Poll: Only 50% In U.S. (and falling) Support Keeping Troops In Afghanistan

[bigtree]

from TPM: http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/poll-only-50-of-americans-support-keeping-troops-in-afghanistan.php


A new Pew Research poll shows American support for keeping NATO and U.S. troops in Afghanistan is continuing to fall -- to 50 percent in September, a 7-point drop-off since June.

The number of people who want American troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible rose during the same period -- from 38 percent to 43 percent.

The fall off in support for keeping troops in Afghanistan held across political groups. The poll found that Republican support for keeping troops in Afghanistan dropped from 75 percent to 71 percent; among Democrats, support fell from 45 percent to 37 percent; and among independents, from from 57 percent to 51 percent.


another survey from the Harris Poll: http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091102005987&newsLang=en


These are some of the results of BBC World News America/ Harris Poll® of 2,227 adults surveyed online between October 23 and 27, 2009 by Harris Interactive®.

Looking back over the past year, the American public has always been a bit divided over the war and troops in Afghanistan. Back in January, just as Barack Obama was preparing to be sworn in as president, one-third of Americans (33%) wanted to commit more troops while just over one-quarter (27%) wanted to commit fewer troops and one in five (21%) wanted to keep the same level of troops. In August, this attitude shifted and one-quarter (25%) said send more troops while almost two in five (37%) said commit fewer troops and one in five Americans (20%) still said keep the same level of troops. Now, there is more of an even split on whether to commit more or less troops while fewer Americans believe we should keep the level the same and more Americans are not at all sure.

There are also gender and age differences over what to do in Afghanistan. Men are more likely than women to want to commit more troops (41% versus 21%). Women, on the other hand, are more likely to want to commit less troops to the war in Afghanistan (40% versus 28%).

The older one is, the more likely they want to commit more troops and the reverse is also true as the younger adults are more likely to want to commit fewer troops to Afghanistan. Two in five adults aged 55 and older (40%) and 36% of those aged 45-54 years old want to commit more troops compared to one in five adults aged 18-34 (19%) and 28% of those aged 35-44 who feel the same way. On the other side of the issue two in five adults aged both 18-34 and 35-44 (42% and 38% respectively) want to commit fewer troops compared to one-third of those aged 45-54 (33%) and one-quarter of those aged 55 and older (25%).

[tekisui]

1. Democratic Hawks are in the minority of the Democratic Party.

If only 50% support keeping troops there, I wonder what percent support an escalation? I assume it to be far less.

[unhappycamper]

2. One would certainly hope so.

But warmongers like Pelosi, Feinstein, Kerry and Murtha keep signing blanks checks to continue the occupations.

[bigtree]

3. almost all of them stop short of demanding an exit

. . . and the closest thing we can find in the Senate to rejecting the escalation is an attempt to 'redefine' their mission to 'training' Afghan forces. Though, we all know that calling them trainers instead of combat forces doesn't mean a wit to the resisting Afghans.

[SandWalker1984]

4. 800,000 gallons of gas burned by Marines in Afghanistan each day

I just read a story on counterpunch.com that stated the Marines alone are burning 800,000 gallons of gas each day while in Afghanistan.

How can the White House discuss carbon emissions & global warming without taking into consideration the carbon footprint our MILITARY is leaving on the planet each and every day in Afghanistan and Iraq?


The US as Failed State

According to reports, the US Marines in Afghanistan use 800,000 gallons of gasoline per day. At $400 per gallon, that comes to a $320,000,000 daily fuel bill for the Marines alone. Only a country totally out of control would squander resources in this way.

In any failed state, the greatest threat to the population comes from the government and the police. That is certainly the situation today in the USA. Americans have no greater enemy than their own government. Washington is controlled by interest groups that enrich themselves at the expense of the American people.

The one percent that comprise the super rich are laughing as they say, “let them eat cake.”

[bigtree]

5. it's a sham

. . . made to look like the hub of some offensive against al-Qaeda. All of the resources, like the gas, are being squandered just so politicians can say they're fighting the 'good' fight. The only net result, of course, is the sum of all that's being wasted in both resources, money, and lives.

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. Pure insanity! Squander resources and add to GW. But it's the 'good' war.

:eyes: Our 'leader/s' suck!

[bigtree]

7. the elephant

. . . in the halls of Congress