Americans believe Saddam terror link

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=514681

By Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles
24 April 2004

A majority of Americans still believes Saddam Hussein was in cahoots with al-Qa'ida and that Iraq either had weapons of mass destruction or a programme for developing them, according to a new opinion poll.

The poll, conducted by the University of Maryland, showed most respondents were unaware of the testimony of David Kay, the administration's chief weapons inspector, that he had found no weapons, or that of Richard Clarke, the former counter-terrorism tsar whose book Against All Enemies has been the talk of Washington.

A staggering 82 per cent of respondents believed most experts supported the notion that Iraq was providing "substantial support" to al-Qa'ida - a contention that President Bush has been forced to disavow. Almost 60 per cent were unaware that world opinion was against the war in Iraq, with 21 per cent saying the world was behind the US-led invasion and 38 per cent saying views were "evenly divided".

The poll also showed a correlation between people's ignorance and their political affiliation. Among those who believed WMD had been found in Iraq, 72 per cent said they would vote to re-elect Mr Bush in November and 23 per cent said they supported his Democratic challenger, John Kerry. Among those who knew that no WMD had been found,74 per cent supported Mr Kerry and 23 per cent backed the President

"Ignorance is strength" against our enemy, Emmanuel Goldstein, I mean Saddam H... er.. wait, who the hell are we fighting anyway?

THEY CAN BE THE FIRST ONES ON THEIR BLOCK


TO HAVE THEIR BOY COME HOME IN A "BOX"

thrumped up message. The media, we know, is in the hands of the right wing, but what excuse is there for Dems to allow this to go virtually unchallenged?

bush and Rove did a masterful job of convincing the American people that "If you don't support us, you are against us." No one wanted to be called a traitor so they all supported the Iraqi war. They showed no political backbone.

Kerry and the Democrats have their work cut out for them to change the minds and sympathies of the American people.

that will get the chimp reSelected. :argh: :cry: :mad:

The incredible success of the orwellian propaganda organs is leading inexorably to a much larger war.

The ignorance on this issue is very depressing.

the chimp. and why kerry prevailed i believe.

WE CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH.

not have.

Once one comes to grip with that very, very stubborn fact, then the work that progressives have facing them become very clear.

eom

knew got a college scholarship fer drivin' them fast cars in a circle? That's right Billy Joe Bob, the answer is still fucking ZERO!! No scholarship, not a sport. Not in the Olympics, probably not a sport. Osama and Saddam, not related. WMD, not there. Civil War, re-enact it a 1,000 times and you still lost! Texas, give it Mexico. I feel better now. New Zealand sounds nice, Americans are just not paying attention.:puke:

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

n/t

A majority of the ignorant support an ignoramus….who woulda thunk….

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

no doubt about that but he didn't have WMD, that is the sticky part.

Changing it to "Well, Saddam is bad" doesn't justify Bush lies, media incompetence, an ignorant citizenry, or needless deaths.

Unprovoked war to "allow the demise" of bad guys: all the justification some people need. Lying by a government to justify this kind of war: also good, if the other country's leader is bad.

And U.S. credibility is down the toilet, along with billions of dollars and many, many lives.

If you do, I suggest you sign up for the service, grab your gun and hold on. There are literally dozens of dictators around the world far, far worse than Saddam ever was. Saying it was justified to invade Iraq just because Saddam was bad opens a very slippery slope for us invading almost any country we chose on the basis their leader isn't good.

.
.
.

Oh dear,

next thing you'll be telling me that the tooth faery didn't leave them dimes and quarters under my pillow?

:hi: from Canada, welcome to DU!! :hi:
.
.

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/Iraq/IraqPressRelease4_22_04.pdf

I was so upset I emailed it to the editor of my local paper and asked why there was such a huge gap between perception and facts. There has to be some way to get through to these people.

Brookings Institute it appears. Most of the big shots did time at brookings, and it appears to be heavily financed by corporate underwriters.
I had not heard of them before.

the star spangled banner.

Stop preaching to the choir and inform our neighbors of the facts. This must be done in a persistent non-confrontational way. The power of democracy is not divisiveness, it is overcoming differences. It is overcoming ignorance and fear. It is the responsibility of each of us.

and mentally lazy the American People are as a whole. I do put most of the blame of this on Pravda though.

