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 November 21, 2006
Now, it may be that these views are misguided. But it hardly matters: it's simply not possible for us to occupy the country successfully if a majority of Iraqis actively support attacks on our troops and a vast majority think we're responsible for the rising violence. It's time for us to leave. The report summary is here. The full report is here. UPDATE: Note that the date of this report is September 27. It's pretty recent, but it's not quite "new," as I said in the main post. —Kevin Drum 2:27 AM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (129)Comments
Al, Chickenhawk, isn't it time for you to tell our brown brothers how misguided they are not to fully appreciate the wonderful gifts our dear leader has brought them? Or is it that the true believers have been betrayed by the obvious liberal bias of pollsters, journalists, and state-department officials. Quick: choose one! Less than two years until Bush is out on his alcoholic ass and free to choke on all the pretzels he can shovel in at the supermarket openings he'll end up attending. Posted by: Kenji on November 21, 2006 at 2:40 AM | PERMALINKSupport for attacks on U.S. forces now commands majority support among both Shiites and Sunnis. Sounds to me like we've actually found the central front for the war on terror. You can give up if you want, but your president and his supporters will keep working till they achieve a lasting victory. You'll be thanking him later when your retired and living off your personal private retirement account. Posted by: Al on November 21, 2006 at 2:58 AM | PERMALINKHah? Townhall has already demolished your liberal interpretation of the Pipa poll. "The PIPA poll asked, "Thinking about any hardships you might have suffered since the U.S.-Britain invasion, do you personally think ousting Saddam Hussein was worth it or not?" The answer for 61 percent: Yes, it was worth it." "The PIPA poll found that 47 percent of Iraqis think their country is headed in the right direction. Compare that to a recent poll that found that 44 percent of Californians say the state is headed in the right direction." Posted by: Al on November 21, 2006 at 3:27 AM | PERMALINKThat's gotta be fake Al, because how else could he take the bait so far down his throat so quickly? Okay, lots of training, maybe. Posted by: Kenji on November 21, 2006 at 3:29 AM | PERMALINKAmerica knows what's best for Iraqis (along with Iranians under the Shah and Chileans under Pinochet, and everyone else who's got minerals and oil we want). We always have and always will. Why don't they wise up? Posted by: DevilDog on November 21, 2006 at 3:31 AM | PERMALINK"The PIPA poll asked, "Thinking about any hardships you might have suffered since the U.S.-Britain invasion, do you personally think ousting Saddam Hussein was worth it or not?" The answer for 61 percent: Yes, it was worth it." One of the design flaws of the study was that it was unable to poll the 600k dead Iraqis to see if they thought the personal hardships they have suffered was worth toppling Saddam. Posted by: Disputo on November 21, 2006 at 3:49 AM | PERMALINK性电影 成人电影下载 性爱视频 偷拍图片 泳装图片 性感内衣 性爱贴图 性生活图片 作爱图片 性交电影 做爱电影 性福 人体摄影 裸女图片 乱伦图片 强暴电影 轮奸电影 迷奸电影 免费小电影 免费电影在线 免费影片 最新大片 免费电影下载 免费在线电影 看免费电影 免费电影网站 情色电影 激情视频下载 明星露点图片 两性写真 阴部图片 乳房图片 全裸美女 淫荡小说 淫乱小说 美女脱衣电影 裸体美女 手淫图片 波霸美女 淫水图片 阴户阴毛图片 美女图库 美女口交图片 韩国电影 性知识 最新电影 宽带电影 经典电影 恐怖电影 人体艺术 美女图片 强奸图片 裸体图片 美女自拍 色情图片 激情图片 激情小电影 性感图片 性交图片 做爱图片 黄色小说 成人小说 偷拍走光 美眉图片 人体写真 性虐待电影 写真集 激情电影 免费影院 日本av电影 美少女贴图 性感美女图片 美女写真 漂亮妹妹图片 同志电影 性交姿势 美女走光 A片下载 毛片 偷窥图片 裸体视频聊天室 成人网站 成人论坛 性爱论坛 性变态图片 淫女 女大学生 美女下阴图 女性生殖器 操逼图片 激情论坛 两性生活 性教育片 两性知识 美腿图片 三级片 黄色电影 成人性爱电影 写真电影 美女阴图 美女乳房 Posted by: 手机图片 on November 21, 2006 at 4:22 AM | PERMALINKI think it's completely plausible for all the poll data to be consistent; that is to say, the Iraqis are happy about Saddam's ouster (now that it's a done deal, after all), and generally have high hopes for the future of their country (the Shia and the Kurds do anyway), but still want us to leave. Of course, Kevin is right. The idea that us leaving will improve the security situation is misguided at best. Posted by: Benny on November 21, 2006 at 5:33 AM | PERMALINKBut what about all those bases that we built/are building complete with KFC and Burger King outlets...I guess they can be converted to kebab joints. Posted by: Dirk on November 21, 2006 at 5:42 AM | PERMALINK"The PIPA poll found that 47 percent of Iraqis think their country is headed in the right direction. But the direction they're heading in is killing Americans. Posted by: tomeck on November 21, 2006 at 5:49 AM | PERMALINK六合彩
