The Public Will Turn Against Afghanistan Escalation

[Joanne98]

Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 06:00
A new poll on Afghanistan is out, the first one to ever ask a direct, three-way question on American troop levels in the country:

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Jan. 13-16, 2009. N=1,079 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

"Thinking now about Afghanistan, do you think the number of U.S. military forces in Afghanistan should be increased, decreased, or kept about the same?"


Increased: 34%
Decreased: 29%
About the same: 32%
Unsure: 5%

Over at The Seminal, Jason Rosenbaum argues that the poll shows the public opinion is opposed to the troop escalation in the country. I don't think this is quite right. Instead, it seems to show that public opinion on the matter is pretty soft and generally undecided. Really, the country is almost evenly divided three ways.


This is pretty remarkable, given that both President Obama and Senator John McCain supported Afghanistan escalation during the 2008 Presidential campaign. For that matter, there is no prominent public campaign in favor of Afghanistan withdrawal. As was the case for withdrawal from Iraq in 2003, 2004 and most of 2005, neither the Democratic and Republican leadership supported the idea. And yet, despite no one making the case for withdrawal, the American public already favored it by huge margins in the summer of 2005.


In this environment, it doesn't take Nostradamus to realize that it is only a matter of time before public opinion turns against a large American military presence in Afghanistan. If 34% support for troop escalation in Afghanistan is all that can be mustered despite everyone pushing for it, what starts happening once people actually make the case for withdrawal? For that matter, what starts happening to public opinion on Afghanistan once we begin withdrawing from Iraq? Withdraw once, and the second withdrawal probably becomes a lot easier.

Continued>>>
http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=B066A638ABDD0DE5D69F98E9A6EF4652?diaryId=11148

I'm predicting a HUGE backlash against the Empire just as soon as Obama starts talking about Social Security reform. It's just going to BLOW UP!

[unhappycamper]

1. I've been against the Afghanistan occupation for a while now. n/t

[Dhalgren]

4. I'm with you.

This "good war" crap in respect to Afghanistan was crap from the get-go...

[zipplewrath]

5. It's Iraq all over again

Look, one can make a case for having decided to go into Afghanistan originally. The Taliban was openly cooperative with Bin Laden and Al Queada. These were the folks that attacked us. The problem of course is that the Taliban weren't an "occupying force" like we are. Although they were in essence and "external force" they existed because there was a serious power vacuum in that country. The "northern Alliance" was a band of war lords on their best day. So if you pushed out the Taliban, what were you going to have left? And once again this was not well thought out. We should have gone into there, gotten Bin Laden and some others, and then basically worked with the Pakistans and Chinese to figure out what was going to happen from there. Very likely, it is to leave the Taliban in some sort of power as the closest thing to a "stable" power, but with no interest in particularly cooperating with Al Queada. Al Queda is a threat to more than just the US, but also many of the regional powers and we could have found common ground with those powers to keep them limited and contained. Instead, we got cowboy diplomancy.

[tom_paine]

2. What's funny, in a Nazi sort of way, is that the Toady M$M will now have NO PROBLEM

using the word "escalation" now that they don't have to fear Bushie Retaliation.

So, I would suspect and even think will probably happen, is that sometime in the next year, here is what you'll hear from the Corporate Toady M$M every day as long as the Bushie Sub-Media that drives the Corporate Consultants and Bushie Editors who determine what is "newsworthy" and how those news stories are framed (always the Bushie Way, natch)

escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation

The behaviors of Totalitarian Media are obvious and predictable.

When the Busheis think it most advantageous for them (one asumes at a setback) the Mighty Wurlitzer will start blasting 24/7:

escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation

Then, the toadying remnants of the Old American Free Press, will begin:

escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation escalation

Wait for it. 99% chance it is coming in the next year.

SUDDENLY, everything will be "escalation" on our Toady M$M. Only a matter of time.

[Dhalgren]

3. Call it whatever you want to.

It was an escalation when Bush did it and it will be an escalation when Obama does it. We need to get out of the Empire business and we need to start getting out right now. A bloody Emperor is a bloody Emperor regardless of what political party he belongs to...

[tom_paine]

6. I agree completely with that, Dhalgren. I was only poining out that the Toady M$M

and it's constant catapulting of Bushie propaganda, is unchanged, in spite of Olbermann and Maddow, our two token liberals permitted to appear on TV.

[Dhalgren]

7. And I completely agree with that assessment.

The media in this country is bought and paid for and cannot be trusted to any extent, at all. We live in a hyper-1984; ours in a brave new un-world...

[Kolesar]

8. The whole question of "how to handle Afghanistan" has not been given much attention

The November election, the economy, and leaving Iraq have gotten the attention in the media. I doubt that most of the public realize that the Democrats have been advocating an increase in troops for Afghanistan. So how else would people respond to the poll?

I would not be surprised if the press tries to turn Afghanistan into Obama's problem (as you described). Make Obama defend that war.