Do you feel that Joe America cares about the politics behind Iraq?

[Poiuyt]

Sometimes I wonder if we here at DU are too sheltered. Do people in America even care that Bush lied to get us into Iraq? Does America like being in a war so that we can act like John Wayne and show how tough we are? I know the mood after 9/11 was such that people wanted to get revenge on someone. Bush had a bug up his ass to invade Iraq and 9/11 gave him his excuse. But what about now? If you stopped someone on the street and convinced him that Bush lied to invade Iraq, would he care? Would he say,"well, we're there, we might as well finish the job." Or would he be as enraged as we are?

[babylonsister]

1. I think the ignorant ones are too sheltered. Why

can't they feel the screwing they're getting?

[LSdemocrat]

2. Unless they have a relative over there, then no.

I don't think people think that foreign policy has any affect on their daily lives.

And for many of those that do care about foreign policy, if they thought that going into Iraq was a good thing period, then they don't care about the justification.

[Justitia]

3. That is a terribly sad question. I hate to answer it honestly, even to

myself. The glaring apathy of others is a great demoralizer.

But, thanks for the question of conscience anyway.

:-(

[Triana]

4. Do they KNOW that he lied us into Iraq?

They're all sitting there listening to CNN, Faux News, etc. How much are the MSM talking about this fact, the DSM, etc?

They cannot get irate about lies, deceptions, demogogeury, if they don't *know* about it - if the rely on a media that doesn't report the news, provide necessary information, or question or say anything against the gov't because their corprat masters are too much part of the plutocracy.

?

That's the biggest part of it, IMO.

[lucca]

9. I agree.

The msm has done a complete disservice in not reporting the news,(what is really going on in this country).
It truly disgusts me.
Where is their sense of decency.

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. Joe america believes that Saddam "did" 9/11 and the arabs

have to pay. Joe america is satisfied with the job in Iraq so far, "only" 1600 solders are dead and "we" own the oil now.

[mongo]

6. There's certainly plenty of "nuke the towelheads" around here

but most don't want our troops being used as the worlds policemen in an unending war either.

There seems to be a feeling of entitlement in America as far as oil is concerned. We should be able to take over any damn country we want if they have the resources we need.

I think that people are starting to catch on - slowly. They still think Sadam was a "bad guy that needed to be taken out", but patience is starting to wear thin out here and the last thing anyone wants is for us to invade yet another country.

They view any dissent as not supporting the troops because it is their sons and neighbors that are out there. Everyone knows someone over in Iraq, or just back from there, or getting ready to go. When you speak against the war, you are dissing their kids, and the hard job they are doing - mostly for nobel reasons.

But mostly they want this to be OVER.

Just my view from out here in 'merica.

[Jacobin]

7. Not a whit

Until his kids start getting drafted.

I know a lot of Joe Americans.

Their reaction to the current quagmire? Send in F-18s with nuclear weapons and turn the country into sand.

Cute, huh?

[stillcool]

8. I have a sister....

... when she gets home from work the last thing she wants to do is fire up the computer. Thank God she doesn't watch any news programming. She gets an earful from me on a semi-regular basis. I feel like Debbie-Downer alot. The problem is that knowledge for her is a burden. She feels that she has neither the power nor the energy to do anything about anything outside of her daily life. Its prioritys, and for some people it is all they can do to keep their balls in the air.

[OnionPatch]

16. Wow

I could have written your post. My sister exactly.

[dejaboutique]

21. I am just like you

your post was touching to me. I have a sister that refuses to talk or think about any of it. She is well educated and lives in the bay area and votes democratic but prefers the horse blinders position. when I talk to her on the phone and bring some of it up she says she is tired and just doesn't want to think about it. I also feel like Debbie-Downer haha..you had me laughing! I know she cares she just doesn't want to get down about it. i love her but damn.

[seabeyond]

10. personally, no i dont think they would care, so what i do

look them squarely in hte eyes about the dead babies, and how those mama's love their babies equally to us mama's here in the states. then i get just plain disdainful and disgusted and allow the pain in my voice talking about the arrogance of us, the christians, that cannot feel the pain of that mom.

then they care, lol.

the way it is being worked by conyer and now going into impeachment and kerry's hard statement today though, i think it could wake some people up. i actually got a little excited hearing the tone the last couple days

why i like blm's thread on cspan. i think that was an important recognition of media dismissing the story for the people

[Inland]

11. I think almost all Americans are sheltered, on purpose.

The deaths are rural volunteers when US, faceless or suspect when Iraqi, the entire cost of the war is borrowed to be paid by the next generation, the destruction of the military is a long term problem....

Bush has planned it this way, to keep the entire burden of the war on a small segment of those who most of the US writes off as people who volunteered and asked for this. All the other burden is either disguised, put off, shifted, or just plain denied.