It not like Bush really believes in democracy or anything like that, from Bush world the we're getting that the Iraqis don't want us to leave. Bush doesn't want to leave the oil and his billion dollar military bases. That's the only thing Paul Wolfowitz really wanted from the Iraqi people, just the oil they were swimming in, and nothing else. This war was never about anything BUT OIL. Posted by: Cheryl on November 21, 2006 at 5:56 AM | PERMALINKCheryl - indeed. However, it isn't that Bush and his cronies wanted the oil to use, they wanted to be able to control the flow of Iraqi oil. Read Greg Palast's Armed Madhouse. Saddam was too unpredicatable and the oil barons didn't like that unpredictability, because as I have written many times, these neocons don't really believe in free markets - they believe in rigged markets. When we get the transcripts of Dick Cheney's energy task force, which Ken Lay and James Baker attended, during Cheney's impeachment trial, this will all become very clear... Posted by: The Conservative Deflator on November 21, 2006 at 6:06 AM | PERMALINKwell, if Iraqis are giving us permission to surrender control of the Persian Gulf to Iran I guess we should do it. Thanks, Kevin, for clearing that little mess up. Now if Bush would just listen to the polls and step down as President gosh darn it wouldn't things be swell? Posted by: saintsimon on November 21, 2006 at 6:51 AM | PERMALINKWe'll be out as soon as the Dems cut funding. And then the Republicans will win the next fifty elections. And then I can get my pony. Posted by: Jeffery on November 21, 2006 at 7:35 AM | PERMALINKThere isn't any disconnect by the Iraqis. The Shi'Alis certainly think Saddam should have been deposed,they thought it would happen in '91(much to their chagrin). Does chagrin connote death,by the way? So if a poll asks if they're grateful SH is gone,of course they say yes. Get out; get out now. It will take several months to do it right but it's definitely time to start.
Michael Richards for UN ambassador! Did you see that guy? He could tell Kofi Annan a thing or two. Posted by: Al on November 21, 2006 at 8:48 AM | PERMALINKSounds to me like we've actually found the central front for the war on terror. We have found the enemy and he is us... Posted by: Stephen on November 21, 2006 at 8:50 AM | PERMALINK...well, if Iraqis are giving us permission to surrender control of the Persian Gulf to Iran... Really, really rich. Surrender control of the Persian Gulf to Iran?? We've taken out Iran's adversary (Saddam). We've turned over the governing of Iraq to a coalition of Shiite parties, most of whose leaders are Islamic fundies and great pals of Iran. We've strengthened Iran's regional power and influence. I'm wonderin' if there's anything more that we could do to help out Iran? Hey, I know! Like their loose-cannon president suggested, why don't we let them enrich our uranium for us, and sell it back to us at a 50% discount? "The PIPA poll found that 47 percent of Iraqis think their country is headed in the right direction. Compare that to a recent poll that found that 44 percent of Californians say the state is headed in the right direction." Well, I suppose that shoots down my idea of sending the Terminator off to Baghdad... Posted by: Vincent on November 21, 2006 at 9:15 AM | PERMALINKWho cares what the Iraqis think? We're going to give them freedom & democracy whether they like it or not, if we have to kill very last one of them to do so! Posted by: rea on November 21, 2006 at 9:20 AM | PERMALINKMr. Drum said:
I was not aware that we were, in fact, occupying the country of Iraq in any capacity. I thought we were there to take their oil. What's wrong with this entire picture is this: The Iraqis aren't letting us take their oil. Good golly! The Persian Gulf is an international body of water that needs to remain open. Perhaps by leaving Iraq to its own devices, we can focus our efforts on maintaining the security of the Persian Gulf by means of keeping our ships and our ground forces in a position to deter any attempt to attack oil tankers and/or close the Straits of Hormuz. One thinks that the world wide economy really shouldn't be hammered with $125 a barrel oil any time soon, too many people are having a tough time as it is. A cold winter, a desire to stay warm, all of this could lead to a run on heating oil. Did you know--people have signed contracts to guarantee a fixed price on the heating oil they need to heat their homes. Well, Captain Sensible has read how, because of the drop in oil prices, those guaranteed contracts now charge more for the heating oil than would be charged on the open market--creating nifty profits for the people who stuff money in their underwear by the bushel load and causing grief to the people just trying to heat their homes. How is it in 2006 people still need to struggle to heat their home? Or eat? Why can't we take care of this? Oh, that's right. Billions must be spent on a war to keep up a supply of oil from Iraq which has turned into a quagmire of violence and horror. Our war for oil turned into a war that keeps everyone from getting any oil. Smart thinking, there. Gosh, it all smells like 1988 to me and I would rather not hear any of that beeping and booping crap music right