Americans should lead the world instead of retreating from it

As the 79th United Nations General Assembly opened on Sept. 10, people around the world generally see the UN in a positive light but a disturbing trend is leading some Americans to question the diplomatic organization that was created under US leadership.

A median of 58% across 35 countries have a favorable view of the organization, while 31% have a negative view, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted this spring.

Similarly, 62% of Britons now see the UN favorably, down from 72% last year. Positive ratings of the UN are also down in Australia, France, Germany, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, South Korea and Sweden.

Americans’ views of the UN have turned more negative over the past year as well.

Today, 52% of U.S. adults see the UN in a positive light, down 5 percentage points from 2023. Additionally, only 31% see strengthening the UN as a top foreign policy priority.

The Morning Consult poll published in September 2022 showed 64 percent of Democrats surveyed had a positive view of the U.N., while only 36 percent of Republicans said the same.

Additionally, 39 percent of Republicans polled held an unfavorable view of the U.N., while only 12 percent of Democrats did.

The survey was derived from daily polls conducted with a total of roughly 17,350 U.S. adults. The margin of error was plus or minus 1 percentage point.

Since the U.S. joined the international body in 1945, when it was first created, the country has remained a major contributor to the U.N.

However, disgraced former President Donald Trump was critical of the U.N., as well as other international organizations, during his presidency and withdrew the U.S. from the U.N. Human Rights Council and the Paris climate accords.

Under President Joe Biden, the country rejoined both entities and regained international credibility.

Trump also formally declared the U.S. would leave the U.N.’s World Health Organization, but Biden reversed that decision as well.

American voters long said the U.S. should maintain or increase its involvement in international affairs because global events have demonstrated that it is a small world after all.

Part of the reason why Americans are turning against the international body is the isolationism embodied in Trump’s ‘America First’ philosophy but citizens who are more thoughtful recognize that even the richest and most militarily powerful country has more to lose from being alone.

World leadership and coordination among nations is essential for addressing planetary crises involving pollution, energy and economics. With nuclear, chemical and biological weapons technology the survival of human beings depends upon the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

Countries where a smaller proportion of adults were found to support the UN include China, Russia, Japan, Israel and Turkey, where the residents have different values than Americans.

Tough talk may appeal to voters but the consequences of trade wars and bloody conflict are not worth the risk of being arrogant and selfish. That is why it is important for the United States to be engaged in world affairs instead of burying our heads in the sand.

With the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine being felt across the world, the Better World Campaign surveyed American voters on their opinion and asked voters whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement, “The United Nations is playing a positive role in Ukraine.”

A majority of U.S. voters, 52%, responded that they believe the United Nations is playing an important role in Ukraine.

Roughly 7 in 10 US voters (69%) believe the UN is still needed today. Roughly 3 in 4 voters believe it is better for the U.S. to work with allies and through international organizations (74%) than to act mainly on its own (21%) when it comes to achieving U.S. foreign policy goals. 

For 76 years, UN Peacekeeping has been one of the most important tools for mitigating conflict and promoting peace and security around the globe.

There are currently 11 peacekeeping operations deployed across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.

If voters choose to elect narcissistic isolationists there’s not going to be much hope for containing Russian aggression in Europe or China’s expansion in Asia, Africa and the South Pacific.

This would cause difficulties obtaining rare earth minerals and other raw materials for vital industries.