Iraqis Optimistic?

[Beige_G3]

"Survey finds hope in occupied Iraq. "

While things are far from good in Iraq, perhaps the country is in a better position than it has been in for several decades? Will there be a postitive outcome to all of this?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3514504.stm

[johnq]

Originally posted by Beige_G3
"Survey finds hope in occupied Iraq. "

While things are far from good in Iraq, perhaps the country is in a better position than it has been in for several decades? Will there be a postitive outcome to all of this?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3514504.stm


No positive posts about post-Saddam Iraq allowed. :no:

Only anti-U.S., anti-Bush, anti-West, head-in-the-sand, cynical, terrorist capitulation please.

(Really, what nerve! :mad: )

[johnq]

Wait....that was from the BBC????? :err:

Were their SERVERS hacked? :wow:

There's hope for Europe after all...well...UK anyway.

[NaplesX]

Now isn't that cool. This is an instance where we should lisen to a foreign people. It sound that overal thing are better and the majority of people approve of the war and it's results.

Sounds good.

[johnq]

Only bit of pessimism I could inject into that is that 23% or so responded things are about the same as they were year ago which can easily be interpreted as being a bad thing since life sucked then and it means it still sucks now.

We mustn't presume "same" means "good" as it might here in the West.

So saying "only 29% felt things were bad" compared to "56% said that things were better now than they were before the war" is misleading.

It really is 52% (or so) that "felt things were bad".

The article lumps Somewhat and Much together to get 29% which ignores the plight that existed at the outset (arguably a reason for the war) by not including Same as a negative thing.

Thye needed to refine the middle choice to "Same - Still bad" and "Same - Still okay" or somesuch.

[johnq]

Interesting conundrum:

Neither side wants to point out the 23% or so "things are about the same" responses.

Anti-war people will not want to admit things were bad (because it helps the other side justify the war)

Pro-War people don't want to admit that things aren't much improved for a significant amount of people.

Sucks to be people in the middle!

[NaplesX]

Originally posted by johnq
Interesting conundrum:

Neither side wants to point out the 23% or so "things are about the same" responses.

Anti-war people will not want to admit things were bad (because it helps the other side justify the war)

Pro-War people don't want to admit that things aren't much improved for a significant amount of people.

Sucks to be people in the middle! yup.

[Moogs]

It is good that people are feeling better than they were under Saddam's rule, but I think the surveys are leaving out a critical factor, and that is these people basically had nothing to begin with. The only direction to go is up, and so if Saddam is out of their lives (and thus the fear from Saddam) it's only natural they will respond positively.

Had the survey conducted polls about their quality of life, I am about 102% sure the results would not be positive, as the war knocked out all kinds of electrical infastructure, water systems and the like.

Anyway, what's done is done. Hopefully this new interim constitution will lead to a healthy, permanent version and they will be able to keep a legitimate democratic government together (for their own good, not George's).

[Artman @_@]

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39893000/jpg/_39893286_suspect_b203_afp.jpg

"Good afternoon Sir, do you have 5 minutes spare to add your signature to this poll result?"

:smokey:

[giant]

Originally posted by NaplesX
yup.
:lol:

Anyway, back on earth it's good to see polls like this. I hope it continues.

[sammi jo]

Women make up approximately 50% of Iraq's population, and life for Iraqi women has taken a marked turn for the worse now that Islamic law is inexorably replacing secular society. Give it another year or so and women in Iraq will be subject to Taliban like sharia law... wearing burkas, not allowed drive or attend school etc etc etc. Iraqi women don't work for western oil companies, so they probably don't count for anything, in the eyes of the coalition.


Oxford Reseach International, which conducted this poll also found facts and opinions in another recent poll which are nowhere near as rosy looking, such as almost 80% of Iraqis interviewed have no confidence in the occupying US led coalition forces...see poll results in this link:

http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=7989=7989&format=0

[Jubelum]

Originally posted by johnq
No positive posts about post-Saddam Iraq allowed. :no:
Only anti-U.S., anti-Bush, anti-West, head-in-the-sand, cynical, terrorist capitulation please. (Really, what nerve! :mad: )

I'll second that. How DARE you share GOOD news about Iraq. Do you realize that we need a TOTAL screw-up in Iraq to get Kerry elected?:mad:

In the future, I wish all of you would keep good news about anything Bush does off this board and your personal conversations. It is contrary to the Master Plan. Thank you. ;) :lol:

[Scott]

There's a lot of good news in Iraq that doesn't get much air time. NPR always leads with a death toll and doesn't go much deeper than that. If it bleeds it leads, even on NPR.

[johnq]

Originally posted by Scott
There's a lot of good news in Iraq that doesn't get much air time. NPR always leads with a death toll and doesn't go much deeper than that. If it bleeds it leads, even on NPR.

"Even"?

"Especially".

[Scott]

I believe I wrote "even". Lemme check. Yes I wrote "even". Do you have a point?

[johnq]

Originally posted by Scott
I believe I wrote "even". Lemme check. Yes I wrote "even". Do you have a point?

I know you wrote "even".

I was coyly implying that "If it bleeds it leads, especially on NPR." might be a more accurate statement. Meaning they only care about the suffering and gore, it makes them feel good about themselves, whereas they cannot ever admit that good might be derived from that which their political enemies began.

Not sure how I can clarify it better than that.

You do realize that my first post on this page was sardonic? I sense you think I'm not on your side.

[sammi jo]

What good news Scott? And where may I listen to it?

[Ganondorf]

Guess they don't realize we're giving them to Israel yet.

[jimmac]

Yeah, everybody's just a happy camper there......

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/03/17/iraq.main/index.html

[johnq]

Hey, tell the insurgents, foreign fighters and the terrorists that you'd really like them to stop the killing. I'm sure they'd listen to a nice reasonable enlightened Westerner such as yourself.

Or are they "freedom fighters" to you? :rolleyes:

Hm. Maybe the name does fit after all. The are fighting freedom.

[jimmac]

Originally posted by johnq
Hey, tell the insurgents, foreign fighters and the terrorists that you'd really like them to stop the killing. I'm sure they'd listen to a nice reasonable enlightened Westerner such as yourself.

Or are they "freedom fighters" to you? :rolleyes:

Hm. Maybe the name does fit after all. The are fighting freedom.

All I know is we seem to be occupying a country that doesn't want us there.

[Artman @_@]

BOOM. (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/03/17/iraq.main/index.html)

Here's what the other side has to say...

"The New Iraq"....right.

:smokey:

[Jubelum]

Originally posted by Artman @_@
"The New Iraq"....right.


Yea. A few violent muslim insurgents blow something up and you immediately declare the whole thing a failure. I sure as hell hope you do not work in Govt.
:smokey:

[jimmac]

Originally posted by Jubelum
Yea. A few violent muslim insurgents blow something up and you immediately declare the whole thing a failure. I sure as hell hope you do not work in Govt.
:smokey:

Haven't you been reading the news? This isn't the only incident since the war was over.

[Scott]

Yea and many good things have happened to.


Maybe the Iraqis are happy to have the basis for a representative government. I think that's a good thing.