now. Captain Sensible's verdict: a good post by Mr. Drum, with a heavy emphasis on dealing with reality and making the world safe for American democracy. Posted by: Captain Sensible on November 21, 2006 at 9:23 AM | PERMALINKWe'll be out as soon as the Dems cut funding. And then the Republicans will win the next fifty elections. And then I can get my pony. It looks like we're going to need 20k more troops, Charliee. Now hurry up and get to your nearest recruiting station. It's not like you would be cowardly enough to have others fight your battles for you, would it? Posted by: MeLoseBrain? on November 21, 2006 at 9:28 AM | PERMALINKDamn insensible Iraqis! How the hell did they get the pernicious idea that they should not support the occupation of their country by foreigners? That's the difference between the enlightened Western civilization and the rest of the world. If, instead of Iraq, it was a western nation that we were occupying, it's citizens would be bringing tea and cookies and chocolate to our soldiers every morning. Posted by: gregor on November 21, 2006 at 9:29 AM | PERMALINKIn all fairness Kevin, note that most Iraqis want us to stay one year vs. only 6 months. Posted by: Neil' on November 21, 2006 at 9:30 AM | PERMALINKHey, I dig Lou Dobbs (see top) and think he could make a great populist candidate. Per the signature issue here: If most Iraqis support attacks on US soldiers, then they don't deserve any help at all regardless of timetable questions. Why aren't the "patriotic" chickenhawk/chickensquawk crowd all over this and demanding we quit putting our soldiers lives and limbs on the line for a hostile populace? Posted by: Neil' on November 21, 2006 at 9:33 AM | PERMALINKCaptain Sensible, Glad to see your recent promotion from Sgt First Class - Battle Against Shrubocracy Field Commission, I take it? Posted by: thethirdPaul on November 21, 2006 at 9:44 AM | PERMALINKAs far as I know, only one MSM member has ever asked the biggest elephant-in-the-room question ever: Posted by: Vast Left on November 21, 2006 at 9:47 AM | PERMALINK**Sounds to me like we've actually found the central front for the war on terror.**, Al - 2006 Yup - turns out it's the Iraqi people. Guess we picked the right place to fight this war after all. Still seems to be a lot of confusion between supporting the war and supporting how it was waged. Iraqi's may think that removing Saddam was worth bloodshed, but that Bush's handling of the war cost too much. Posted by: wishIwuz2 on November 21, 2006 at 9:48 AM | PERMALINKWhy aren't the "patriotic" chickenhawk/chickensquawk crowd all over this and demanding we quit putting our soldiers lives and limbs on the line for a hostile populace? i'm gonna go with A, "because it would make The Party look bad". Posted by: cleek on November 21, 2006 at 9:53 AM | PERMALINKHow would liberals make decisions if there were no polls to back up their opinions? Is it the American army they do not want or any army? What if the Iraqis are unhappy with the army there and unhappy if the army leaves? The polls seem to indicate that as well. Another liberal quandry. How can you govern when you aren't sure which way the wind is blowing? Posted by: Orwell on November 21, 2006 at 9:55 AM | PERMALINKNow if Bush would just listen to the polls and step down as President gosh darn it wouldn't things be swell? Only if he locks Cheney in that secret bunker first. Posted by: tomeck on November 21, 2006 at 10:03 AM | PERMALINKHow would liberals make decisions if there were no polls to back up their opinions? We'd have to pull them out of our ass the same way you guys do. Posted by: tomeck on November 21, 2006 at 10:05 AM | PERMALINKWhen are these "borrow and squander" conservatives going to start paying for this dirty, filthy war???? Stop stealing from our children! - This should be what Democrats say every time they get in front of a microphone. It's simple and people get it. Use it!!! Posted by: The Conservative Deflator on November 21, 2006 at 10:08 AM | PERMALINKEveryone knows the Iraqis are an overly delicate and hyper-critical nationality. In fact, I think HCA's story about the princess and the pea was written after an interaction he had with an Iraqi national. If you're going to try to make them happy you better make sure you have a lot of olive oil and date molasses. Posted by: American Hawk on November 21, 2006 at 10:14 AM | PERMALINKSo Kevin, why hasn't Nancy Pelosi called for immediate troop withdrawal???? Posted by: Inch by inch on November 21, 2006 at 10:21 AM | PERMALINKPolitical language... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. Posted by: Orwell on November 21, 2006 at 10:24 AM | PERMALINKSomeone name of Orwell>
There are no Republican poll takers? There are no Republicans who base their own decisions on polls? Or do they make decisions based on conference calls with men who are snorting crystal meth from the blade of a hunting knife while a gay hooker tosses their salad?
