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A Difficult Question
Polling data shows that most Iraqis want the US to leave. But, as my co-blogger David Dryer wonders, how heavily should Iraqi popular opinion be weighted when considering what to do next in Iraq?
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9 Responses to “A Difficult Question”
A good question I’m sure the only person who matters, President Bush, will ignore.
If they don’t want us there let’s call it what it is – an occupation.
Well, given its their country, and not ours… I would say pretty heavily. Asking yourself how would you feel if the situation were reversed might be a good start to thinking about it.
How does one win this without support from the Iraqi’s themselves? If the longer we stay, the worse the readings… Then maybe its time to both admit our mistake and let the Iraqi’s deal with things on their own terms and find a resolution. It probably won’t be pretty, but we are only stretching it out and delying the end (whatever it may look like) as it is.
Let’s see…. they’re in the middle of a civil war, we’re not welcomed there and Bush’s meddling and pushing his own agenda (political) is at odd with what’s important to the Iraqis.
Yep, our President’s agenda and meddling is more important than the Iraqis’ needs and survival so let’s stay, meddle and kill!
By the way how do we actually know that the violence in Iraq will get worse if we leave? This is what Bush has been saying and has he gotten anything right about the war? There’s nothing to support (except his own spin meisters) his assertation that things will get worse. I actually think the violence will get worse but can be contained to Iraq and not spill over to the rest of the Middle-East.
I agree with DaveA on our leaving, “It probably won’t be pretty, but we are only stretching it out and delaying the end…”
I agree wholeheartedly that it’s a difficult question.
In general, polling data, like consumerdemand, does not necessaritly represent what’s best. People simply WANT this or that, without regard to how to go about getting it or the consequences.
In addition, polls ask incomplete or skewed questions. What would be the result if the qustion were asked; Do you want the US to leave if the result is a) coutnry-wide sectarian warfare and genocide or b) region-wide warfare?
Should the result of a US pull-out turn out to be the worst case scenrion, how would the Iraqis respond to the question:: Was it good that the US left?
At the same time, public support is necessary to both justify and sustain any policy, war or occupation. So, we’re back to square one, trying to answer an extremely difficult question: should we go (and if so, when and how) or should we stay?
Whatever the decision, polling date should be taken into consideration but not given primary status.
In 4 1/2 years we haven’t been too concerned about the Iraqis opinion.
Why start now?
Liberating the Iraqis was just icing on the cake, meant to sweeten the deal with the American public- who wouldn’t have supported the invasion otherwise. Removing Saddam was seen as a way of stabilizing the ME and therefore our oil supply, even though it did just the opposite because of the administration’s bungling.
W doesn’t give a hoot about the Iraqis or their opinions, or he would do something to help the desperate refugee crisis he created for 4 million Iraqis.
“W doesn’t give a hoot about the Iraqis or their opinions, or he would do something to help the desperate refugee crisis he created for 4 million Iraqis.”
The refugee crisis is something Congress should address. Although it has responded, it has done so tepidly. And the public? Mostly talk, but a lot of wariness.
We’ll be blamed for leaving when (not if) it gets worse in Iraq after we leave.