As the Rage Against the Machine intensifies in the United States (basically since Obama took office), about to boil all over the stove-top, the world at large is warming to the United States more so than any other major global player.  The report was released early this morning.  The study polled in 28 countries around the world, nearly 30,000 people total.  It asked “do you find that [insert country] has given a generally positive impact throughout the world?”.  The United States has improved the most since 2008, while even countries like the United Kingdom declined.  The European Union also declined by about 5 percentage points, but still sits atop as very favorable.  Germany was deemed the most positive global player, while Iran and Pakistan were viewed as the most negative global players.  The poll itself should be at least a moderately good thing, but with what’s going on economically in this country, I really don’t think people care.  At all.  In fact, I’m starting to believe that the next time a conservative takes office as president, or perhaps a liberal too, he/she will take a page from 1920′s America and preach isolationism in all its forms.  The problem is that 2012 or 2016 isn’t 1922.  The world has changed.  And like it or not, we need to have a good relationship with other nations for many reasons.  Most obviously national security and economics.  The world is too small to isolate ourselves.  Should we stop policing the world?  Yep.  But we’d be shooting ourselves in the foot by trying to go it alone.  As much as people probably don’t care — I’m looking at you “tea party” — this poll is a good thing (yes, even economically).

-D