Friday, May 2, 2008

Unperturbed, Unsurprising, Unpopularity


George W. Bush can be credited with the highest rating among US Presidents - in disapproval. In the latest CNN Opinion Research poll, 71% of Americans disapprove of how he is performing his job as President, making him the most unpopular President in modern American history; more unpopular than the unlamented Richard Nixon who escalated and lost the Vietnam War and was on the verge of being removed as President before he voluntarily resigned.

Pessimism about the war in Iraq has grown, and support for this adventure has fallen to 39%; while those opposed to the war has risen to 68%. When the success of the "surge" was announced in January, almost 50% of Americans believed that the situation was going well for America, now it is merely regarded as an added statistic in the Bush Administration's penchant for false hopes, if not outright lies.

Five years after proclaiming that "major combat operations in Iraq have ended", amidst a large banner proclaiming "Mission Accomplished" aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, American soldiers continue to lose their lives in the war with the cost running up to more than half a trillion dollars. Some argue that the mission supposed to have been accomplished was the "shock and awe" method of invading Iraq. Certainly American weaponry and technology can provide accurate and mesmerizing destructive force as well as killing and maiming capability that would shock civilization to revulsion, but it is only a piece of the larger objective - to destroy weapons of mass destruction.

The weapons of mass destruction in Iraq do not exist, as suggested by UN inspectors and declared by Saddam Hussein. The main objective therefore is pointless, and all other sub-missions that make up this miserable misadventure are senseless. And all the lies that were woven out of this misery are breaking out at the seams. There are so many that it ceases to "shock and awe" even the Republicans. If Nixon was forced into a retreat, at least he had the sense to do so. If he was pressured to resign, he recognized the need to preserve the institutions and the systems of government. But Bush, with all his lies, bumbling statements and dopey facial expression is beyond embarrassing. It is painfully humiliating. His unpopularity does not elicit surprise, it evokes a desire to erase this memory from any form of collective or individual recollection.

American superiority in war and weaponry is built along conventional warfare, but they are no match for guerilla or urban warfare. They avoid casualties while the enemy is willing to die.That difference will make the war endless, and that's exactly what John McCain proposes,
up to 100 years. For a man with questionable citizenship, he is willing to commit America and its resources for a war with no objective - save perhaps the profit motives of Halliburton and allied partners who are friends of George Bush.

Haaarrrwwwwk...Twooooooph...Ting!

17 comments:

Erica said...

100 years of war? Why yes, that sounds like a brilliant, well-reasoned idea...

durano lawayan a.k.a. brad spit said...

Hi Erica,

A great idea for one who is a soldier, especially a POW who can't wait to go to war and live his dreams of glory, despite advancing age. Anyway, I'm sure he knows he's safe this time since it is the young men of America that will take the hits.

A person good in wars will always pursue one, a person good in crisis and confrontation will always create one, a person good in sound reasoning will always use one. Which of them would America need?

That depends on the temperament, sensibility, and values of the American electorate to decide. That is if they can think straight after all the economic difficulties, broken dreams, loss of belief and confidence in their political structures and its ability to set the right vision and direction for their country. :-)--Durano, done!

Tapline said...

Durano, Wow! you really listened to the MSM and Democratic garbage didn't you....I will say one thing. Instead of listening to the retoric, research the actual facts concerning of what you speak. Mistakes were made, but in any war, mistakes were and are made, however,a through investigation will vacate many of your statements concerning our current war with classified information being released to the press, false and misleading statements being broadcast daily etc etc. I ramble. sorry.....stay well......

BoBo said...

Hi Durano,

I have to agree with tapline on this one. Yes, Bush's popularity has declined severely, mostly due to the war in Iraq. However, the blame is entirely on the MSM and their lies and rhetoric. I have friends and family members of friends over in Iraq now. What they report back regularly is not what the MSM is saying or has been saying. The MSM is lying to the American public in order to push an agenda. The main Iraqi population (no not the government) want the U.S. to remain as long as possible to help them become stable and they want to be able to take over all the affairs of their country. You really need to get to know the people who are actually over there doing the job. These are the people in the know and they know that what is being said back here is a bunch of lies.

durano lawayan a.k.a. brad spit said...

Hi Tapline,

The part about the absence of weapons of mass destruction was from the United Nations inspection team to Iraq, which they announced to media via a press conference. If there are any classified information that's going to be released to the media contradicting their findings, that should be done immediately.

The intelligence reports of the CIA at the time were also uncertain, meaning they could not categorically say there were WMDs. Should there be finds at this time, it should be reported so that the misconceptions, if ever, could be corrected.

I agree that mistakes can be committed in war but denying these in an era where information can be accessed and disseminated speedily is not a sound decision. I realize that denials are also needed to protect certain operations during war, but if the event has been witnessed, the denials could draw doubts once the truth has been established prematurely.