Captain Sensible says: they don't want anyone's army, and they're a bit tired of being slaughtered by all sides, all parties and any army on hand. They might prefer to be left alone, you might say.
Are you saying now that polls matter in the course of actually making decisions? Your premise now shrinks like a slug that is doused with salt and shrivels up. Earlier, you said that opinion polls didn't matter by way of denigrating liberals for actually responding and acting upon the information they provide. Now you are a slave to them. Do you know the story of the man who was a slave to the thing that he claimed to be master of? Probably not. The irony of it would shatter your psyche.
More hot air from someone who pretends not to know that the answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind. And what is blowing in the wind is change. Captain Sensible declares you to be a harmless curiosity with little to offer. A gentle pat on the head and now off you go, back to your cave, you're not a troll yet. More bones and rancid meat and you may come back with the characteristics of a true troll, but not this day. tomeck - "We'd have to pull them out of our ass the same way you guys do." That implies that liberals would actually do something - oh wait a minute. Pulling out. Yeah I guess I can see liberals doing that. Posted by: Orwell on November 21, 2006 at 10:26 AM | PERMALINKThe nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them. Posted by: Orwell on November 21, 2006 at 10:26 AM | PERMALINKEvery war when it comes, or before it comes, is represented not as a war but as an act of self-defense against a homicidal maniac. Posted by: Orwell on November 21, 2006 at 10:28 AM | PERMALINKI sometimes think that the price of liberty is not so much eternal vigilance as eternal dirt. Posted by: Orwell on November 21, 2006 at 10:35 AM | PERMALINKWho cares what the Irockis want? They are using slow brains baked in the heat of primitive lands. Let them whine and bleed. Us White Americans understand what is best for all other races and we'll bring them a better life if it kills them. Amen. Posted by: The White American on November 21, 2006 at 10:36 AM | PERMALINKAll the war-propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting. Sounds to me like we've actually found the central front for the war on terror. Correct, Al, the struggle by Sunni and Shi'ite Iraqis alike against the terror imposed on them by foreign occupation is the central front in the war on terror. During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. Posted by: Orwell on November 21, 2006 at 10:39 AM | PERMALINKSpeaking of polls, whatever happened to the 64 or 68 polls Rove bragged about on "All Things Considered" before the election? No, Rove does not believe in polls - He ran on fear in 02 and 04, but when the polls turned against him in 06, he tried to change the subject to the economy - Funny, how that played both ways in his losses across the land. Posted by: thethirdPaul on November 21, 2006 at 10:42 AM | PERMALINKIt is almost universally felt that when we call a country democratic we are praising it; consequently, the defenders of every kind of regime claim that it is a democracy, and fear that they might have to stop using the word if it were tied down to any one meaning. Posted by: Orwell on November 21, 2006 at 10:42 AM | PERMALINKI think it's completely plausible for all the poll data to be consistent; that is to say, the Iraqis are happy about Saddam's ouster (now that it's a done deal, after all), and generally have high hopes for the future of their country (the Shia and the Kurds do anyway), but still want us to leave. Indeed, the idea that a country under a unwelcome, undemocratic rule would want foreign help so far as necessary to remove that unwanted rule, and then want the foreigners to get the hell out of the way is, well, pretty easy to understand. After all, its not like we wanted the French to hang around with their fingers on the scales of US government once they helped us kick the British out. Posted by: cmdicely on November 21, 2006 at 10:44 AM | PERMALINKThe nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them. Posted by: Orwell on November 21, 2006 at 10:45 AM | PERMALINKThe quickest way of ending a war is to lose it. Posted by: Orwell on November 21, 2006 at 10:46 AM | PERMALINKWar against a foreign country only happens when the moneyed classes think they are going to profit from it. Posted by: Orwell on November 21, 2006 at 10:47 AM | PERMALINKWhat can you do against the lunatic who is more intelligent than yourself, who gives your arguments a fair hearing and then simply persists in his lunacy? Posted by: Orwell on November 21, 2006 at 10:48 AM | PERMALINKcmdicely - I think you've pretty much hit the nail on the head. The fact that Iraqis know what hell will come when we leave, and continue to prefer that we go, pretty much says it all. I can't even begin to imagine what a heart-wrenching choice this is. The people that love this war have never come to terms with this fact. Posted by: enozinho (wetorture.com) on November 21, 2006 at 10:56 AM | PERMALINKSomeone name of Orwell>
