Scott write for Examiner.com. Check him out at http://www.examiner.com/...
In a new Washington Post/ABC News poll(1), 51 percent of Americans now believe the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting.
Finally, a majority.
But does that mean anything in Washington? Before we were able to shake off the Obama fairy dust and see the world again with clear eyes we allowed ourselves to believe the then-candidate was correct in saying that the war in Afghanistan was "necessary;" that the Iraq invasion was the real mistake and we had taken our eye off the ball when it came to Afghanistan.
But now I think, I hope, it is dawning on more and more Americans that neither war was one of "necessity." That both invasions were one of "choice," and that defeating a rogue band of terrorists by an enormous, clunky, and deadly-to-innocent-civilians military action was the very worst idea possible.
Not surprisingly most of the continued support for the war comes from Republicans and conservatives. 70 percent of Republicans still support U.S. military action with 58 percent of conservatives sharing the same sentiment. Degenerate
So what does this mean? Ultimately, nothing. The Obama Administration will continue its Bush-era policies regarding Afghanistan. In fact, by most accounts an increase in troop deployments(2) in the region is likely. To "cut and run" from a war, even an unpopular one, is too politically risky.
51 percent is a majority; but barely. Perhaps when more and more people begin to see the futility of our position in the Middle East we can begin the process of demanding withdrawal. But a government, cushioned by decades of inactivity by a sleeping public, will view this slight majority of American opposition to war as a mere nuisance.
The media could help, but that ain't happening. It's an almost laughable statement actually. I mean, we're talking about the same media that helped the Bush Administration hype the invasion of Iraq(3), acting essentially as a cheerleader. Liberal media? Another laughable phrase. It's a Whore Media, latching on to whatever position will generate the most viewers.
So, in the end, we all must do our own research on the Afghanistan War(4). Because an informed public is the only public that might demand attention from our politicians. We must be a voice of moral outrage over the tens of thousands of dead or maimed Afghan civilians, many women and children. They never signed on to be "collateral damage" for a cause they could never understand.
Links:
(1) http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
(2) http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/...