Last year, a survey conducted in European and Arab nations by the Pew Global Attitudes Project found increasing hostility toward America and its foreign policy. The public opinion poll revealed that since the U.S. invasion of Iraq, anger at America had intensified among the people of France, Germany and Britain. In Muslim countries, resentment against the U.S. was found to be pervasive. Critics maintain that antipathy toward the U.S. in much of the world illustrates the damage done to America's standing by President Bush's unilateral and militaristic foreign policy since the September 11th terrorist attacks.

With President Bush's appointment of John Bolton to become the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations despite his long record of hostility toward the world body, concern is growing about the direction of America's foreign policy in the president's second term. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Stephen Damours, a former officer with the U.S. State Department and author of the book, "America The Almighty: The Maverick Hyperpower." Damours assesses the global repercussions of the Bush administration's neo-conservative driven foreign policy.

For more information, visit Damour's website at www.americathealmighty.com

Related links:

• "UK: Firestorm Over Illegal War Grows," Associated Press, Mar. 24, 2005
• "Bush's Approval Rating Hits New Low For His Presidency," Knight Ridder, Mar. 25, 2005
• "U.K. Lawmakers Accuse U.S. Of Grave Rights Violations," Reuters, Mar. 24, 2005
• "A Year After Iraq War, Mistrust of America in Europe Ever Higher, Muslim Anger Persists," Pew Research Center, March 14, 2004

Although Florida's courts determined that Terry's husband was rightfully carrying out the brain-damaged woman's wishes by terminating life support, in the face of challenges by her parents, congressional Republicans passed special legislation narrowly addressing the Schiavo case in an attempt to exploit the personal tragedy for political advantage. A Republican Party memo with talking points about their Schiavo-related bill circulated on the floor of the U.S. Senate referenced the upcoming election of a Democratic senator. The memo stated -- quote: "This is a great political issue, because Senator Nelson of Florida has already refused to become a co-sponsor and this is a tough issue for Democrats."

Republican House majority leader Tom Delay who has aggressively led the fight to overturn the judgment of Florida's courts to remove a feeding tube from Terry Schiavo, had himself 16 years ago agreed to withdraw life support from his severely injured father. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Simon Harak, Jesuit Priest and anti-militarism coordinator with the War Resisters League, who takes a critical look at the contradictions he sees in the "culture of life" promoted by Republicans and conservative Christians around the Terry Schiavo case.

Contact the the War Resisters League by calling (212) 228-0450 or visit their website at www.warresisters.org

Related links:

• Schiavo Case: Media Pander to the Right," by Jeff Cohen, CommonDreams.org, March 29, 2005
• "Conservatives Invoke Schiavo Case In Fundraising," The New York Times, March 25, 2005
• "Shameless Right-Wingers Exploiting Terry Schiavo," by Joe Conason, Working For Change, March 23, 2005
• "The Schiavo Case And the Islamization Of The Republican Party," by Juan Cole, Informed Comment, March 22, 2005

Race/Gender Wage Study Reveals
Surprising View of U.S. Work Force

Interview with Avis Jones-DeWeever,
Institute for Women's Policy Research,
conducted by Melinda Tuhus

A new report released in late March by the U.S. Census Bureau on the average earnings of workers with a four-year college education reveals that African American and Asian women earn significantly more than white women. Asian American women average almost $44,000 a year, while black women make $41,000 and white women just under $38,000. The survey also shows that white women earn just 58 percent of the $66,000 that white men with a bachelor's degree earn. Among men, whites earn the most, followed by Asians, then Hispanics with African Americans in last place. Far fewer black men than black women have college degrees.

One explanation for these disparities offered by economists and sociologists takes into account the fact that minority women tend to hold more than one job at a time, work more than 40 hours a week and return to the work force earlier than other groups after child birth. Racial discrimination on the job continues to create obstacles in hiring and advancement to management positions among men.

Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Avis Jones-DeWeever, a researcher and Study Director with the Institute for Women's Policy Research in Washington D.C., about the survey results. She says that while more analysis is needed to fully understand the numbers, one thing is clear: higher education benefits men and women of all ages in the job market.

Contact the Institute for Women's Policy Research at (202) 785-5100 or visit their website at www.iwpr.org

This week's summary
of under-reported news

Compiled by Bob Nixon

• Grants to opposition forces by U.S. government-funded National Democratic Institute and Freedom House, a human rights group, may have fueled ouster of longtime Kyrgyzstan strongman Askar Akayev. ("Islamists see opening in Central Asia Crisis," Associated Press, March 24, 2005)
• Jose Pinera, labor minister to Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, is credited by free market libertarians with inspiring George W. Bush to push for Social Security privatization. ("The Siren of Santiago," Mother Jones, March/April 2005)
• Tuberculosis rates have tripled since 1990 at a rate of three to four percent a year in African nations where HIV is raging. ("Africa Wracked by Tuberculosis," USA Today, March 24, 2005)
  

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Credits:
Senior news editor: Bob Nixon
Program narration: Denise Manzari
News reader: Indu Anand
Segment producers: Melinda Tuhus
Distribution: Anna Manzo, Harry Minot, Jeff Yates, Bill Cosentino
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Web producer: Jeff Yates
Newswire editor: Hank Hoffman
Executive producer: Scott Harris
Theme music: Mikata

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