In and of themselves, these quotes are misappropriated for the topic at hand. The current quagmire is one of its own making. There is no precedent in American history for a folly such as Iraq. It is purely a war for oil, with the canard of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Weapons thrown in to season the bitter dish and feed it down the unsuspecting gullet of a people who have conveniently forgotten the why of going to war. One does not go to war for a thing such as oil; one goes to war because none of the diplomatic options worked or because the aggressor is insisting on stepping out of their lane to take advantage of someone else. The First Gulf War is a convenient place to start, if only because it was a war about stopping an aggressor from taking more oil than they needed, a strange paradox if you have read this far and know what Captain Sensible is saying. Perhaps if this madman name of Saddam had been put in a box the first time and not allowed to scamper about with mischief in his eyes, we would not be discussing a war in Iraq that has lasted this long and has taken so many good people away from the side where we are living. Captain Sensible notices that none of your quotes works the way that you are trying to employ them. You are using the nifty option of the cut and the paste and dropping these nuggets of yours into a discussion where they are flat and outdated. Slick down that hair of yours, it is on fire without a good reason, and continue to nibble your bones and your rotted flesh in your cave. Still not a troll, but rather a confused interloper. Posted by: Captain Sensible on November 21, 2006 at 10:57 AM | PERMALINKHow can we stand down... I don't read polls. I read Shakespeares. All the war-propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting. Cue the chickenhawks. Posted by: Stephen on November 21, 2006 at 11:06 AM | PERMALINKWhy do they hate.... Captain Sensible notices that none of your quotes works the way that you are trying to employ them. Orwell notices that Capt Sensible guesses wrong as to how the quotes are being employed. Better luck next time. Imagine if the Dems had a 1993 poll showing 80% of Somalis wanted the US to pull out. Posted by: Frequency Kenneth on November 21, 2006 at 11:32 AM | PERMALINKYeah, count me as one more optimistic neo-con who thinks it's time to cash it in, draw down to 10 - 15K troop in bases in Kurdistan and admit we lost. Maybe we lost because it was always a stupid idea to invade, maybe we lost because we didn't have enough troops, maybe because Bush/Rumsfield are bumbling fools, maybe it's the proverbial "lack of will." I'm sure that books by the ton will be written in the coming years to assign weight (if any) to the various factors. But right now the why of it is less important than the fact that a majority of Iraqis and a majority of Americans think it's time we left. Given those two facts there aren't other many other options. And now we need to start figuring how to best reap the whirlwind which we've created in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. Posted by: TW Andrews on November 21, 2006 at 11:33 AM | PERMALINKOrwell, now that OJ's book won't be published maybe you can get Murdoch to publish your tome, "If I had a thousand asinine platitudes to print, this is what I would say." That implies that liberals would actually do something We did do something. We won the last election, chump. Posted by: tomeck on November 21, 2006 at 11:34 AM | PERMALINKImagine if the Dems had a 1993 poll showing 80% of Somalis wanted the US to pull out. And we were in Somalia because of whom, Frequently Idiotic??? Ohhhh, that's right, Dumbya the Lesser (or Elder, if you will), who sent troops into Somalia weeks before leaving office as a final "Fuck You" to Clinton for winning the election. But don't let facts get in the way of you Frequent Idiocy. Posted by: MeLoseBrain? on November 21, 2006 at 11:45 AM | PERMALINKImagine if the Dems had a 1993 poll showing 80% of Somalis wanted the US to pull out. imagine if the country took a poll and decided they were sick of failed Republican military misadventures. just imagine... Posted by: cleek on November 21, 2006 at 12:00 PM | PERMALINKactually, you completely missed the point. this poll shows that the Shiites think they've won. therefore, they agree that America can leave now. Posted by: abc123 on November 21, 2006 at 12:07 PM | PERMALINKImagine if the Dems had a 1993 poll showing 80% of Somalis wanted the US to pull out. Well, let's not imagine -- let's consider what really happened, which is that it was the Republicans who wanted to cut and run from Somalia. See, e.g., Glenn Greenwald for further details: Clinton -- along with Democratic senators such as John Kerry -- vigorously argued against immediate withdrawal, in part because of the concern that America would look weak by panicking and abandoning its mission at the first sign of trouble (just like President Reagan did in 1983 when he immediately withdrew U.S. forces from