I am not sure what "democratic garbage" you refer to. The CNN opinion research on the unpopularity of President Bush is something they would not publish if they could not back it up. Also the Congressional Budget Office is the entity that released figures regarding the cost of the War, not media.

As far as I'm concerned, I will write a post to correct any misstatements that I've published here as soon as the classified information you mentioned is released and announced.

Thanks for your comments and offers of correction Tap. For one thing, it has alerted me to the possibility that other facts which could contradict the general perspective regarding the war may be forthcoming; and more importantly, your concern that my conclusions are based on accurate information. I'll watch out for the classified info. :-) --Durano, done!

durano lawayan a.k.a. brad spit said...

Hi Bobo,

WELCOME!

I have seen videos on BBC where the soldiers were gaining the trust and respect of the Iraqi citizenry, and their feeling that the US military could provide the stability for them to reestablish their lives normally. I agree with you here.

However, my post is not about the perception of the Iraqi population but about the perception of the American citizenry. They see the cost of the war rising and continues to do so, their dream homes foreclosed, their jobs removed, their work hours reduced, their salaries cut, and the cost of goods and gas going up. They cannot borrow because of the credit crunch, and they cannot sell their homes because of the drop in market value. They also see that soldiers continue to die in the wars. This is how they see things and they believe the job was mismanaged.

The US military has succeeded in winning the hearts and minds of a large segment of the Iraqi population, but the segments that continue to defy do battle the urban guerilla way and are willing to die, while the US rightly values the life of each and every soldier.

Unless these segments are integrated, the war will never end and the costs would further escalate. The American people may be getting impatient and are opposing the war perhaps to revert all the funds for use in the country's economic recovery; to alleviate their difficulties.

Whatever lies the MSM is feeding the airwaves, the economy and its impact on the people are very real to those affected by its decline. They don't have to read or hear what the MSM says or prints to know their lives are in a downward spiral. Whatever lies the MSM says and whether they read or hear about it or not, they know the war is not over, its not yet fully won, soldiers are still dying, and the expenses continue. And these should end so that they can free resources for the economy.

I don't know if there's any part of this perception by the American people is a lie. The MSM is prone to sensationalism, propagandizing, and embellishment; but their reports have to be stripped to the bone to arrive at the bare facts about the war. And these facts are the ones stated on the 5th paragraph here. This is their basis for concluding the job was mismanaged.

I was delighted to see the BBC video about the acceptance by Iraqis of the US soldiers. I hope they can multiply this a thousand fold in the shortest possible time so that the Iraqis can take over the reins of their affairs, and by their collective desire and determination, get those other segments to agree, be integrated; or get out of Iraq and leave the citizens in Peace.

I'd like to see this victory and see the soldiers home safely. I'd hope to see that resources are funneled back to the US to rejuvenate the economy. Most importantly, I'd like to see the media broadcast more of the positive aspects of development rather than sensationalizing the negative or mistakes committed, if that's at all possible.

Thanks for your comments Bobo and also for your concern that I get it right. Like I said to Tapline, if there's any classified info that contradicts what I posted, I will publish a post to correct whatever mis-information I have received and posted here. I will also link it to this specific post. Thanks for dropping by, you're welcome anytime. :-) --Durano, done!

upyours said...

The trouble with tapline and other conservative right-wingers like bobo is that whenever they read something that offends their sensibilities, they are quick to label them as "Democratic Garbage", "leftwing",etc. As if there is no "Republican garbage" or "rhetoric". As if there really is a difference between Republican and Democrat.
And i don't like the tenor of these 2 posts. It's like they're sitting on classified info that only they have access to that mere mortals like us are not privy to. Hey guys, in the interest of enlightening the public, why don't you publish them here complete with citations.And I don't mean statements made by Michelle Malkin.
The biggest mistake here is the war itself. It is illegal and immoral from the get-go and never should have been fought at all. It was a war fought to satisfy the cowboy adventurism of Dubya, to satisfy the blood-sucking greed of Transylvania's most famous son Dick Cheney, to secure Iraqi oil for America. In the process Dubya dragged America in the muck like nobody else ever did and ever can, and he has mortgaged America's future to the predatory Chinese.

upyours said...

For Tapline, please forward. Thanks.

ram•ble \'ram•bәl\
1. to move aimlessly from place to place; to explore idly
2. to talk or write in a desultory or long-winded wandering fashion
Source: Webster's Universal Encyclopedic Dictionary, 2002 Edition

"I ramble..." I've seen this phrase countless times, even for short posts that do not qualify under the second definition above. Also, tapline's posts usually have a central idea and do not jump from point to point, so they do not fall under the first definition either.
Hmmm.

Anonymous said...

How Bush was elected a second time was a mystery to me... Once, yes, but twice??? His approval ratings were already sinking at the time.

Somehow, the fact that he is so unpopular gives me faith in humanity.

Tapline said...

