Americans not ruffled by world's contempt

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The rest of the world often entertains itself being annoyed with the United States. The opinion polls often show it.

But that's nothing like American opinion of the global village. The inevitable experts say American scorn for foreign contempt is rooted in a fierce but amenable independence and an inner mettle.

"What we think of ourselves does not depend on the opinions of others," says Matthew Spalding, director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies at the Heritage Foundation. "And that is what it means to be self-governing, as our founders originally intended. It gives us great confidence."

"We don't ignore world opinion, but we don't allow it to determine our fate. At our core, we have intellectual and moral independence in the very largest sense."

Poll numbers support that, too.

Almost six out of 10 Americans, according to a recent ABC News poll, are not particularly concerned that the relationships with France, Germany and Russia were bruised during the war against Iraq.

Two-thirds of Americans are happy with their country's role in the world, according to a Gallup poll, and 64 percent think that our way of life must be protected "against foreign influence," according to a Pew Research poll.

Though there was hubbub recently over an American boycott of French products -- "freedom fries" and all that -- one poll offers a reality check: In a Gallup/CNN/USA Today survey of 1,001 persons in late April, 67 percent said they don't even buy French products in the first place.

There also appears to be some irony: U.S. foreign policy, pop culture and attitude irk the world. But the world still waits at the door.