Majority Expect U.S. Will 'Lose' in Iraq

[jmc247]

A bare majority of Americans for the first time believe the United States will lose the war in Iraq, and a new high — two-thirds — say the war was not worth fighting. Yet the public divides on setting a deadline for withdrawal.

The public divides about evenly, 51-48 percent, on setting any deadline. It's about the same specifically as on the effort by congressional Democrats to force withdrawal by no later than August 2008. Indeed, the Democrats in Congress haven't conclusively seized the reins on Iraq: Their approval for handling the war is low as well — 37 percent.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3046823&page=1

[jmc247]

1. If Congress sets a deadline I suspect the GOP will say to the half of Americans opposed to it

see they lost the war not us, even though the war will continue to go on through the end of Bush's term.

Its a hard issue.

[LSK]

2. but we won in 2003???? Mission Accomplished???

:shrug:

[Sapere aude]

3. Most Americans see it as a football game, win/loose. So what is winning mean?

We kick enough ass that they will stop hating each other? Never happen. This is not WWII. There is no clear win/loose. We could declare victory and come home. But the right wants it to be left up to the next Pres to loose the war and that will most likely be a Dem.

[Martin Eden]

4. There is no "win" or "lose" in Iraq ...

... because the reference is false to begin with. We're not fighting a "war" in Iraq that will result in victory or defeat that can be defined in terms of winning or loising. The pretext for the invasion was a LIE, and the premise of our continued presence is a LIE as well. We are there as occupiers to control strategic resources and establish military bases from which to expand control.

The media that was so complicit in selling the false pretext is still complicit in framing our continued presence in the same false terms. Even Democratic politicians (for the most part) dare not say this is a war crime and thinly disguised imperialism because their efforts to present their case would be drowned out by "patriotic" righteous indignation and a public perception that has become so ingrained after more than four years of false framing.

We've already lost so much in Iraq that cannot be regained, and a "win" for the neoconservatives would be a short-lived pyhrric victory at best.

[wicket]

5. The war is already lost

n/t