The Decline of America's Standing in the World
Anti-Americanism is a growing trend that, unless checked, is certain to have wide-ranging and long-term negative effects on U.S. business endeavors, to say nothing of the damage to our reputation as a people, our future economic competitiveness, and the threat to our national security. While it is true that much resentment of our country currently centers on our foreign policy, much does not. Other root causes include the perception that we are arrogant and insensitive as a people, that our culture has become all-pervasive, and that the global business expansion on the part of U.S. companies has been exploitive.
At Business for Diplomatic Action, we are committed to the task of mobilizing U.S. corporations to undertake a variety of coordinated public diplomacy actions that will begin to restore America's declining reputation.
Why Business?
Anti-Americanism is bad for business. The costs associated with rising anti-American sentiment are exponential. From security and economic costs to an erosion in our ability to engender trust around the world and recruit the best and brightest, the U.S. stands to lose its competitive edge if steps are not made toward reversing the negativity associated with America. Additionally, aside from profit-making, American business leaders have the responsibility to use their influence and creative resources to improve the overall reputation of the United States.
Moreover, American business touches more lives than the U.S. government and has greater credibility. American multinationals also have a record of building cooperation across borders and creative problem solving. Further, international representatives of U.S. companies are likely to be nationals, and business initiatives face fewer bureaucratic entanglements as policy created in the private sector is not up for grabs every four years. The private sector alone has the ability to utilize a variety of cutting-edge resources to engage effectively in public diplomacy. Business must engage.