UN Retains Strong Global Image. Robust Support in America, Especially among Democrats

[pampango]

Last edited Fri Sep 27, 2013, 04:24 PM - Edit history (1)

... a median of 58% across the 39 countries surveyed express favorable views of the UN, with just 27% holding an unfavorable opinion. South Koreans express the highest support (84%). Ban Ki-moon, who heads the UN, is South Korean. Meanwhile, roughly eight-in-ten Indonesians and Filipinos approve of the international body. Support is also high in Africa, and most of Europe and Latin America.



While 58% of Americans have a positive opinion of the UN, support varies considerably by political party. A strong majority of Democrats (72%) in the U.S. have a favorable view of the international body, while a smaller 60%-majority of independents agree. Meanwhile, support among Republicans trails at 41% and has dropped ten percentage points since 2011.



While overall evaluations of the UN are high, there is even greater support among the younger generation, those with a college degree, and respondents with higher incomes. For example, 73% of Americans ages 18-to-29 years old have a positive opinion of the UN, while only about half (49%) of those ages 50 and over agree, a 24-point age gap.

A similar pattern is seen when looking at educational attainment. UN01For example, while only 21% of Turks with no college degree have a favorable opinion of the UN, 45% of those Turks with a college degree see the UN positively. In 12 countries, respondents with a college education are more likely than those without a college degree to have a favorable view of the UN.

http://www.pewglobal.org/2013/09/17/united-nations-retains-strong-global-image/

Only 41% of republicans have a favorable view of the UN. I bet that tea party types have a much, much lower rating of the UN. Most of them want the US to withdraw from the UN.

[Uncle Joe]

1. Not to mention, South Korea probably wouldn't exist without the U.N.

The U.N. despite its' imperfections is still humanity's best hope of maintaining peace and a sense of international justice.

Thanks for the thread, pampango.

[pampango]

2. It is amazing to me to see how afraid of and hostile towards it our right wing is.

The UN is ineffective too much of the time but is generally a force for good. I suppose much of the conservatives' fear is of a loss of sovereignty. Republicans kept us out of the League of Nations and now are the most skeptical group towards the UN.

[Uncle Joe]

3. I understand having concerns about sovereignty but the world

is only becoming smaller as humanity grows and what would be the Republican answer to the U.N. "the maintaining of national tribes?"

That scenario can only lead to more war, more pollution, more disease, more crime, more population explosion, more degradation of the environment and more terrorism.

Without the U.N. humanity's time on this planet at least in regards to viable societies will be sharply curtailed.

The most logical answer is for the world community to use a global framework of some kind to reach understanding and cooperation on the crucial issues of the day.

Considering that the U.S. is only one of five nations to have veto power on the Security Council, I believe Republican concerns re: sovereignty to be hollow and promoted primarily for domestic, self-serving, political purposes.

Personally I believe India, Brazil and South Africa should be given permanent veto status on the Security Council to better equalize world representation, aiming toward more balanced power around the globe.