Americans' reactions to Fallujah are troubling

[Lefergus70]

Today's New York Times, in a report datelined Wichita,
<see here> samples American reactions to the recent atrocities in Iraq. Do they show us why Bush can win again despite this catastrophe?
Here are what some people told NYT reporters:

"Once you're there, you can't really leave and we've seen that before," said Mr. Rogers, 57, who said he considers himself a Republican, though not a fan of President Bush. "It will get worse and worse and worse. This is a thing you can never win. You just get to be there, on and on."

"Elsewhere, though, Americans said, sometimes apologetically, that they had grown inured to violence, to deaths, and even now to reports of bodies carried through streets.
"You hear about four or five deaths and it's not really news anymore," said Pat Bowland, of Detroit.

"His companion at a Chicago bar, David Mousseau, had his back to the television news Wednesday night. "I'm so anesthetized to `This is a bad day in Iraq' that I don't pay attention to the details," he said. "Where or when does it end?"
"I don't know what the fix is because we are there in a humanitarian way trying to get them back up on their feet again. I just don't know what the long-term picture's going to be."

"Such matters are a casualty of war, and are expected during war," Ms. Sanaderia said. "As unfortunate as that is to us, we are still committed to the liberation of Iraq."

Even some who said they disagreed with the American role in Iraq said that casualties had to be accepted as the consequence of any war. . . ."

It is scary to me how the people polled have so easily followed the White House's constantly-revised script, morphing from the original -and now discredited - reasons for invading Iraq to talk of a "humanitarian" mission, justifying the killings as a logical consequence of a just and necessary war.

It is appalling how little respect these people have for human lives abroad. It is okay to smash a country to bits, killing at least 25,000 people and maiming many more while creating enormous hardship on its surviving citizens so that we can "liberate" them. Make them free- although clearly ungrateful! And if this is a war on terrorism why is it creating more and more terrorism, of which Americans are victims (we know the dead but the number of GIs remains a secret).

In a gruesome way, you have to tip your hat to the GOP spinners and their media servants who can turn so many citizens into pliant, unthinking zombies.

[TXDemGal]

1. These responses remind me of Ma Barker Bush's statement

"Why should we hear about body bags and deaths and how many, what day it's going to happen, and how many this or what do you suppose? Oh, I mean, it's, not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?"

[Solon]

2. Non-thinking reactions to bad news.

To be honest I wouldn't be surprised that, if Bush* announced that we invaded Saudi Arabia and never were at war with Iraq, hell even that Saddam was helping us out in the war on "terra" that at least half the country would believe it. "Doublethink" is the term for it, they know what they believe is wrong, however they feel powerless about that knowledge, and even worse, that it doesn't matter anymore. Push into the back of the mind, and countinue with life, because, after all, its not like the people have a voice in this country.

[drhilarius]

3. Not just the spinners

I think it's also a problem with people in general. For most people the attitude seems to be "if it doesn't effect me immediately, then i don't care." This is at the very heart of political conservatism, and at the heart of a more pervasive cultural conservatism (it's not apathy, just total self-involvement). I promise you, if one of these people had a friend in the war, they would be up in arms. As for the "liberation" line, it's a psychic defense. You justify your immoral self-involvement/non-involvement by ascribing to a moral position ("liberation").

[FireHeart]

4. Vietnam...all over again.

I heard the same stuff back in the mid-60's to when the "war" ended. More and more troops died and people who lost sons and daughters in that war hung gold stars in their windows. But they were *proud* that their children died in war that could not be won without horrendous cost.

As today, as then, our troops are NOT prepared for this type of warfare. Inadequately trained, funded and experienced, they die and in my horror, I know they'll continue to die. For nothing.

And I cry.

[izzie]

5. Also read about the English when they had a Empire. Same thinking.

I am getting this feeling that old Ben was right. Maybe when the 'boys' in the pick=ups fill both tanks with 3 dollars a gal gas they will care? Since almost half do not vote I tend to think Ben will win.I have been here before also.

[RC]

8. But our kids do die for something -

Money, the most holiest god of the far Right. Oil profits for bu$h&co.

Our kids and the Iraqis are dying for someone elses money.

[Piperay]

6. I think in general people

feel defeated and hopeless, they don't believe they can do anything about what goes on so they just tune it all out. :-(

[Mari333]

7. when the draft comes , its wham bam pow for many of them

www.bushdraft.com
Until then, its just some place far away.
Or, as my doctor, who I dumped as a doctor, said to me when I was shaking in his office last year when we heard Michael was called up to go there
"Oh why worry about whats going on halfway around the world?"
Like I said, maybe a draft will wake their asses up if losing their jobs doesnt.

[KharmaTrain]

9. Mary, It Really Hasn't Hit Home Yet...

I was at the High School music program last night and Iraq could have been Mars or Pluto...and these are of parents of 16 and 17 year olds.

These sheeple have been fed a lot of cool-aid for a long time and can't phathom what war is about or that they could be tapped on the shoulder. Few have any Vietnam Vets...injured ones (especially mentally) that they know...or any direct memories of those days. All they have grown up with is the Repugnian mantra of military good, foreigners bad. Gulf War I made war cool and fun again, like it's some video show/game.

I fear that we're headed to a sad lesson in the months ahead...and those ignorant people will be the ones who won't know what hit them...then, of course, they'll turn around and blame us!

[BiggJawn]

10. Here's another "troubling reaction"...

I wonder when "Dirty" Sanchez is gonna start having 10 Iraqis shot for every american, and when is Occupational Governor Bremer going to order Fallujah razed to the ground?

Oh, sure, I hear ya, "BiggJawn, ENOUGH with the WWII Nazi references already, OK?" but hey, a little over a year ago, LIHOP was the stuff of "tinfoil hats" too, wasn't it?

I listened to the news this AM and it's all "We're gonna have a response, make no mistake" and "No, we're not talking about how we're gonna respond. We're pretty angry right now."
and Bremer keeps braying about how these are "Bathists" that are doing it, and if these people won't get a clue, then we're gonna BUY them one...

The posture and tone coming out of CENCOM and Bremer is pretty angry, like they're beyond shaking their dicks, IMO...

[Vickers]

11. "we are still committed to the liberation of Iraq."

Goddammit, I LOVE the way that folks who always say "we are still committed to the liberation of Iraq" have probably never served in the armed forces.

These idiots who casually say things like "I don't pay attention to the details" and "casualties had to be accepted as the consequence of any war" have probably never zipped up a body bag.

Idiots.

[chelaque liberal]

12. Saddly, I think it goes to basic psychological needs

People NEED to believe that their parents (government) are good and will protect them. It is a source of security, no matter false. How many people have lived in denial with incest or other abuse, while projecting a perfect family image? Why did so many Catholic parents refuse to believe their children's stories about their priests?