Lebanon after the attack on U.S. Marines). Clinton had to virtually beg to be allowed to keep troops for an additional six months (and he even increased American troop levels) to stabilize the situation, demonstrate U.S. resolve and a commitment to the mission and, most of all, avoid a panicky, fear-driven retreat. I have compiled -- here -- just some of the numerous Senate speeches by conservative Republican senators demanding immediate troop withdrawals, speeches by Clinton and Democratic senators (such as John Kerry) warning of the dangers of immediately withdrawing in the face of U.S. casualties, and various news accounts making clear that the cut-and-run argument was being made most vocally by conservative Republican senators who wanted to force the commander in chief to abandon the mission in Somalia the minute it became difficult and dangerous. Reading these excepts reveals just how completely misleading -- how outrageously revisionist -- is the accusation that it was Bill Clinton who emboldened Islamic extremists by beating a quick retreat from Somalia. Republican senators attempted to force an immediate withdrawal and then ultimately compromised on a compelled withdrawal in six months. As but one example, from a Senate floor speech by Sen. Dirk Kempthorne, on Oct. 6, 1993: "The United States has no interest in the civil war in Somalia and as this young soldier told me, if the Somalis are now healthy enough to be fighting us, then it is absolutely time that we go home ... It is time for the Senate of the United States to get on with the debate, to get on with the vote, and to get the American troops home." Sen. Robert Dole, in a Senate speech, on Oct. 5, 1993: "I think it is clear to say from the meeting we had earlier with -- I do not know how many Members were there -- 45, 50 Senators and half the House of Representatives, that the administration is going to be under great pressure to bring the actions in Somalia to a close." Contrary to neoconservative myth, the U.S. did not run away from Somalia at the first sign of violence. Rather, we stayed six months and even increased our troop levels, but only because President Clinton fought and battled to do so in the face of right-wing demands that he cut and run immediately. http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2006/09/25/clinton/index.html Posted by: Stefan on November 21, 2006 at 12:08 PM | PERMALINKSomeone name of Orwell>
No, the guess was not a guess; it was a correct assessment of the fact that you are cutting and pasting comments into a blog thread to swerve the discussion away from the topic at hand in order to draw attention to yourself. The harmless gnat, name of Jeffery, has nothing to offer but distraction and confusion as well. Once the tactic that the two of you are employing plays out, you are left with nothing accomplished because your man screeched Mission Accomplished long before he should have. Antyhing to get good people to stop noticing the war, the atrocities, the horror and the insanity. It is a story found often in modern times; the people are like sheep to be led and will be easily distracted by disruptions, distortions and diatribes. Both of you are harmless, but foul in your temperment and worthy of nothing more than a shrug. This is what you spend your time doing? It has to be empty and hollow at the end of the day when you have disrupted the efforts of others to share, learn, and discuss. Your inability to do any of those things is what you are attempting to compensate for; Captain Sensible has pity for you and will not acknowledge you from this point forward. Discuss, good people, and know that the disruptions are intentional, not accidental, and driven by a desire to make up for some personality defect these individuals are spending precious hours of the day attempting to hide from the world. Posted by: Captain Sensible on November 21, 2006 at 12:10 PM | PERMALINKGoodbye, Captain Sensible. We shall miss you. Posted by: Jeffery on November 21, 2006 at 12:14 PM | PERMALINKPeople once thought that slaves didn't deserve freedom, either. Posted by: Jeffery on November 21, 2006 at 12:17 PM | PERMALINKWhat slaves are you talking about?! Iraqis? Posted by: Jeffery on November 21, 2006 at 12:20 PM | PERMALINKTruthfully, there's some good news in the PIPA survey, assuming it's accurate. PM Maliki seems to have sufficient popularity to run the government and the Iraqi people have increasing confidence in the ability of their own military. Both of those things are goals we've been working towards. Even the question on attacking US troops can be turned around if we can clarify that we have no intention of permanently stationing troops in Iraq. Publishing a timetable for withdrawal would be the simplest way, but there are others. And we will eventually have a withdrawal plan of some sort, so we can expect improvement in that area. I wish they had asked this: "How motivated are you to personally support attacks on US troops?" Posted by: Trashhauler on November 21, 2006 at 12:24 PM | PERMALINKSomeone name of Stefan posted this information>
