Americans tired of Iraq war, split on withdrawal

Hello everyone!

Look, I know I said I'd try to do a new Rob Comments on the News every week or so, but I've got to level with you: I don't think it's going to happen. Sorry.

I'm finding that I just don't have more than a sentence or so of commentary about most news stories. Usually, it's one word sentences such as "Idiot," or "Dumbass," or "StupidAmericans."

However, I recently came across an article that almost caused me to throw my coffee cup at my monitor when I read it. Good old Reuters. I have plenty to say about this one.

So without further ado, here it is. Enjoy!

Americans tired of Iraq war, split on withdrawal

By Andrea Hopkins Thu Jul 12, 1:50 PM ET

Americans are tired of the Iraq war and doubt victory will ever come, but remained split over President George W. Bush's vow on Thursday to stay the course in Iraq despite a report showing limited progress.

If you doubt victory will ever come, why stay? Oh yeah, it's not your kids over there fighting--it's someone else's.

"I can't stand it anymore. What are we going to succeed at?" asked Cincinnati restaurant manager Stephanie Laycock, 36, who said she had opposed the war from the beginning.

Well, we'll have succeeded in funneling billions of tax dollars to Halliburton through no-bid contracts. And our country will have succeeded in singlehandedly spending almost as much as the rest of the world's 200+ nations combined spends on military. We'll also have succeeded in handing over Iraq's oil to U.S. oil companies (you know, the ones that have been bringing in record profits for the last 3-4 years--hey, how long have we been in Iraq?), leaving the Iraqis with a destroyed country and nothing to sell. Isn't that enough for you, Stephanie? With a name like your's, you should be in porn.

A USA Today/Gallup poll this week showed more than seven in 10 Americans favor withdrawing nearly all U.S. troops by April, and several surveys show the approval ratings for Bush, a Republican, are at the lows of his presidency.

How could it get any lower? Is he polling in negative numbers now?

Bush told a news conference his troop buildup in Iraq had made limited progress but said he would wait for a September security report by Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker before considering a change of course.

Stall, stall, stall.

"We'll ... have a clearer picture of how the new strategy is unfolding, and be in a better position to judge where we need to make any adjustments," Bush said.

Here's an "adjustment" we should make: different president.

Americans were divided over the president's stand.

"I'm not terribly surprised; he's been a stubborn leader on this subject and I don't think he's going to listen to anyone," said Tom McAuliffe, 57, a banker from Columbus, Ohio.

Well, he is the decider. Unfortunately, there are some people who think "stubborn" is a good thing.

Hospital volunteer Sally Kessler, 74, disagreed.

"I think he's doing a wonderful job. These people are out to get us and if we back off they'll come after us here," said Kessler, a Cincinnati Republican who voted for Bush.

We're not even half way through the article and there it is: "these people". She probably also thinks "those people" from Mexico are here to steal her Social Security number, spread leprosy, sell drugs to her grandkids, and make Spanish the official language of Cincinnati.

Sometimes I wish I could go around thinking I know what the desires of each person within a nation or ethnic group are simply because of where they come from. But that would make me a racist asshole.

Yes, I know she's old, but that's no excuse.

Chicago musician Dave Cavalier, whose 24-year-old brother is in Iraq with the U.S. military, said the United States should make plans to bring troops home safely.

"Chicago musician Dave Cavalier"? Come on, that can't be his real name. Dave, maybe, but Cavalier? No way!

"It's just getting more and more dangerous every day," said Cavalier, 20. "I think we're all coming to the conclusion that we've lost this war."

But wait, wasn't the mission accomplished over four years ago?

DANGEROUS AND CHALLENGING

An interim White House report found the Iraqi government had made only mixed progress in meeting political goals. It said conditions were still dangerous and challenging, six months after Bush ordered a U.S. troop buildup.

"Dangerous and challenging"? Wasn't "The Eliminator" event from American Gladiators "dangerous and challenging"?

If you're going to use adjectives to describe the situation in Iraq, use more accurate ones such as "harrowing", "catastrophic", "pointless", "atrocious", "gruesome", "nonsensical", "barbaric", or my personal favorite, "blood-spattered".

Iraqi-Americans in Detroit echoed the report's findings, saying friends and family back home faced daily violence and crushing shortages of water, electricity and gasoline.

