well it shows pretty well how accurate their opinions are...
And if the NHL ever gets a new expansion team it's over
... could also be Russia actively meddling in elections all over the world notably in Europe, trying to bring down NATO and Western democracy, propping up nationalists and Nazis and populists and nativists and those given to identity politics and other undesirables because these people inspire disunity and strife, invading and occupying sovereign nations to redraw borders through military conquest for the first time in Europe since the end of World War 2, Putin's obvious desire to resurrect the Soviet Union, the shooting down of commercial passenger airlines, the shameless murder of numerous critics of the regime both within Russia's borders and abroad, and their support of Donald Trump who remains the single greatest threat to the present international order and prosperity of the world. Could be that, too.
For some reason I guessed them both, but not USA ITSELF.
What a plot twist.
I was actually thinking of typing it as a joke but I didn't smh, only other I missed was Libya I guessed Algeria and Egypt but not Libya
This may be why. But a score of 1% here is nearly statistical noise.
That's also why Afghanistan wasn't even on the radar in 2001 despite something happening in september.
2% of Americans equates to over six and a half million people, who started eating “freedom fries” cos Cheney and Rumsfeld told them to. Not to mention more than three million people who think Japan is still your enemy. Jokes mate, it would be too funny if it didn’t explain current American politics so well…
They have been a U.S. ally for years. Not sure why people would have a grudge against them. Possibly growing support for India makes people dislike Pakistan. Again, not too sure on why some people don't like Pakistan.