#TellWashington: What the Rest of the World Is Saying About the Government Shutdown

ABC's team around the globe asks the rest of the world to weigh in.

ByABC News
October 4, 2013, 12:43 PM
ABC asked people from Beijing to Seoul to Johannesburg how they feel about the government shutdown.
ABC asked people from Beijing to Seoul to Johannesburg how they feel about the government shutdown.
ABC

— Oct. 4, 2013 -- Four days after the government shutdown, Americans remain frustrated. They're angry, from coast to coast. But what does the rest of the world think?

For the most part, people are confused. How could this happen in America, of all places? In Malaysia, the headline on the website Awani summed it up: "U.S. shutdown leaves the world scratching its head."

In Pakistan, the Dawn newspaper rejoiced that Pakistan "is not the only basket case country in the world when it comes to matters like government finance and economic growth."

And in England, The Times of London described Tuesday as "an extraordinary day of political theatrics and high emotions."

Headlines: US Government Shuts Down, World Says, 'Meh'. Read more here.

ABC's team around the globe put the question to people from Beijing to Seoul to Johannesburg. Want to weigh in? Upload an Instagram video with the hashtag #TellWashington.

Beijing, China (Follow @KarsonWhy)

President Obama just wants a break, says Beijinger Hanson Kong:

A "normal Beijing citizen" thinks the U.S. government is great:

Amy feels sorry for all the Chinese tourists:

But Jin Xi from Beijing says "it's very far from my life":

London, England (Follow @WillDenze91)

If America can't even balance its budget, this Londoner has lost hope:

This guy is heading to the States in February for vacation, so he's a bit worried about the monuments:

But "healthcare is a good thing," says this Brit:

Seoul, South Korea (Follow @JooheeCho)

Sungmo Park, 21, says the shutdown is "the beginning of the falling of America":

Yon-Sue Choi says the shutdown "hurts [America's] credibility around the world":

Hyojung Shin, 22, is worried about the South Korean economy:

But Alex Lee says the South Korean economy is safe, for now:

Meanwhile, Angel Ra doesn't think Koreans are really paying attention (and there's some sweet music playing in the background):

Minbox Wi says it's no biggie:

Johannesburg, South Africa (Follow @Marquardtabc)

"It makes no sense, it's not logical," says this Aussie fellow in Johannesburg:

"These are grown men getting paid huge amounts of money," says this Johannesburg resident:

And this guy just finds it interesting:

Tel Aviv, Israel (Follow @Bruno1960)

This Israeli isn't losing sleep over it:

Islamabad, Pakistan (Follow @HKhanabc)

Jameel says it's a great thing that the American government doesn't let power hungry leaders make all of the decisions:

Saifullah worries about unemployment in Pakistan, where many American companies operate:

Maybe this happened because America is spending too much money on war, Salman wonders:

Kabul, Afghanistan (Follow @AleemAgha)

Samiullah, a businessman in Kabul, says this whole shutdown thing is very surprising:

Fakhruddin never thought something like this could happen in America, only Afghanistan or Pakistan: