American heads are firmly in the sand

[Zomby Woof]

This Excite.com poll has 59% of its respondents saying that sending MORE troops to Iraq is the answer to the increasing violence.

That is like saying throwing more gasoline on the fire will help put it out. :crazy:

http://poll.excite.com/poll/home.jsp?cat_id=1&poll_id=0

[noonwitch]

1. People think that an overwhelming force will finish it

And it probably would, but it would take a whole lot of innocent Iraqi citizens with it.

[Zomby Woof]

8. but they don't think long term

Already we have the next 5 generations of Iraqis and many sympathizers bent on revenge. Let's go for 10.

Admittedly none of the solutions are easy, but escalation was tried in Vietnam too... But since we were fighting nationalists and not religious fanatics (although nationalism is a factor here too), there is going to be bad blood for years and years to come. Our memories, and attention spans, in the US are short. We want instant wars, instant gratification, instant solutions to instant problems.

[Jacobin]

2. Hey!! It worked in Vietnam

NOT

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

5. I was just thinking that

Wasn't that EXACTLY the solution they came up with? Disproportionate response as a deterrent? Worked fucking wonders...

[Desertrose]

3. sand is not where I would say most people's heads are

...but it basically gets the point across...
What is wrong with this world...???

yeah troops are getting murdered...hey, lets just send more! Typical American approach...if ya just do it more & bigger, then that will solve it....

the sound of my scream of DUH!!!!!!!!!!! echoing off the red rocks!
Peace
DR

[Zomby Woof]

9. LOL

I was linking the 'sand' comment to my essay on Iraq I posted in here the other night. But if the ass fits... :o

[Gasolinedream]

4. Not to be...

confrontational, but I don't think the poll really asks that. It asks if the violence spreads, should more troops be sent. I guess, IMO, there is no easy solution. I do not want our troops to be slaughtered in any way shape or form. There is no easy or simple strategy now. The Iraqi's, many of them any way, are starting to band together against us. If they continue, we cannot hold on that much longer and we'd have to pull out or kill massive amounts of the people we were supposed to "help".

Thanks Chimp! You asshole!

[childslibrarian]

6. And where do they think

these troops should come from. The poll was badly worded, it should have said "Do you want more troops in Iraq by re-instituting the draft?"

[buddhamama]

7. they're the same people

who believed Bush's* lies as to why we went to war( and if they didn't believe, who cares-war is good, we need that oil, they're Arabs/Muslims, right? fuck those Iraqis),
they're the immature, delusional, 'might makes right' gang
that not only terrorizes the rest of the world but fellow citizens here at home.

[mike1963]

10. They're the same bunch who excoriate "liberals" for "throwing more

money away to solve a problem..."
:eyes:

[Zomby Woof]

11. this is recent, but archived already

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1357016

I will agree with anyone in this thread who says this is not easy. I will also be quick to point out that ALL sides engaged in the endless cycle of revenge and reaction are culpable. I am on the side of peace and the innocent people in the crossfire, no matter their national identity, religious identity, or ethnic identity. Being human and being exposed to this war is enough categorization for me.

I want peace for ALL. Sending more troops moves us further and further away from resolving this occupation.

I think the Iraqis are willing to risk the instability and chaos of post-occupation Iraq NOW and settle it amongst themselves without further American presence. Will they use peaceful means? Precedent and experience says no, at least at first (a fuse has been lit this week), but eventually THEY must decide their fate without Hallib.., I mean American influence.