Americans=violent & rude, say Canadians

According to a new report, we (the Canadian people) have a less favourable opinion of the United States in 2005 than we've had for years...Really?! I wonder why? (war in Iraq, George W. Bush - wait, that's enough). Based on the Pew report only 59% of Canadians have a favourable view of the U.S. (I thought it'd be lower...) compared with 71% in 1999/2000. Public opinion in Britain, another big American ally, is also decreasing with only 55% of Britons holding a favourable view of the Yanks in 2005 compared with a whopping 83% in 1999/2000.

There is a silver lining in the report: anti-Americanism is on the decline in such nations as Poland, Russia, Indonesia and Jordon - where a favourable opinion is now held by 21% of the population compared with 1% just two years ago. Can't you just feel the love...?

The report also rates how the Western public views Americans. More Canadians selected violent and rude than people from any other country, while Amercians elected to describe themselves as hardworking, honest and greedy*.

*I'm confused...isn't greedy a bad thing?