An elderly bomzh (Russian abbreviation for 'Person Without Defenite Residence', hobo) drinks vodka near the Leningradsky Train Station.
Photo: Sergey Podlesnov
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They Don't Like Russians All That Much, But More than Americans at Least
October 12, Russia and the United States inspire less sympathy, and considerable more antipathy, among the residents of the Earth than other members of the G8, the seven most industrialized countries and Russia, Vedomosti newspaper wrote on Tuesday.
According to the worldwide Voice of the People survey taken by the Gallup International organization, the US ranks very lowest in popularity with a 34 percent negative rating. Trailing in second and third places were Russia and Great Britain, with 25 and 18 percent negative ratings, respectively. The least negative reactions were received by Canada (8 percent negative) and Italy (11 percent negative).
Russia was described as eliciting positive emotions among 31 percent of the citizens of other countries, in last place among the “Big Eight.” The US rated positively among 40 percent of respondents and Canada, with the highest rating, 49 percent.
The most critical attitudes toward Russia were found in Western Europe. In Austria, for instance, negative opinion outweighed positive by 32 percent, in the Czech Republic by 27 percent, in France by 23 percent and in Germany by 21 percent. More Russophile countries included Greece, where a positive opinion led by 13 percent, Iceland with a 15-percent positive lead and Great Britain with 7 percent.
Russia has few admirers in the Middle East either. In particular, 41 percent of Egyptians and 57 percent of Turks rate Russians negatively.
The situation in different in the CIS and former socialist countries, where Russia has mainly positive associations. In Ukraine, for example, it is favorably looked upon by 70 percent of the population, in Moldova 66 percent, Georgia 60 percent, Bulgaria and Albania 61 percent, Vietnam 40 percent and Macedonia 33 percent. Russia also received predominantly positive ratings in the Baltic nations.
Residents of post-Soviet Eurasia consider Russia their country's main friend, the RIA Novosti news agency reports based on the findings of a poll taken in 14 countries of the CIS and Eastern Europe by Romir Monitoring. The US came in a distant second, with 14 percent of respondents seeing it in that light, compared to Russia's 41 percent. A third of respondents said that US policy toward their country causes them concern.
The US is least popular in Western Europe and Latin America. Gallup pollsters say that US popularity fell after its invasion of Iraq. Nearly half (48 percent) of all respondents say that Washington's actions abroad have had a negative impact on their own country.
Russia and the US look like outcasts among the other G8 countries. Romir Monitoring president Elena Bashkirova said that Europe has always considered the US a competitor and Russia a threat. Furthermore, Russia is perceived as posing a whole range of threats, from military to ecological. “Cold War stereotypes remain,” Bashkirova said, “and Russia has done little to improve its image.” General director of the Center for Political Technology Aleksey Makarkin thinks that Russia's bad image in the Middle East is related to what he called “the Chechen factor.”
Russia's high antirating has its upside, though, if we believe former administration deputy chief of staff Aleksey Volin. “It's traditional not to like the big and powerful,” he said. “So, we're in good company.”
Gallup International conducted its poll in July and August 2004 and questioned 50,000 people in 60 countries. The poll thus represents the opinions of 1.16 billion people. It is the most comprehensive survey ever undertaken by that organization.
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