You mean there Iraqi-Americans here that are not being held indefinitely without charges?

"Things are worse," said Abbas Al-Daraji, a truck driver who has lived in the United States for 10 years but whose siblings and mother remain in Iraq.

I'm sure the Department of Homeland Security is watching this guy. How dare he come here and speak his mind!

"People are not happy and not safe. I give the U.S. government and the Iraqi government very poor marks. The Iraqi government, they are better people than Saddam. It's good we got rid of Saddam. But they have not done anything after that," said Daraji, 32.

Seriously, this guy is either in Guantanamo by now or on his way for saying that.

In Atlanta, small business owner Helen Robinson said she saw no sense to the war.

"I have not seen anything else but death and bloodshed .... I still feel that we have got time to pull out of there and not cause any more senseless deaths," Robinson said.

I'm sure someone will blame the "liberal media" for only reporting the "death and bloodshed". Why can't they do stories on all the Iraqis who haven't been blown to bits today?

But security officer Roshad Lyons, a Democrat, said Iran will take over in Iraq if U.S. troops pull out.

"I don't see any reason to go there and not complete the job. The priority should be getting the (Iraqi) military up and running. It's almost done," said Lyons.

By "almost done" he must mean half the benchmarks not being met.

In Bisbee, Arizona, construction worker Frank Cvitkrovic was skeptical.

"It's bunk, more spin. They want to keep this going as long as possible," he said. "It's all about weapons sales and high energy prices. Bush is just the enabler for the billionaires."

Hooray for Frank Cvitkrovic (what is this, wacky name day?) and his voice of reason! It's good to know somebody gets it, and that the mainstream media is reporting it, although it's probably too little, too late.

Renae Simpson, vacationing on the Texas resort of South Padre Island, said she and her husband Randy are Democrats, but totally support the war.

"We went in there with open eyes knowing it would not be easy," said Simpson.

Well, we certainly made a 180 degree turn, didn't we? I guess "open eyes" means being lied to about Iraq having a connection to 9/11, a connection to terrorism in general, nukes, chemical and biological weapons, the ability to attack us, the desire to attack us, and them not allowing UN inspectors in.

And the worst thing about this is that the phrase "open eyes" caused the song "Open Arms" by Journey to get stuck in my head. Damn Steve Perry and his pop-rock sensibilities!

"They came over here on our land and took down the twin towers. People forget that," Randy, a Vietnam veteran, added.

That's it, you two are officially the stupidest couple in the nation! You represent everything that is wrong with this country--too many people with money but no intelligence! I hope you're enjoying your South Padre Island vacation while singing the praises of over 3,600 dead American soldiers and hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis dead, the majority being women and children!

And for the last time:
Iraq and its citizens had nothing to do with 9/11!

Take a friggin' Geography class and learn the difference between Iraq and Saudi Arabia--yes, Saudi Arabia, one of our biggest suppliers of oil and home to 15 of the 19 hijackers! Sheesh!

A Newsweek poll released last week found 41 percent of Americans still believe Saddam Hussein was directly involved in financing, planning or carrying out the September 11 attacks, though no such connection has been found.

41 percent! 41 percent! Words fail me!

$100 says that those same people know all the details of Paris Hilton going to jail.

Oh wait, that was last week's news.

(Additional reporting by Kyle Peterson in Chicago, Jui Chakravorty in Detroit, Matt Bigg in Atlanta, Tim Gaynor in Arizona and Ed Stoddard in Texas)

One to Grow on

Man, it sure is difficult to be an optimist these days.

People keep talking about how incompetent Bush is in his handling of Iraq. I don't buy it. I think things are going exactly as planned. I think Bush (well, actually Cheney) wanted to put just enough soldiers in there to make things into enough of a quagmire that we'd have to stay. Meanwhile, the oil would start flowing out and the money would start flowing in for the oil companies, the defense contractors, and the Halliburtons. And there would be just enough idiots like the ones quoted here to think it has something to do with 9/11.

Actually, it does have something to do with 9/11. Osama bin Laden himself said that they attacked because of our unilateral support of Israel and our military presence in the Middle East. I'm sure the building of permanent military bases in Iraq will make them think twice before attacking us again!

Rob