New poll: americans say iraq not worth it

[CptStern]

"A majority of Americans do not think it was worth going to war in Iraq with support at the lowest level since the United States launched the invasion in 2003, according to a CNN/USAToday/Gallup poll released on Tuesday.
Fifty-seven percent of those polled said it was not worth going to war compared to 41 percent who thought it was. In a February poll, 48 percent said the war was worth it and half said it was not. "

source

what do you guys think? ...was iraq "worth it"? ...try not to rewrite history here ..the war in iraq was NEVER about bringing democracy to iraqis

 

[The Mullinator]

Do you mean economically or morally?

In the short term no neither was worth it. However in the long run both may result as having been worth it. If the attacks finally cease and full blown stable democracy ever occurs then morally it could be called "worth it". At the same time the US will have more oil and a new growing business partner which could make it worthwhile economically.

Its far too early IMO to decide if it was worth it or not. Mind you if things keep going the way they have been then it won't have been worth it in either camp.

 

[ComradeBadger]

So the war was about Oil? Or Bush lying for the fun of it?

Despite the fact that the war cost America far more than the money from oil could recoup short-term...

It's possible for intelligence to be incorrect - shock horror.

Anyway. If Iraq becomes stable, a democracy, then yes, it was worth it.

 

[Direwolf]

I seem to agree with most Americans in that we went on a mistake, but we can still make something good out of it.

 

[short recoil]

The one thing that pisses me off is people soaking up others ideas like a sponge, not actually thinking for themselves.
I know there are plenty of people that have formed a good opinion from looking at the facts but there are and equal number who just sit and watch the T.V and gain the opinion of what they see on T.V, oh he says it was wrong so that's what i think.

I've seen some people saying "i oppose the war on iraq EEEEEEEEE" and then i ask them why and they usually can't give me a full awnser.
Now, no one have a go at me saying "oh i have my opinion properly", i understand you most likely do, i'm talking about the idiots that don't think for themselves.

 

[Absinthe]

The people are easily swayed. Just wait until something good happens again and you'll watch those numbers shoot up.

 

[Direwolf]

Thankfully they're often far too lazy to vote. (A lot of that in colleges everywhere.)

 

[short recoil]

The people are easily swayed. Just wait until something good happens again and you'll watch those numbers shoot up.

That is part of what i was going on about.
Humans are acting horribly like sheep.

 

[Direwolf]

You've got to understand that most people don't care all that much about politics. Its really not a major part of the average person's life.

 

[seinfeldrules]

Anyway. If Iraq becomes stable, a democracy, then yes, it was worth it.

You said it all. That would not only benefit Iraq, but the entire ME.

 

[Razor]

The one thing that pisses me off is people soaking up others ideas like a sponge, not actually thinking for themselves.
I know there are plenty of people that have formed a good opinion from looking at the facts but there are and equal number who just sit and watch the T.V and gain the opinion of what they see on T.V, oh he says it was wrong so that's what i think.

I've seen some people saying "i oppose the war on iraq EEEEEEEEE" and then i ask them why and they usually can't give me a full awnser.
Now, no one have a go at me saying "oh i have my opinion properly", i understand you most likely do, i'm talking about the idiots that don't think for themselves.

I completely agree with both you and Comrade Badger.

Sometimes i can be quite cynical but i am someone who believes that only people who understand politics should vote and only those who vote can complain about taxes, education, health care, etc. I just get sick and tired of all these "i hate Tony Blair, he is such a liar" and then when you ask who they're voting for "oh no, i don't vote, i hate politics".

 

[Zeus]

I do not think it was worth it

 

[Kebean PFC]

History will tell whether this was worth it. I hope it is.

 

[operative x]

So the war was about Oil? Or Bush lying for the fun of it?

Despite the fact that the war cost America far more than the money from oil could recoup short-term...

It's possible for intelligence to be incorrect - shock horror.

Anyway. If Iraq becomes stable, a democracy, then yes, it was worth it.

Thats pretty much my feelings, though I would like to add if we went there for oil... WHY IN THE HELL IS THE PRICE GOING UP!?

 

[satch919]

Simply, no.

Not worth the American blood that has been spilled thus far.

Bring them home soon!

 

[satch919]

if we went there for oil... WHY IN THE HELL IS THE PRICE GOING UP!?

Instability maybe?

:dozey:

 

[AntiAnto]

Of course Iraq wasn't worth it. None war should be worth it. Well, World War II was necessary...

 

[satch919]

When loss of life in guaranteed, we must be sure that our cause is rock solid with the support of other nations likely to be affected by our actions.

 

[clarky003]

Instability maybe?

:dozey:

instability, and perhaps that we are approaching peak oil within the next 5-10 years.. they need more resource to supply increasing demand, they should of just come out with it in the first place and say they needed new oil reserves to keep world energy usage stable for as long as possible... It's just one of the many factor's , but a main one no doubt.

 

[satch919]

instability, and perhaps that we are approaching peak oil within the next 5-10 years.. they need more resource to supply increasing demand, they should of just come out with it in the first place and say they needed new oil reserves to keep world energy usage stable for as long as possible... It's just one of the many factor's , but a main one no doubt.

You sir just hit the nail on the head! Other energy sources must be researched.

 

[clarky003]

there are many new and wonderful technologies aching to get into the public domain, but bureaucracy is favouring the old technologies that rely on fossil fuels, which is the main factor preventing the world wide acceptance, and publicity of these new vacuum energy technologies and mangnetic motor's... but as it often goes .. around every 100 years or so the human race makes a hop skip and a jump.. a period of rapid change and realisation often ensue's , and so forth like in Tesla and Edison's time.. adapting to the new to improve ourselves and survive .

It's nearly that time again.. and I know it's going to be a very interesting time to be alive.

