A post by resident curmudgeon GordonO pointed to a quote from President Obama,  that "Before that can be done, repairs have to be made to our credibility after Guantanamo and Abu Gharaib in the world's eye."

Gordon pointed out that:

The United States of America has been the most powerful force for good and freedom for at least the last 100 years. 

...

But hold the phone, we have to repair our crdibility in the WORLD's eye.  What has the WORLD been doing for civilization lately?  I await the evidence.

 I felt my comment there got a bit long, so here it is as a post of its own.

Well... if I may speak as a non-American (well, 1/4 American if you like): the first point I would make is that I would agree with anyone who said that outside perceptions of "credibility" are not the primary issues that should motivate your leaders.

That said, the world does rely on America to lead, and hopes America will always stand up for what is right: freedom, democracy, truth, etc. I hear America criticised most days, but I think this is the burden of leadership (to the extent that it is a burden at all). You probably wouldn't criticise Obama much if he were your next-door neighbour, but since he's your leader his flaws stand out. Well, the world at large fundamentally admires the American experiment and the American form of democracy and remembers that America has done much of the work of saving the world at least once. But since America is a leader, her flaws do stand out. It was awful watching ignorance and fear win out again and again over the last few years. It was sad to watch the hasty invasion of Iraq, predicated on lies about WMDs, when weapons inspectors were clearly and explicitly saying they just needed a few more months. (I should add that, as an American ally, we joined America there.)

I don't think my opinion of America should influence President Obama, or cause you to lose any sleep, but on the other hand, if you are interested, then I will tell you that I would be very happy to see the American beacon shining from a little higher up the hill, and closer to the ideals that make it a unique and important element of human history. To me, it makes a big difference to know that there is an example of a way of life that is resistant to corruption and ignorance, and a type of nation that strives to deliver equal justice for all and does not steer into thuggery, nepotism, mere expediency, totalitarianism, and the other dark alleys that governments have always been prone to.

And on the specific concept of credibility: nothing's perfect, but there was a time when, at least in a general sense, if America said something, the world could assume that it was probably true. I know that you defend Bush to a degree that I will never really be able to fathom, but even allowing for that you'd have to agree that the simple truth took a back seat more under the Bush adminstration than ever before. Despite subsequent revision, it was explicit that the invasion of Iraq was because of WMDs, even though those WMDs did not in fact exist and evidence was distorted. But leave a hot button like that aside and you still have the problem that the administration was wholly anti-science. Nothing said by the US government, for a while there, was apolitically honest. Change that and America will begin to regain her credibility. Yes, in the eyes of the world. But also, surely, in her own eyes..?