'Everyone's daddy', 'corrupted', 'controls the world'. What do you think of the USA?

Global South World asked people across three continents whether they believe the USA is a friend.

Here's some of what they said.

You can share your opinions on our Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok or X posts.

Is the US a friendly power?

Bangkok, Thailand

Ethan: "Oh, they’re so friendly. The US is such an amazing, lovely country. They can never do anything wrong." [Laughs]

Mahmoud: "Friendly? I don't think any first-world country is necessarily friendly."

Aiden: "The US is friendly to the US. Depending on who's in power, but at the end of the day, US interests will always come first."

Yuta: "No, the US is trying to be like everyone's daddy. If you don't do what they say, they will either kill you or destroy you. That’s the US."

Larry: “Being from the US, I'm going to say under the right government, yes.”

Vince: “The US should help the people who are living within the country. It's not about the money. It's about being human and helping each other.”

Accra, Ghana

Nancy: "Semi-friendly."

Shadrach: "No. The US is a friend when it has interests."

Joyceline: "The US will only be friends with you when they would get or benefit something from you."

Ernest: "A friendly power? No, they are not friendly."

Felix: "Yes, it’s a friendly power. The US is actually controlling the whole world in terms of everything."

Ansah: "I would say no and yes. Yes, in a way [...] they are helping. But when you look at how it relates to other countries, they see them as food.”

Evans: "For me, no. They are always ahead of you. They cannot say you are on par with them, that you’re a co-equal.”

Godwin: "It is multifaceted because although they are helping, their main aim is to benefit themselves.”

Ruth: "I would say the US is a friendly power [...] They’ve been helping Ghana in several sectors and then other countries as well."

Samuel: "They are disguised as a friendly power. They are our biggest enemy in terms of development, not just the US, the Western world. They come as friends, but they offload your resources outside, and they go and use them.”

Ebenezer: "Yes. [Laughs] The U.S. is a friendly power. I think that not everyone would agree with my assertions, but from what I've heard, America is the place where dreams come true."

John: "This is a critical question. In some of their actions, it looks as such. But in others, it doesn't look as such [...] They should allow other countries to exercise their wisdom."

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Erleyvaldo: "Yes, I believe so, because Brazil has a democracy the same as the US."

Tarcio: "Starting in January 2025, yes. Not before. Due to the left-wing president that was in charge and the right-wing president from January, the relationship will improve."

Victoria: "No. I think it only uses its economic ties, but I wouldn’t say they are exactly friends or an ally."

Brenno: "I’d say it’s a colleague. I don’t think they’re friends, like real friends, that would go to war on our side, but in terms of economics, definitely."

Maria Clara: "No, I don’t think they’re allies with Brazil. They don’t want other countries to reach their level."

Silvia: "I see politics worldwide, regardless of the nation, as lost and corrupted.”

Artur: "If you work with the big, you become big. If you work with the small, you remain small. The Americans are better at almost everything. If we ally with them, we’ll benefit a lot. American capitalism, not Chinese communism."

Mayara: "Not at all. They’re enemies. Brazilians over there are not treated well, and never will be."

Anderson: "Politically, not now. In the past, yes. If Bolsonaro were in charge, it would be different. The left and right don’t get along well."

Maria: "Look, I won’t say I understand much, but… I think it’s a friend, yes."

Tokyo, Japan

Interviewee 1: "To be honest, depends on who you’re asking. I’m from Spain, so I guess it could be."

Interviewee 2: "Depends on the context."

Interviewee 3: "Well, I've never been, so I don't know."

Interviewee 4: "No, the US is absolutely not a friendly power. Children in the Middle East wouldn't think that the US is a friendly power, or people of Vietnam 50 years ago. And I don't think it's necessarily restricted to the US either. I think the UK, NATO as a whole, Australia… I don't necessarily think they're the bad guys, but I don't necessarily think that they're this knight in shining armour.”

Interviewee 5: "Is it friendly to everyone? Certainly not. It sort of liked to portray itself as the knight in shining armour, and is very much not. But to my country, Australia, the US is definitely an ally."

Interviewee 6: "With the election of President Trump, certainly not. And with the money they've been sending to support Israel and the ways that they’ve been complicit in the genocide of Gazans, absolutely not."

Interviewee 7: "No. The US is a danger."

Interviewee 8: "They could have been. But no."

Interviewee 9: "No, not with Donald Trump in charge."

A Global South World video series

This is the first video of a Global South World’s series exploring global opinions on pressing issues.

You can share your thoughts on our Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok or X posts.

Stay tuned for more perspectives.