 

[gh0st]

On one hand, no.

On another, yes. I'd say we shouldnt be there. Then again, why should we do other humanitarian missions but not Iraq? And who can argue that no good will come from it?

 

[Foxtrot]

there are many new and wonderful technologies aching to get into the public domain, but bureaucracy is favouring the old technologies that rely on fossil fuels, which is the main factor preventing the world wide acceptance, and publicity of these new vacuum energy technologies and mangnetic motor's... but as it often goes .. around every 100 years or so the human race makes a hop skip and a jump.. a period of rapid change and realisation often ensue's , and so forth like in Tesla and Edison's time.. adapting to the new to improve ourselves and survive .

It's nearly that time again.. and I know it's going to be a very interesting time to be alive.

Blame capitalism, we use oil because it is cheap. It is cheap because there is so much of it.

 

[satch919]

Blame capitalism, we use oil because it is cheap. It is cheap because there is so much of it.

That won't be the case within the next decade or so. Thats the whole point. We better start looking for a new form of energy now rather than wait until nothing is left. If that were to happen, the price of whatever oil was left would sky rocket. We need to start preparing now.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

It would've been worth the costs if al-qaeda was mostly nullified and if it were really about the people.
Of course, if it had happened that way, the costs being paid now would not be anywhere near as high.

The biggest beef I have with it is that it happened too soon.
Less rush and more planning could have prevented all those dozens of crazy intelligence feck-ups, provided an exit strategy other than "freedom will make it work?" and doing more to weaken Al-Qaeda beforehand would have weakened the insurgency before it even existed.
Also, getting Al-Qaeda first would have meant that the most dangerous after-effect of the war (people antagonized by the war becoming terrorists and joining Al-Qaeda) would have been nipped in the bud as well.
Basically, less pre-emptive strike and more pre-emptive thinking.

I still don't know what the rush was. I mean, the planning started pretty much directly after 9/11. Afghanistan should have been the focus then, but no.
And then it was quick! Get info! Quick! Slap that info together into a case for war! Not enough people find that case adequate? Quick! Attack before the searches are done, before we have an exit strategy! Etc.

And all along there were bigger fish to fry.
By all means, focus the United State's entire military onto kicking Saddam, but do it after Osama and his followers are dead next time, m'kay?

 

[Mith']

On one hand, no.

On another, yes. I'd say we shouldnt be there. Then again, why should we do other humanitarian missions but not Iraq? And who can argue that no good will come from it?

You do know that when politicians say "humanitarian missions" they mean "we are going to kick the ass of some shitballs that pissed us of"

 

[Foxtrot]

That won't be the case within the next decade or so. Thats the whole point. We better start looking for a new form of energy now rather than wait until nothing is left. If that were to happen, the price of whatever oil was left would sky rocket. We need to start preparing now.

We will look for one when we have to, when people are sick of paying high gas prices they will use something else. Until then, meh.

 

[iyfyoufhl]

We will look for one when we have to, when people are sick of paying high gas prices they will use something else. Until then, meh.

ahh, reality check, we have to right now

 

[jonbob]

We will look for one when we have to, when people are sick of paying high gas prices they will use something else. Until then, meh.

This is rich coming from an American. Try running a car in the UK for a week before complaining about high petrol prices. There wouldn't be half as many of those SUV things about if you lot paid anywhere near what we did for a gallon of petrol I can tell you that.

 

[staticprimer]

ahh, reality check, we have to right now

American gas prices are very low compared to European prices. They pay an equivilant to about $6 per gallon last I heard. We should be thankful out prices are as low as they are.

 

[The Monkey]

American gas prices are very low compared to European prices. They pay an equivilant to about $6 per gallon last I heard. We should be thankful out prices are as low as they are.

More like $7-8

 

[NotGonnaDoIt]

Necessity is the mother of invention. Until we actually need alternative fuels I doubt they will become practical.

 

[ThomasToad]

You should ask this question after the war is over and democracy has had a chance to spread through the country...oh wait most of you want to see it fail miserably.

 

[Korgoth]

Iraq IS worth it, but not now, and not like this. My beef with this conflict we are in has always been about how it was handled. How shady the buisness behind closed doors has been. This war just seems so unorganized, and so split. There was a right way and a wrong way to do things, I think we went the wrong way .

 

[ignot]

To me the end doesn't justify the means. If it did then we could cure world hunger simply by killing 2 billion people.

But, it's already happened, so we need to make the best of it for the Iraqi people.

 

[Laivasse]

To me the end doesn't justify the means. If it did then we could cure world hunger simply by killing 2 billion people.

But, it's already happened, so we need to make the best of it for the Iraqi people.

I have to agree. When people say that the main thing is that Saddam is gone, they're also ignoring the fact that a dangerous precedent has been set (by a dangerous president soz, couldn't resist). "Regime change" is now supposedly a valid reason to invade another country. You can't yet say that the end justifies the means, because you don't even know what the "end" is yet. Will Iraq stay on its feet, will international terrorism increase, will rogue states start warming to the idea of regime change...

Worth it or not...not, say I.

 

[Pesmerga]

America has always made mistakes - which country doesn't? The Iraq War may have been sparked by false causes, but it happened anyway. We bombed the shit out of it, and we'll rebuild it. We learn from things that have led America astray and worked assiduously to admit our wrong doings and repair our faults with endless support; delayed involvement in WW2 led to a stronger foreign awareness, the belief in invulnerability against enemy attack on our land has rid her of her arrogance. While we cannot say for sure which decisions are adamantly correct, I believe a good leader follows his decisions to the upmost ability. And while Iraq may or may not have been better left alone, we are making it our responsibility to uphold our values, which is the most any country can ever hope to acheive.

So was it worth it? We will see...