Was it Worth It?

by Mary

Yesterday, Greg Mitchell of Editor & Publisher wrote about the fact the a majority of Americans don't believe the war in Iraq was worth it. And he wonders why we aren't seeing more visible indications of the discontent and why theren't more calls to bring the troops home:

Yet there are few marches in the streets (or anywhere else), and even fewer editorials in major newspapers calling for a phased pullout or setting a deadline for withdrawal. But that's not my main concern here. No matter where you stand on the Iraq war, you've got to wonder: What's going on here at home? Yet few in the press have set out to explore this gap between what appears to be wide public anger and apathy: the enormous number of Americans who support our troops while, at least indirectly, devaluing their service by claiming this is a war not worth fighting.

He interviewed Dr. Frank Newport, editor in chief of the Gallop Poll, who came up with this explanation:

Then he brought up a more compelling point, mentioning that on several occasions his organization has asked its sample if they think the war will leave the Iraqis better off. Here a majority say yes. So Americans seem to buy the notion that our invasion may be "worth it" for the Iraqis, but not for us.

How many Americans believe that? And would they believe that if they spent even one hour in Baghdad? I don't find it credible that most Americans believe that we should stay, spending the lives of thousands of Americans just because they are alturistic.

Do the Iraqis believe this? What I do find credible is that people are appalled by the senseless, continuous violence, but are worried that simply pulling out the troops would leave things in even worse shape.

Indeed, Americans are starting to realize that Bush lied for his own, yet unexplained reasons, choosing to start this war and that unlike he claimed, this war did not make us safer from terrorism, but rather exacerbated the growth of those who wish us harm. Are we keeping our troops in Iraq because Americans are anxious not to appear like they are "not supporting the troops" or because they think that like the little boy with his thumb in the dike, our few soldiers can act hold back the pending explosion?

Perhaps there hasn't been much overt anger expressed towards Bush for Iraq because there aren't many ideas of how to get out of the situation we are in without a miracle happening. As Juan Cole expressed it, "sometimes you are just screwed." And unfortunately, that situation applies to both Americans and the Iraqis. It's hard to see how anything good can come from this illegal war conceived in lies and deceit. And it's hard to see us getting out of Iraq while warmonger-in-chief controls the government.

Although, you know, applying pressure by way of protests and boycotts certainly have worked against other despotic governments.