Seven in Ten Americans want Major Change in Foreign Policy

[Watser?]

Seven in Ten Americans Favor Congressional Candidates Who Will Pursue a Major Change in Foreign Policy

U.S. Public Wants Less Emphasis on Military Force, More on Working Through U.N.

A Majority Supports Direct Talks with North Korea and Iran

Going into the November midterm elections, seven in ten Americans say they prefer Congressional candidates who will pursue a new approach to U.S. foreign policy. A new nationwide survey finds a large and growing majority of Americans is dissatisfied with the position of the United States in the world. Most Americans believe that U.S. policies are increasing the threat of terrorist attack and decreasing goodwill toward the United States.

The Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)/Knowledge Networks poll also finds that large majorities of Americans feel that the United States puts too much emphasis on military force and unilateral action. Most say they want their member of Congress to work to shift the emphasis of U.S. foreign policy in favor of diplomacy, multilateral cooperation, and homeland security.

They also stress the need for programs to reduce the United States’ dependence on oil. When given the opportunity to reshape the foreign policy budget, respondents redistribute spending from military programs to other methods of pursuing security.

“It is a rare year that foreign policy takes center stage in Congressional elections. Voters are calling for a sea change in U.S. foreign policy. They want less emphasis on military force, and more on soft power,” said Steven Kull, director of PIPA and editor of WorldPublicOpinion.org.

more here

[cappuccino]

Oh now they've changed their minds and are clamoring to cut down military intervention and work with UN to resolve the crisis. Whatever happened to "patriotism", supporting going on the preemptive offense, and cheering on the war to destroy the Axis of Evuhl?

As much I'm glad to see some real understanding and a serious discussion of the world's realities among the US population, I'm bemused that it took the a war costing tens of thousands of lives to wake up the majority of the US public and see just exactly what the "nonpatriots" had been saying all along.

[Watser?]

Well, considering how much the media swallowed all that the White House was feeding them (and still swallow way too much of it) I am actually surprised it didn't take more than a war costing tens of thousands of lives, especially considering only a very small percentage of those lives are American.