No US soldier went to Somalia without the orders signed by George HW Bush, "41", and this was one of the abandoned and ill-considered messes left to William J Clinton. (Iraq was another mess, as was the issue with Balkan ethnic genocide, and to be certain, there were a dozen or so lesser messes, but those were the major ones.) Why is it not clear to everyone that Republicans make messes like insolent teenagers with pimples and bad haircuts and Democrats have to be the adults with good shoes to clean them up? It should be universally acknowledged as a fact of nature by now, but the distractions are strong and sometimes it is hard to see what is staring those poor teenagers in the face. Why were they there? There is no oil in Somalia to speak of, at least, no infrastructure to properly steal it from the people and make billions. Captain Sensible says: Wheresoever there is oil, you will also find the boot of the soldier. This is the principle of modern war: it is because of increasing demand for finite resources that some nations go to war, usually with religion as a false pretext or a manufactured bogeyman to hold up and shake in front of a well-positioned camera. This is true when the Republicans run the country; when the Democrats run the country, they tend to enter limited but more idealistic conflicts they did not start. (the Balkans was that curiousity among wars, fought from the air for the right reasons with an outcome that actually favored peace and stability. How rare.) No, Somalia was an attempt to protect shipping lanes and to make inroads of good will into the horn of Africa where misguided Islamic fundamentalism and pure criminal greed has now given birth to some nasty and virulent strains of terrorism and strife. It was, in fact, a nest of vipers and no matter which was chosen to be an ally, that viper would strike when the inclination hit it. Somalia was, at least to Captain Sensible's thinking, a good reason to abandon the policy of "Nation Building" and to insist on another course. "Nation Building" is what a Republican calls, derisively, any attempt by a Democrat to improve the lives of people who are under the heel of oppression. Republicans only engage in "Nation Building" when they think there's a profit in it for them, hence, the attempt to build a nation in Iraq where there already was a corrupt one, thank you very much, and sneak the oil out in big trucks and pipelines. If you need a clear example of Republican hypocrisy, choose to explore the topic of "Nation Building" and you will find fertile ground in which to plant seeds. Too bad the Iraqis know how to stop such nonsense. It has made for a long war, hasn't it? And how much oil do you have to show for it? Posted by: Captain Sensible on November 21, 2006 at 12:30 PM | PERMALINKIt's time for us to leave. Within a year. I personally think it would be best if we pulled out In his last visit to the U.S., the elected president of Iraq requested that we remain a while longer. I am not sure that the Iraqis have cottoned on to the fact that, with an elected government, they can make the government pass a resolution requiring us to withdraw, that is if 94% are really in favor. Posted by: MatthewRMarler on November 21, 2006 at 12:35 PM | PERMALINKoops, slight typo above. scratch that 94%, which is the number who say they disapprove of al Qaeda: It's time for us to leave. 68% of Iraqis want Americans to stay at least 6 months. So the "time for us to leave" is at least 6 months in the future. My guess is that 6 months from now that figure will ba about the same. Posted by: MatthewRMarler on November 21, 2006 at 12:39 PM | PERMALINKI notice the real Orwell (1903-1950) has made an appearance on this thread. Welcome, sir. Posted by: benjoya on November 21, 2006 at 12:42 PM | PERMALINKSomeone name of MatthewRMarler>
Do you know the unit of time measurement called the Friedman? When you are drowning in your own blood, to wait six months is to ensure you will have a harder time escaping from the hell of your own making. Captain Sensible says to leave immediately is to live to fight another day. The next war is a certainty; better to learn from this mistake and allow the chaos of the Middle East to settle itself. Finding a way to live without so much oil? That would be beneficial as well. Posted by: Captain Sensible on November 21, 2006 at 12:43 PM | PERMALINKThe enemy within boys and girls, is the true enemy That's sick. Alert Homeland Security! Posted by: benjoya on November 21, 2006 at 12:44 PM | PERMALINKJews in media - even Hersh - are laying out the reasons for war. Paging Orwell. Hersh is trying to alert people to the lunatics who want to attack Iran. I guess his name leads somenone like you to think he's pushing war, but - oh, why engage such idiots? Posted by: benjoya on November 21, 2006 at 12:49 PM | PERMALINKWTF? Do the Iraqis think it is their county? It's our oil, and we will do as we see fit. They need to STFU and accept freedom. snark/ Posted by: Whack a NeoCon for Christ on November 21, 2006 at 1:05 PM | PERMALINKI'll never figure out