The only way to enrage people is by giving them the broader perspective of what's right on a national level. Bush isn't ruining me so much as ruining America as a whole. Patriots should hate Bush for that, even if they haven't had their own legs blown off or their own debts added to.

[ultraist]

12. No. They believe that Sadaam HAD to be taken out

Therefore, going into Iraq was justified. They dismiss the "LIED about WMD" part. They blame faulty intelligence and minimize it.

For those who DO believe it was a mistake to go in, they cling to, "we're there now, we can't just cut and run. We have to get control of the insurgents."

[bpilgrim]

13. LYING to the AMERICAN people is a POWERFUL, FRESH meme built by GOP

we should thank them for it and RUN with it.

people want the TRUTH, no matter the PARTY.

and they would certainly want to bring our TROOPS HOME, NOW, bet, why do you think they are DESPERATE to keep this out of the M$M.

half would be enraged NOW and 1/2 later when they see the neons not doing the right thing by pulling out and turning the keys to Iraqis.

psst... pass the word :hi:

peace

[ultraist]

17. A lot of people DON'T want the truth, sadly.

Take my brother in law for instance. He is "Christian" Republican whose entire identity and worldview is wrapped up in being a Repuke. If he were to admit the sickness of the GOP, he is essentially admitting that he has been a fool to buy into this party for so many years. He's incapable of doing that.

Ironically, he does a LOT less charity work than my husband and me, but HE is a "good Christian" Repuke. Ya right.

He also makes a lot less money than my husband and I but he has this delusion that if you are a Repuke, you have money.

These types of people are essentially cult followers---they do not want the truth.

[bpilgrim]

18. some, true... i'm talking bout the MAJORITY though

and the sane conservatives, patriot Americans, will see it as an aberration, the neoCONs.

sadly, your brother in-law may be one of them true believers but not all are, even the ones too busy and/or poor to pay attention like we do ain't no dummies and historically more difficult to fool then the ELITE i.e. M$MWs they are obviously well to do, many have pedigree papers from our most elite universities and they still don't get it.

in FACT those folks are who the CARTOON WORLD VIEW is aimed at, the true believers will follow no matter what but most critical to fool are the ELITE and as i said above they, historically, are usually the FIRST, LONGEST and easiest to fool.

don't give up on your bro-inlaw, who knows what he may think down the road if you keep feeding him the other side of the story, in small doses, repetition is Key :evilgrin:

:hi:

peace

[ultraist]

22. I agree

My brother in law doesn't represent the majority.

BTW, we do continue to feed him the other side of the story, but not always in small doses!

"Repitition is key." True! :rofl:

[Nevernose]

14. Is American Idol on tonight?

'Cuz anything more serious than putting a yellow ribbon sticker on my car is far to complex for my lazy mind to deal with.

[Nevernose]

15. Reagan Youth's "Degenerated"

Unfotunately, this is the state of America:

What's Johnny doin' out on Tuesday night?
When Johnny can't read and Johnny can't write
Johnny just don't understand
Johnny don't care about this world
As long as he can fuck a girl
And prove that he's a man

Johnny wastes his days eatin' ludes
He's a teenage vegetable
Getting high proves that he's cool
Johnny hates to think, he's ignorant
He's a blind and brainwashed pig
Ring a bell, he starts to drool

Degenerated! Degenerated! And you minds have vegetated!
Degenerated! Degenerated! And your thoughts are constipated!

He's got P.C.P. in his veins
He's got a void in his brain
He's addicted to the T.V.
And when he's old, he's gonna have a son
They'll both grow old deaf and dumb
What's to become of young Johnny?

[gulliver]

19. A good chunk are "optimistic."

The only way they make it through the day is to take whatever crap situation they are in and reconstrue it into a fantasy of success and hope. Most are too tired and overloaded with negative stimuli. They look for the bright side of everything just to keep from starting the car in a closed garage.

They are the dishonest victims of the George W. Bush con. They just take him as a "conservative" and interpret everything he does as axiomatically reasonable...just a bunch of weak, angry fools gulled by Mama Bush's mischief boy and his cracked old men friends. And of course the media doesn't do anything to disturb a fantasy ... that's their business.

[xnmeme]

20. i think they would care if they knew

The problem is, of course, that the American people aren't getting the message that they've been lied to. Memogate is buried in the news. Everything is buried in the news below headlines about American Idol, the runaway bride, terri schiavo, yadda yadda ya. I think there is a "culture of life" mentality in America, that if appealed to correctly with the right information, could get JOE America to start to care about all those dying in Iraq. I found a good website that sort of speaks to this in a satirical fashion. It has a video remix of a bunch of top news stories from the past few months that highlights how the war is being held out of view.

it's at http://www.realnewsisboring.com