Propaganda. Even the wording of the question is loaded. I think you can find many people who are pro-American, but the makers of this video chose to select only those with anti-U.S. leanings. What about the people of Iraq who no longer live under Saddam's brutality? Or the people of Afghanistan, who no longer have to live in fear of the Taliban? I think these so-called "students" need to do some more homework. True research seeks multiple sources of information, not just propaganda from Al-Jazeera and Hezbollah. Anyone who thinks the U.S. went to war in Iraq solely for oil is sadly misinformed. It's amusing how one of the students emphasized how great things are in Lebanon. Now, with Hezbollah terrorists launching thousands of rockets into civilian populations, maybe these students will rethink the situation. Is Hezbollah really who you want providing internal security in Lebanon? Clearly, the government of Lebanon is "held hostage" by Iran's proxy. Hopefully, Israel and the international community will be able to rid the world of terrorists and allow a government of Lebanon -- by the people, and for the people -- to bring their people peace and security.

— JP, USA (8/2/2006)

What impresses me the most are the similarities between the interviewed Lebanese and American students at the American University and their leftist American counterparts in the US - utter cluelessness, oversimplification, and an inability to apply other factors (other than the US) to the world's, and their own misery: the last student in the Lebanon clip is a prime example, blaming the US for not appreciating "Arab Achievement" - breathtaking arrogance and small-mindedness; the student who blamed the US for supporting dictatorships - a distortion in itself and one that woefully lacks historical and realistic perspective - but when the US tosses them out in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is because of its imperial nature; and the woman who assumed that kicking the US out of horribly flawed UN Human Rights Commission was proof of US perfidy. Incredible lack of political perspective.

— D Beaton, NC, US (8/3/2006)

It IS sobering to think that US policy has effects on the lives of individuals all over the globe. But show me a time in history when the decisions made in one country did not effect the lives and destinies of others: Caesar, Alexander, Ghengis Khan, Mohammed, King John, Napolean, Hitler...you get the drift. We are the first imperial power to eschew slavery; we wield our power not to gain territory, but to police the world from those who would take their totalizing ideology and jam it down everyone else's throat. In that respect, communism, nazism, and Islamic fascism are of a piece. Decisions made in countries bent on these impostions certainly have impacted American citizens as individuals. The difference is we have the economic and military might to enslave large parts of the world, but because of big L Liberalism we have the the moral restraint to keep us from empire. We are not an empire: we are however a prodigy of history, something never seen before.

— Harold Kildow, South Bound Brook NJ (8/3/2006)

Allright. All the Anti-American comments here are coming from America bashing Americans (and one dupe from French-Canada... what a surprise). First of all, we didn't pick this fight in Iraq. We spent 13 months trying to get the Usless Nations to enforce THEIR numerous Iraq resolutions. They never did, instead turned a blind eye on the millions of innocents that were slaughtered in Iraq under the Hussein regime. And to say that America was the only nation in this fight is completely bogus and is an insult to those in Poland, the UK, Australia, etc. who sacrificed brave men and women fighting this brutal regime. World opinion is established by the media, which is largely comprised of anti-American leftists. It should be no surprise that the reverberance of world news outlets such as the AP, Reuters, and AFP will spill onto local rags without the resources the big, highly motivated leftist media has. Even their photographers are biased. Yet these are those that influence world opinion. All of them. Americans are not stupid, biased idiots (well, maybe some are) but show me a country that doesn't have their village idiots. The difference is ours are paraded around as if they are typical, where the uneducated masses of other countries are rarely portrayed that way, since our mindfull media is so politically correct. This country is the most powerful only because it's not a nationality, rather a beacon for the greatest minds from every continent to share it's ideas, ideals, strengths and diversities and the freedom to do so. If some of you people think America is so bad, I'd encourage you to try living in Cuba for a year. Or Venezuela, for that matter. In fact, I think I saw a couple Americans risking their lives floating across the ocean in a Chevy trying to get into Cuba, perhaps you can join them. Okay, Sorry for ranting, but it really needed to be said.

— Dixie Ditz, Northern America (8/3/2006)

This article made me think about what I can do as an individual to make the world a better place, not what is so bad about America. As an American living abroad, I appreciate what America has to offer but I also realize that most residents of the world don't live like Americans, think like Americans or have the opportunities Americans have. As Americans, it's time to stand up and take responsibility as an individual and make a difference in our communities and in the world (if we get a chance to travel). Stop worrying about what the world can do for you and worry about what you can do for the world (to build on an idea from President Kennedy). May we all spread peace in the world by finding peace within ourselves and sharing it with others.