these swarthy Muslim people. I mean, all we did was invade them and subject them to an indefinite military occupation. And they have the gall to resist - can you believe that??? Those people are so strange and inscrutable. Posted by: chuck on November 21, 2006 at 1:37 PM | PERMALINKNo, the guess was not a guess; it was a correct assessment of the fact that you are cutting and pasting comments into a blog thread to swerve the discussion away from the topic at hand in order to draw attention to yourself. What is most funny is that the guy who parodied Norm is too delusional to comprehend that there may be other parodies in these threads. No candy for you today, but thanks for drawing attention to me. 68% of Iraqis want Americans to stay at least 6 months. So the "time for us to leave" is at least 6 months in the future. I would think, instead, that the intelligent thing would be to be gone before the overwhelming majority wants us out immediately, and is willing to make sure that happens by any means necessary. Remind me, though, never to invite you into my house. Posted by: cmdicely on November 21, 2006 at 1:52 PM | PERMALINKKevin, this isn't a new survey. This is, as you can see by looking at the URL of the full report -- http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/pdf/sep06/Iraq_Sep06_rpt.pdf, the September 6th survey, with a slightly different summary page. I linked to this survey and wrote about it at length in September. PIPA's pages always have the current date at the top. It's invaluable stuff, but it's not new. Posted by: Gary Farber on November 21, 2006 at 1:56 PM | PERMALINKA few paragraphs down in the summary page: "World Public Opinion has conducted two recent polls in Iraq: a nationwide sample of 1,150 Iraqi adults, taken Sept. 1-4, 2006, and another nationwide sample of 1,150, conducted Jan. 2-5, 2006. Both surveys were fielded by KA Research Ltd./D3 Systems, Inc." Posted by: Gary Farber on November 21, 2006 at 2:03 PM | PERMALINKOver the Last 6 years Kosovo has been an astounding success. Kosovo was ridiculed and maligned by Republicans from the start. Republicans accused the Kosovo Campaign of being a potential "vietnam". Now looking back 6 years later we all can see Kosovo wasen't what the gainsayers claimed. The Iraq war has been a huge strategetic blunder for the USA. The surprising dismissal of Donald Rumsfeld has only proven corrupt Republican dealings in congress, the electoral college and the judiciary. Republicans have used the power given to them by the people to commit terrible abuses against humanity. In the last few weeks it has become very apparent Republicans are not as moral as they claimed. The problem with electing people on outward claims of morality is that we have found out they were white washed tombs full of dead men's bones. I The Iraq campaign has been a big lie and terrible injustice against humanity. The problem with the west is that people don't understand that Muslims don't want to live in a democracy. When Muslims do have a democracy, such as palestine, it changes nothing. America has made a terrible strategetic blunder in Iraq. By giving Iraqis over $20,000,000 to rebuild Iraq infrastructure America is actually getting more money into the hands of potential terrorist and terrorist. Many terrorist operate businesses, such as construction, trades, and service industrys. The money America is using to beef up the Iraqi econonmy is making it more possible for terrorist to come to America. Now instead of terrorist having to ride in cargo container with beans and rice they can fly first class with caviar. Iraq has been a terrible failure, a war we all will be better off to soon forget. Kosovo on the other hand has been a success with little acknowledgement by the American press. We should be very thankful for our success in Kosovo and learn that America can succeed in police actions if done in coperation with many other nations. We can't cut and run from NATO and the U.N. Captain Sensible wrote about our Somalia mission: "Why were they there? There is no oil in Somalia to speak of, at least, no infrastructure to properly steal it from the people and make billions... No, Somalia was an attempt to protect shipping lanes and to make inroads of good will into the horn of Africa where misguided Islamic fundamentalism and pure criminal greed has now given birth to some nasty and virulent strains of terrorism and strife." Somali | |
IRAQ TO AMERICA: GET OUT.... PIPA has released a new poll of Iraqi attitudes toward the U.S. occupation, and the takeaway is very, very clear: they want us to leave. 74% of Shiites and 91% of Sunnis want us to leave within a year (the number is 80% for Shiites in Baghdad). By wide margins, both groups believe U.S. forces are provoking more violence than they're preventing, and both groups believe that day-to-day security would improve if we left. Support for attacks on U.S. forces now commands majority support among both Shiites and Sunnis. And none of this is because of successful al-Qaeda propaganda: 94% of Iraqis continue to disapprove of al-Qaeda.