Durano, I apologize for any statement I made in my comments in response to your post. I certainly did not mean to question what you had written from reports you gleaned the material. My point was much information is out there to question what has been covered by others which could lead one to come to different conclusions. All this being aside. My apology stands if I offended, it was unintentional and I will henceforth cease further comments. I blog because I enjoy conversing about the different subject matters not to cause hard feelings anywhere.

ZenDenizen said...

Reminds me of the line in American Dreamz where Dennis Quaid's Bush-like character is told his only positive approval ratings are in the children under 5 demographic :)

Anonymous said...

"The children under 5 demographic..." That's hilarious. Obviously D you've approached a subject near and dear to many. Why I love kickin' it here is because you take on every subject irregardless as to the level of controversy. Right wingers...Left wingers....whatever. Your writing is typically very objective and grounded in fact....the extremes come out and blow smoke at it from both directions...but you stand up through it all....As my Aussie buddies would say...."good on ya!"

T

durano lawayan a.k.a. brad spit said...

Hi Upyours,

There are opinions on both sides of the political spectrum as well as their sub-groupings up to the extreme ends, but it's a credit to the passion of their beliefs that they voice these out, sometimes in descriptively strong terms. This is part of democracy's dynamics.

Also, I am open to the fact that some people may have access to some information not generally made known or publicized, whether these are from formal or informal channels,just like everyone else. And being open to what information there might be that would clarify the truth is always better than simply brushing it aside because it runs counter to what we have accepted as our believable version.

As far as the war in Iraq is concerned, you refer to the intention of President Bush for getting into it and a direct reference to the involvement of VP Dick Cheney. These are hard to validate and verify and are clearly speculations at this point.

I would agree that the War that President Bush has authorized has dragged America into a financial hole, and that the bonds for this engagement were purchased by China to fund it. China's dollar holdout could endanger the US economy should they decide to collect on it plus interest or dump it for another currency. Whether that will lead to China's eating up the US economy is also speculative at this time.

I certainly hope not. America has always risen to the occasion when the need calls for it, as long as they can get their acts together. :-) --Durano, done!

durano lawayan a.k.a. brad spit said...

Hi Zhu,

President George Bush was re-elected because John Kerry mis-handled the campaign and image building process. His failure to defend accusations against him and all the propaganda thrown at him contributed to a sagging campaign that had difficulty getting back on track. Also, the disintegration of the Democratic party during the elections dealt the final blow.

The current unpopularity of President Bush is largely based on the links Americans have established with the failing economy, the need to resuscitate it with funds, and the cost of the war that is still ongoing. It's based on their perception of the things they need to alleviate their difficulties. That's also why the War is opposed by a majority and is unpopular.

President Bush is not running for re-election, but the Republican candidate John McCain supports the war. This may not endear him to voters and may cause the Republicans to lose the White House, unless the Democrats disintegrate anew as the trend currently suggests. :-) --Durano, done!

durano lawayan a.k.a. brad spit said...

Hi Tapline,

There's no need to apologize, no offense whatsoever was taken. I completely understand your point about other material out there that are not yet available. My post and its assessments were based on what is available and verifiable only.

As I said, should these be made public, I would do an update post.

Hard feelings? No such thing. I actually welcome the all comments, dissenting or otherwise. Having had exchanges with you for sometime now should make that very clear. Our friend DD2 and I differ on occasion and it's the dynamics of being free.

Thanks Tap. You're welcome anytime as always. :-) Durano, done!

durano lawayan a.k.a. brad spit said...

Hi Zen,

That film was a good one. The role of Dennis Quaid as a reference to President Bush is part of Hollywood's penchant for ridiculing anyone in a position of authority; whether they like or dislike the person. The parody sometimes goes into extremes that it becomes so funny but also no longer believable as even possibly true.

But that line about the under 5 year old demographic as a comparison to Quaid's mental level in the film was hilarious. :-) --Durano, done!

durano lawayan a.k.a. brad spit said...

Hi Tommy,

Thanks for the instant assessment. I do try to maintain objectivity and independent thinking to enable me to deduce the good points in the arguments of both sides.

I asked another blogger, DD2,if there was truly a person who was purely conservative or liberal and I explained to him that I have beliefs which fall on either side. Like I agree the soldiers must be given support, I don't agree with abortion, I would tolerate gay marriage, and so forth. These answers were based on his questions posted on his site to determine if one was conservative or liberal.

He answered that yes, there are crossovers, and he himself is a mixture of both. This is one reason why we see, with an open mind, the positive arguments and try to blend a position that's for the general good.

I would call myself an independent and would not hastily dismiss anyone because of his race, political beliefs, religion, income status, education, culture, and all those other factors that should be accepted and /or tolerated but seems to be difficult for some to do so.

My simple attitude is to treat people as human beings like myself, deal with them accordingly and find the good in what they do, rather than watch out and magnify what I fear could be bad about them. :-) --Durano, done!