America's greatest enemy: Who do you think it is?

Just a quick update on America's top enemies list so you know who to be hating over the weekend: Iran.

Again.

Iran's been the top bad guy in American eyes since 2006.

A new Gallup Poll out this morning confirms the mullah-run theocracy is seen as the greatest enemy of America, with 25% saying that. All despite President Obama's ongoing attempted diplomatic outreach to Iran, so far universally rebuffed.

The second worst black hat, according to the new data, is North Korea, the isolated hermit kingdom run by Kim Jong Il, the beloved dear little fellow who turned 69 Wednesday at a birthday blowout with a bigger flag than yours.

But wait, ladies and gentlemen, we actually have a tie for second greatest enemy of America at 16%:

China, the rising economic superpower whose President Hu was just feted by Obama at a White House state dinner. Did someone check the silver after Hu left? We do owe China an awful lot of money.

With the decline of attention to U.S. troops fighting in Iraq, that country has slid down the enemies list to fifth place at 7%. 

That means it's given way to fourth place Afghanistan (9%), where some 100,000 U.S. troops are now fighting insurgents. Although Obama has promised they won't be there for long, unless they have to be, which seems likely.

Russia is the sixth-ranking enemy at 3% followed by -- wait for it -- the United States itself, which 2% of Americans see as their own worst enemy. 

There are age differences too. Older Americans pick Iran as top enemy; younger Americans list North Korea. But there's tripartisan agreement among Republicans, Democrats and independents: Iran is the baddest baddie.

Earlier this month Gallup reported that by a lopsided 52%-to-32% margin, Americans have decided that China is winning the future and become the world's leading economic power, surpassing their homeland. If only we had $53 billion more in high-speed trains.

 -- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo: Abedni Taherkenareh / EPA; KCNA via KNS (Kim Jong Il birthday banner bash).

Comments

[smokincol]

You have got to be kidding...our greatest enemy is our current occupant of the White House and our elected officials in our house and senate. This group of pe0ple, including barry soetoro, will do everything they can to bring about the downfall of the United States and its government, and would have had not the people of this country voted out some of the most despicable people to ever sit in the congress. The only problem is we didn't finish the job, but that should happen in 2012, so, goodby waxman, hoyer, pelosi, jackson-lee, conyers, lewis and the rest of the communist sympathizers who were spared the dissecting sword of the people in 2010.

[Quinterius]

The poll proves that the American public is totally ignorant about world affairs (and many other things too). About 40% still believe that Saddam Hussein was involved in 9/11. Over 70% believe that Iran already has nuclear weapons, when General Clapper, the head of US intelligence, just testified in Congress that Iran does not currently have a nuclear weapons program. Also, 79 percent of young people believe in the devil and about 30% of the total population believe in witches. So, who cares about this polls? The Administration, with the help of the media, has an interest in deluding people and making a devil out of Iran.

[Matt]

It was my understanding anyone who is not American, when you are a superpower everyone is a potential rival. That was what the EU was meant to be a rival superpower, now they have social unrest, terrorism, recession and are at risk of breaking up.

An example the UK knew that the US would be the next superpower after WW2 so when they deconstructed the empire they create all sorts of crisis's and flash points which the next superpower would have to deal with, which would weaken the superpower. Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Kashmir. The Arab kingdoms, Palestine etc.

The problems was is back then the UK did not realize how tied to the US, UK national security would be. For the US to lose a grain of sand is for the UK to lose a tonne. They thought they would bounce back but they have only declined into a non-polar player. That was Winston he was belligerent.

The UK deconstructed the empire to consolidate power prior to WW2 but it did not work. All colonial powers struggled to keep the colonies under central control, it meant insurgency and further weaken of their already collapsing empires the French are another example, Vietnam, Algeria etc.

An example the US had to fight for independence, yet they cut Australia lose because the could not defend that part of the empire come 1901, then they did it again during WW2.

The UK hedge their bets on the EU taking membership, but trying to keep some independence if the EU did not become the next superpower. Then they would stick with the US. Alliances are out of necessity, not friendship.

There are no special relationships, everyone is a rival, some are just on a higher tier Iran, DPRK, PRC etc.

When the US creates democracy they make the country weak, example Germany is a coalition government, Iraq, Japan this is done because coalition government are less of a threat and are likely to collapse, look at Germany on Afghanistan, Japan on Okinawa. Egypt is likely to be the same. Iran the same, China the same.

So while the US is declining and has been since 2005, the US can still shape the world around that decline. But the model has to be different to the UK as the next dominate power would not be like the US.

That is why the UN does not work because it is a geopolitical platform to further a countries strategic intent via soft power. That is why we only fight small war not big ones.

[blackone]

Our greatest enemy is the U.S. Government, including, especially, the Supreme Court. If I had to nuke one entity, it would be the Congress.

[DannyG]

This doesn't really say anything about Iran, China, or any other country but how the American population has been dumbed down, courtesy of a sick tiny country having its hand into all centers of power in USA. This self-chosen people have occupied American mainstream and government like they have occupied Palestine. they are the real enemy of Americans. I think Americans are waking up to this reality but it may be too late.

[GMK]

More grief is brought upon the American people by the right wing ultra-nationalistic forces in the United States than from any external countries at this time in history. Communism has been rejected by many countries in the world. People in the middle east and northern Africa are rejecting the oppressive forces in their region. The right wing ultra nationalist people who are posing as "conservatives" would like OUR life to resemble the lives of those who are forced to live under strict religious or communist law. We have higher percentage of our population in jail than any country in the world, and the right wingers are constantly demanding harsher laws, which will allow them to imprison even more people. In the meantime, they have spent so much of our money by borrowing from other countries and putting the burden of all of that on the backs of the American people, despite their claims of love for "small government" and economic responsibility.

I worry about the damage that right wingers are doing to our country, a LOT more, than I worry about Iran, North Korea, Al Qaeda or the rest.

[Barry Hussein]

The greatest enemy to the American people are the corrupt politicians from both parties, always ready and willing to sell out all of us as quickly as possible, led by a President who is a deluded, clueless egomaniac, whose allegiance lies with racial politics and a far left unworkable ideology. That is why the Chinese are laughing at our stupidity.