It's difficult to have faith in the American electorate when you see how easily the public are manipulated to ill ends.
Take for example, the latest ABC News Poll.
To prevent Iran from developing nuclear technology, would you support:
International sanctions? 71% 26%
U.S. bombing? 42 54
I have to admit, I was at first relieved to see that at least a majority do not support bombing Iran. But, reading on revealed some disturbing details.
More below.
According to ABC, a different poll found that a solid majority of Americans DID actually support bombing Iran even given the qualifier that the Iranians say they only intend to use nuclear technology for energy purposes.
A Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll last week found more support, 57 percent, for military action against Iran if it continues to produce material that can be used to develop nuclear weapons. In a different approach, the question in this poll took account of Iran's claim that it's trying to develop nuclear power, not weapons.
This is why I have entirely lost faith in the capacity of the American people to make informed decisions. I suspect the following things are true about Americans:
- Americans like war
- Americans believe in interventionism
- Americans expect to be lied to
- Americans don't pay attention to details
Former weapons inspector Scott Ritter, in a blog criticizing the anti-war movement, had this to say about the nature of Americans:
Despite all of the well-meaning and patriotic work of the millions of activists and citizens who comprise the anti-war movement, America still remains very much a nation not only engaged in waging and planning wars of aggression, but has also become a nation which increasingly identifies itself through its military and the wars it fights. This is a sad manifestation of the fact that the American people seem to be addicted to war and violence, rather than the ideals of human rights, individual liberty, and freedom and justice for all that should define our nation.
On the Iraq War specifically, Ritter also said:
In short, the anti-war movement has come face to face with the reality that in the ongoing war of ideologies that is being waged in America today, their cause is not just losing, but is in fact on the verge of complete collapse. Many in the anti-war movement would take exception to such a characterization of the situation, given the fact that there seems to be a growing change in the mood among Americans against the ongoing war in Iraq. But one only has to scratch at the surface of this public discontent to realize how shallow and superficial it is. Americans aren't against the war in Iraq because it is wrong; they are against it because we are losing.
Emphasis mine.
The sad state of affairs in America is such that the vast majority of Americans will support an insane policy of naked aggression against a nation that, just like Iraq, has never inflicted any harm upon us. The rationale changes but the end effect is always the same - an increase in the hegemony of the United States at the expense of the deaths of innocents in Baghdad or Tehran. The American people are so craven and immoral that they are willing to sign off on another petrowar, rationalizing their positions with facts unproven.
Like it or not, George W. Bush is the President that we deserve.