This is really a report card on the government controlled media. Sadley, it seems to be getting pretty high marks. :(

American culture: envy of the world.

Walking down 3rd Street in Santa Monica I happened upon the host and crew of Street Smarts, interviewing people for an up-coming episode. Contrary to what you might assume from viewing the show, they didn't seem to be making any particular effort to single out the blatantly ignorant for participants. Street Smarts, 5th Wheel, Springer... may not be too far off the mark in representing average Americans.

The thinking is that they are all "A-Rab" and appear as the new "Other" -- brown-skinned, dangerous, devilish and, worst of all, Muslim. "They are all the same."

Bin Ladin= The Saudis= Saddam= Afafat Americans get what ever they deserve from now on. I'm sick of hearing how decent and generous they are. How can anybody be this stupid. It has to be on purpose.

Umm.. far be it from me to point out that Saddam and the Al Quaida are as far apart idealogically as Jessie Jackson and David Duke. They hated one another.. Saddam felt that the fundamentalist religions were backward and ignorant. They felt he was an infidel.

If I could choose two words that sum up the collective intelligence of the average American, it would have to be: American Idol. 'nuff said.

And what IQ they have isn't firing on all cylinders.

Most of these dimwits can't even find the U.S. on a world map, let alone Iraq. Most can't name their vice-president, state senators, etc. Most can't solve a simple mathematical story problem, or count back change. Most don't understand how an automobile engine works, or how a computer works. Most can't play a musical instrument. Most christians have never read the whole Bible, nor do they understand how it was compiled, yet somehow they know it's "true".

Because much of the public have atrophied critical thinking skills and little curiosity, they are led by their feelings and intuition. To them, it's a magical, superstitious world.

They do however pay close attention to the media/entertainment feed, knowing all the details of "Survivor", "Friends", Michael Jackson, professional sports, etc. This keeps them distracted and happy while the RW fascists steal them blind.

---

Read about the Right-Wing Master Plan:
http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/sam/sam-contents.html

What's worse, a lot of them like it that way!!

There are of course, those who do not wish to live under the Dictatorship of the Ignorant. However, between day to day living and all that, they don't have the time to be better informed. Those people aren't stupid, just tired.

I read your chomsky link (or most of it). Apply that to what is going on in Iraq and the picture becomes sooooooo clear.

Thanks for the link.

MAJOR FLIPPIN' DITTOS PORKRIND!!!!!!!!!!
(yeah I listen to the one, the only, PUTZ ANAL CYST, don't ask me how I manage, :))

couldn't agree more!

I know it might not relevant, but anyone that is working retail now probably has noticed this same thing. I hope I'm not the only one that is noticing how "glassy-eyed ignorant-seeming people" there are around lately. The way I see it everyday, people seem to be "dazed and Confused" by just simply being out in the world.

Maybe it's just me........

Repukes/conservatives = Dumbasses.

JB

Dean dared to upset the apple cart of media obfuscation and reveal to the unwashed American public the duplicity of their government and the corporate media machine that fueled the lies.

Dean was our BEST hope. America lost out big time.

JB

They are UNAWARE on purpose. Nobody is this stupid. grrrrrrr

.
.
.

duh -

"The poll also showed a correlation between people's ignorance and their political affiliation"

Well the taxpayers, yes, it's the taxpayers money, are paying for their own disinformation!

It appears as if their "educatiion" on this war is a few choice blurbs from CNN or Fox - "the most trusted sources for news"

Then they watch sports, "the Apprentice" or other educational/spiritual uplifting shows while the US continues it's massacre overseas.

The US has its forces in over 100 countries in the world, why don't they pull some home and fix the United States first - frigadee!

And no, I'm not going to call it "America" anymore - it's the United States OF America, PART of NORTH America that includes Mexico and Canada.

Heck. I'm so consumed with this sh_t that I hesitate to say I go to the "bush" anymore ( I'm an avid camper)

Now I go to the "woods"

B*U*S*H* is now a "four-letter word" to me.

The world is now FUBARBB

You figure it out.

is the draft.
I wish it werent so.
www.bushdraft.com