— MD, Portsmouth, England (8/4/2006)

I'm not sure that many people in foreign lands have a sense of the responsibility that the US plays on the world stage. The US is among the first to respond to many world crises. It is only natural that when you try and do what you think is right, at least 50% of the world will disagree. And when you are so active in that arena you are bound to cross a lot of people with those decisions. I am in no way saying that the US has always "done the right thing" by any sense of the word. But, by and large, the US does make an attempt to come to the right decision. Sometimes, that decision is self serving. Then again, most countries don't make decisions on what's best for everyone else. I don't see Chavez giving away oil rights to everyone because it's good for them. He uses those rights to exert political pressure and jockey for position on the world stage. Repercussions are sometimes heavy for some countries and I believe that most American's realize and sympathize with people in those situations. We are not a cold-unfeeling-drone like people. We have heated discussions regularly regarding politics and people just as anyone who is passionate about life does. There is a danger in Americans not thinking about others but, the danger is just as great for those in foreign lands that stereotype American citizens as uninformed and apathetic. Locating something on a map doesn't make you intelligent. Understanding that change takes time and economic development is the key to a larger role on the world stage makes you a realist. Americans are no more and no less perfect than anyone from any other country. We are indeed blessed with economic prosperity. It is a place where you can do better than your parents did. It is a place where starvation isn't something you are faced with very often. should we share that wealth? yes, we should and have for many years. Maybe not to the degree that others would want but to be truthful, a lot of that aid has ended up in governmental pockets abroad. People should point the finger at themselves before pointing at others. That includes all of us in the USA.

— Mike, Charlotte, NC (8/4/2006)

Many U.S. policies might effect the lives in other nations. However, the poverty, HIV, and many other social ills are the direct result of corrupt governments that would rather enrich themselves and keep their people angry at America rather than take responsibility for their own social problems. How is HIV in Africa the result of American foreign policy. The US government funded by taxpayer dollars along with private philanthropy has contributed billions of dollars annually to fight these problems. The world should start taking responsibility for its own problems. Why is Europe successful economically as opposed to Arab nations who have billions of petro dollars? Why are there jobs in Europe but not in the middle east where they have majority of the worlds oil? Is it Americas fault that your governments lack the will to do anything other than wage terror and blame others for your own problems. In the Middle East Shiites have been fighing Sunnis for centuries before the US became a nation. Why are muslims always fighting everyone and each other, yet somehow America is responsible for all these problems.

— Every American, United States of America (8/4/2006)

Seriously, who cares what these people think? They wish they could live here instead of their rathole, oppressive countries, even if they don't know it- if they ever had the chance to come here they'd never leave. We always need to do what's in our own best interests; we're not the caretaker/sugardaddy of the world. Sometimes what's in our best interests is for other people's countries and governments to not be what they are today, so we have to try and change them. It's not our fault if these people resent the power and prosperity of America; if they don't like their lives they need to do something to make their own countries better, not play the victim and blame us for everything. What a cop out. I am not a citizen of the world, I am a citizen of the United States and work to better my own country. The people of other nations would do well to emulate America, though that would mean taking responsibility for themselves, and that might be too hard for them to deal with (yeah right). God bless America

— Samantha, Miami, FL, USA (8/5/2006)

Several of the comments posted by what I assume were American citizens seemed slightly bewildered and annoyed by the negative views (however mildly phrased) of some foreigners. They hit upon easy explanations, having no others available. (jealousy) "This would happen to any superpower, they resent our power and prosperity." (ingratitude) "We are just trying to help, and this is what we get?" If only there was a media present in the US, that would actually give us a context. For example, (in one instance) we have donated billions of dollars in the most modern of weaponry for the use of one country to use as it sees fit against their neighbors (and none at all to the neighbors). For another, we have blockaded countries (we've done it plenty) whose rulers we didn't like (anymore) meaning we were actually starving the people there too and depriving them of medicine. For another, we have supported numerous totalitarian rulers (yes at one point Saddam too, look it up), sometimes going so far as to educate their governments in the use of torture to better suppress their people (School of the Americas). The complete list of such things is unfortunately very, very long and almost never taught in schools. The unfortunate lazy habit of the media to not provide the complete unvarnished backstory and to never even try to get the opinions of those on the receiving end of the bombs only worsens the situation. Maybe with context we wouldn't have people here forced to invent reasons why some foreigner might be complaining (in the highly unlikely event that they would ever be exposed to such an event anyway). With the appropriate context, one might see that some of those represented might have had some perfectly reasonable points after all. It's a possibility at least.

— an american citizen, USA (8/5/2006)

I simply couldn't care less about how the United States is "percevied" in the rest of the world (except with Israel of course). I like it so much when I keep things simple.

— Jim Rish, Indiana , U.S.A. (8/5/2006)