Last night, I ran
a poll to find out how Kossacks feel about US involvement in Iraq.
While a few stragglers are still voting, and not many voted, 59 of you did give some idea of how we deal withn this problem.
National polls usually show about 60% support for George W Bush's policies. Most Americans believe the US was justified in invading Iraq, and a lesser number support Bush's handling of the war.
Kossacks do not agree with most Americans, as 47% of you believe the US should withdraw from Iraq in the near future. Only 10% were willing to leave US troops in Iraq as long as 5 years.
On the other hand, 11% of you were willing to occupy Iraq indefinitely, brazenly considering Iraq as our colony. I believe, among conservatives, a majority subscribe to this view, which is the neocon position.
Most interesting was the 18% who disallowed the poll, and refused to answer the question as put.
Following are my thoughts about your reactions to this poll.
Improper Question?
Carl Nyberg and others refused to answer the poll "...because of the deaths aspect of the question." This proved to be a stumbling block to many people.
I deliberately asked how many deaths were acceptable. War is a rolling of the dice; meaning, no one knows the outcome. Anyone who goes to war, like successful high rollers, should have in mind a maximum price willing to be paid, unless the game is Armageddon or Doomsday Machine. The maximum price determines when the losing gambler quits.
War is not conceptual or pretty. People actually die, or get maimed. Lives are ruined. So, any President who orders a war is responsible for terrible pain and suffering.
About 1 in 5 of Kossacks couldn't think about this problem. I am baffled by that. It is one thing to prevent a war, or avoid starting one; it is quite another once you're in it.
Foreign Policy
At stake in this election are different conceptions of foreign policy and America's place in the world. Many Kossacks are supporting the Kerry campaign, as they believe Kerry's ideas are different from those of Bush.
In fact, John Kerry and Howard Dean agree with George W Bush that American troops must "stay the course" in Iraq. They all agree with NYT writer Thomas Friedman, that founding a democracy in Iraq is the aim of American policy. As we are finding out, that goal is not without cost. The costs have given rise to disagreements about the handling of the war, but not its necessity.
So, several questions arise:
- Can Iraq be made into a Democracy?
- What is that worth to the US? the World?
- What if the goal is not attainable?
If Kossacks are to have any role in this election, and give direction to a future American foreign policy, those questions must be answered. It is not sufficient to oppose and be merely reactive.
A near majority of Kossacks want withdrawal from Iraq fairly soon. The further questions are:
- how is this policy justified?
- how it is implemented?
- what if it cannot be implemented?
- how is this enforced on the President?
I think the most significant, and true, comment was made by Canadian Reader, who said:
A year in the future, everything will be different again. Courses that seem reasonable now will have become impossible; others that are now unthinkable may be all that is left.
I predict that you will withdraw. I cannot predict, though, how long it will take you to decide that you must.