Poll In Iraq Proves It's Hard To Be Grateful
When You're Being Blown Up
Author: Tom Attea
One would think that the number of American lives that have
been sacrificed or maimed and the enormity of American treasure
that has been expended in Iraq would elicit some degree of
gratitude among Iraqis. But a new poll, which was done for the
University of Maryland's Program on International Policy
Attitudes, proves that it's hard to be grateful when you could
be blown up or otherwise assassinated at any moment.
Here are a few absences of gratitude that the Bush
administration now has to stare at:
71% of Iraqis who responded to the survey agreed that "they
would like the Iraqi government to ask for U.S.-led forces to
be withdrawn from Iraq within a year or less."
"37% would like U.S.-led forces to be withdrawn 'within six
months.'"
"Almost four in five Iraqis say the U.S. military force in Iraq
provokes more violence than it prevents."
"If the U.S. made a commitment to withdraw, a majority believes
that this would strengthen the Iraqi government."
We may, however, be consoled just a tad to learn that Iraqis
have an overwhelmingly negative view of Osama Bin Laden and
over half, 57%, disapprove of Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad.
But now here is, as Shakespeare called ingratitude, "the most
unkindest cut of all":
"Support for attacks on U.S.-led forces has grown to a majority
position – now 6 in 10. Support appears to be related to a
widespread perception, held by all ethnic groups, that the U.S.
government plans to have permanent military bases in Iraq."
Now, imagine that. With all of our sacrifices, one of the
populace's principal concerns is that we would want to have
military bases there. Given the way they know we had to beg
Turkey for air rights before the invasion began and were
refused, they should know we can hardly be put in a position of
not getting some payback for all the sacrifices. You'd think, in
fact, that they'd feel we had at least earned the right to have
bases there.
But we do to a degree understand that when a bomb is ticking
beside you and the officer on the scene is unable to reach over
and defuse it, it's hard to say, "I'm really grateful for your
help."
About The Author: Tom Attea, humorist and creator of
http://NewsLaugh.com, has had six shows produced Off-Broadway.
Critics have called his writing for the theater "delightfully
funny," "witty," with "great humor" and "good, genuine laughs."
been sacrificed or maimed and the enormity of American treasure
that has been expended in Iraq would elicit some degree of
gratitude among Iraqis. But a new poll, which was done for the
University of Maryland's Program on International Policy
Attitudes, proves that it's hard to be grateful when you could
be blown up or otherwise assassinated at any moment.
Here are a few absences of gratitude that the Bush
administration now has to stare at:
71% of Iraqis who responded to the survey agreed that "they
would like the Iraqi government to ask for U.S.-led forces to
be withdrawn from Iraq within a year or less."
"37% would like U.S.-led forces to be withdrawn 'within six
months.'"
"Almost four in five Iraqis say the U.S. military force in Iraq
provokes more violence than it prevents."
"If the U.S. made a commitment to withdraw, a majority believes
that this would strengthen the Iraqi government."
We may, however, be consoled just a tad to learn that Iraqis
have an overwhelmingly negative view of Osama Bin Laden and
over half, 57%, disapprove of Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad.
But now here is, as Shakespeare called ingratitude, "the most
unkindest cut of all":
"Support for attacks on U.S.-led forces has grown to a majority
position – now 6 in 10. Support appears to be related to a
widespread perception, held by all ethnic groups, that the U.S.
government plans to have permanent military bases in Iraq."
Now, imagine that. With all of our sacrifices, one of the
populace's principal concerns is that we would want to have
military bases there. Given the way they know we had to beg
Turkey for air rights before the invasion began and were
refused, they should know we can hardly be put in a position of
not getting some payback for all the sacrifices. You'd think, in
fact, that they'd feel we had at least earned the right to have
bases there.
But we do to a degree understand that when a bomb is ticking
beside you and the officer on the scene is unable to reach over
and defuse it, it's hard to say, "I'm really grateful for your
help."
About The Author: Tom Attea, humorist and creator of
http://NewsLaugh.com, has had six shows produced Off-Broadway.
Critics have called his writing for the theater "delightfully
funny," "witty," with "great humor" and "good, genuine laughs."
