BBC News has just published their World Service Poll. The poll asked 28,000 people in 27 countries to rate a dozen countries plus the EU in terms of whether they have a positive or negative influence.The competition wasn't too tough 'cause Australia wasn't even in the running. The battle between Canada and Japan was neck and neck until the last round when they counted the absentee ballots from Florida. There are a lot of Canadians in Florida at this time of year.
Canada, Japan and the EU are viewed most positively in the survey.
Canada and Japan had identical "mainly positive" votes but Canada wins first place because it had fewer "mainly negative votes." Tough luck, Japan, maybe next year.
The USA beat out North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, and Russia. Way to go USA! You're number 8! You're number 8!
Nobody likes Australia, because nobody has ever heard of it. And that's just the way we like it. So don't spoil it, hey?
ReplyDeleteWell as an American who has crossed our Northern border, it is easy to see why. The agent going in was very nice & friendly suggesting places we could go visit. It very much came across as genuine welcome to our country and have a great time sentiment! Hard not to like that.
ReplyDeleteComing back to the US, it was primarily all business and serious (though the agent did crack a joke at the expense of President Bush, you could tell the agent thought his job had become absurd and was trying to make the best of it). The agent had to go through a list of questions basically interrogating all of us because that was his job. Even with the agent's joke you did not exactly get the "welcome back" sense from the experience. Can't imagine what it is like for non-US citizens.
Hey, they shoot Stargate over in Vancouver. What's not to like?
ReplyDelete