Alternet's take on the Arar affair, cross border relations

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Torture Sours U.S.-Canadian Right-Wing Lovefest

Interestingly-was it in this forum?- I read yesterday that Cdn anti-Americanism is down a bit, possibly (and partially) due to the softwood lumber deal.

Of particular interest are the comments below the article, if you've got the time that is.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

Here it is, from the Ottawa Citizen:

Canadians buck global trend, warm to U.S. role in world: poll

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Canadians' view of the role the United States is playing in the world improved in the last year, bucking international opinion, says a new poll. And the Harper government's effort to make nice with the U.S. is being credited for the change.

The GlobeScan survey found that 55 per cent of Canadians think the U.S. is having a mainly negative influence in the world. A year ago, 60 per cent held that view.

Thirty-four per cent judge U.S. influence to be mainly positive, compared to just 30 per cent a year ago.

Canadians are almost alone in thinking better of the U.S. A 25-country survey released last week by GlobeScan found the global view of the American role in world affairs has deteriorated significantly in the past year.

In the 18 countries where the question was asked in 2006, the average number who said the U.S. is having a mainly positive influence dropped by seven percentage points.

The only other country where the view of American influence has improved was China. Negative perceptions there fell to 52 per cent from 62 per cent, while positive views rose to 28 per cent from 22 per cent.

GlobeScan spokesman Oliver Martin said Canadians' opinions of the U.S. may have improved because of the warmer relationship the Harper government has fostered.

"There have been fewer spats," he said, pointing to things like last year's agreement ending the long-running softwood lumber dispute.

"Fewer Canadians are saying, 'It's an antagonistic relationship, blame it on the U.S.' They're seeing more of a positive relationship and saying, 'Well maybe the U.S. is not all that negative.' "

Despite the improved perception of the U.S.'s world influence, Canadians generally mirror international disapproval of specific U.S. foreign policies.

More than three-quarters of Canadians give a thumbs-down to U.S. policy in Iraq, while 68 per cent think the U.S. military presence in the Mideast is provoking more conflict than it prevents.

Two-thirds disapprove of U.S. handling of last year's war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and six in 10 think U.S. policy toward Iran's nuclear program is wrongheaded.

On two questions, Canadians are even more critical than the global average. Three-quarters disapprove of U.S. treatment of detainees at Guantanamo and elsewhere, versus the global average of two-thirds.

And 68 per cent dislike U.S. policy on global warming and climate change, compared to 56 per cent globally.

The survey of 1,000 adults was conducted by GlobeScan during the last week of December and the first week of January. The margin of error in the survey is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, 19 times in 20.