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Chinook helicopters take off after offloading mail and supplies at Forward Operating Base Kalagush in the Nuristan province of Afghanistan in 2007. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Isaac A. Graham)
In the context of reducing the budget deficit, a new Bloomberg poll (PDF) asked Americans if they would support pulling all troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan. The poll found an overwhelming 66 percent would favor this action, while only 30 percent oppose it.
A full withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan was one of only three ideas polled that would actually reduce the deficit that had majority support. The others were cutting aid to foreign countries (72 percent favor, 26 percent oppose) and repealing the tax cuts for households earning more than $250,000 a year (59 percent favor, 37 percent oppose). Repealing health care is favored by 52 percent, but that would actually increase the deficit.
While Washington squabbles over the Republican proposals to cut just $61 billion from mostly popular domestic program designed help people in need, ignored is the fact that two-thirds of Americans are actually in agreement about a major deficit reduction plan that would save us $170 billion a year (PDF) by ending our senseless foreign natio-building operations.
Despite a super-majority of Americans supporting pulling all troops out of Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates is actually taking about keeping troops there after 2014. I don’t know if the unbelievable disconnect between Americans and the government that is supposed to be representing them has ever been so great.
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The higher the percentage goes, the more the Villagers will insist on staying.
Either that or another 9/11 will have to be executed.
Broder died today. Look for little Tommy Freidman to take up his slack in this area.
I’m sure we’ll hear Democrats take up the call to represent the people’s interest just as soon as the White House changes hands. So look for that in 2013 or 2017.
In the meantime, the opportunity for a Peace Movement within the GOP is getting stronger every day. And, unlike the co-opted Veal-Pen Vichy Democrats, that could start right now in our toxic partisan cage match at the Capitol.
I’ve got company coming in an hour for drinks & pizza. Otherwise I’d stay & make up Mustache of Wisdom column titles. I used to say that he had a moderate command of the obvious, but I now think that’s too flattering.
But to get us started, how about “Afghanistan Is Not Flat.” The first sentence starts: As I was talking to my taxi driver in Kabul, drinking a Perrier…
We won’t leave until at least 80% of the public wants us to. I also guarantee that “defense” spending won’t drop one dime even after we leave.
Actually, you know what the real fun question is? What will come first – being forced to withdraw financially, or withdrawing of our own volition even though we could continue to borrow and spend on the ops there? I’m voting for the former.
And, two-thirds of Americans are absolutely correct. We should get out now.
Yes,yes….but the Govt is so corrupt in doesn’t matter what Americans want…it’s always what the Corporations want.
Most Americans were opposed to the bank bailouts,regardless the banks got bailed out and now they(Govt) are trying to cut benefits for poor Americans,laying off teachers,freezing the meagre wages of janitors & clerks instead of taxing corporations,…
Remember the Gates/Petraeus snark about Libya being next? Not.Funny.Assholes.
oh by the way
.
From 1995 to 2000, the Forbes 400 tripled their wealth!
(see site for charts)
http://www.squattable.com/blog/birdflip/030911/real-red…
The 400 richest Americans wealth grew:
$49 billion over the 6 year period from ’89-’95
$955 billion over the 5 year period from ’95-’00
During the initial period, the Forbes 400 average income was $20 million per year. Then during the next 5 years their average income increased to $478 million per year. Sounds fair, doesn’t it?
Isn’t this the wealth redistribution Rush is always talking about, but in reverse? As usual, the truth is the exact opposite of Limbaugh’s claims.
As you can see, the wealth of the uber-rich was growing steadily until the mid 90s, then it shot through the roof. That great sucking sound was caused by NAFTA, which opened the floodgates to outsourcing. Corporations fired workers by the thousands and hired replacements in the third world, often for less than a dollar per day. But that was only the beginning of the great heist.
The top 400 did lose some wealth during the stock market crashes of 1987 and 2000, but it is clear that post-crash, they were still way above their previous levels of wealth. Everyone else that invested in the tech boom didn’t fare so well.
Some of you may recall how MCI Worldcom was poised to own the internet with it’s fiber optic dominance. So millions of Americans invested in what they thought was a secure investment, the future of the internet. But then MCI overstated it’s earnings by $11 billion, causing the stock to plunge to zero. Millions were devastated, $150 billion in stock was wiped out, goodbye retirement suckers!. But Worldcom only had to wait a year, pay a measly $500 million fine, and they were back in business, as the very same day the fine was announced, they received a $45 million gov’t contract to help rebuild Iraq, in addition to the annual $750 million in federal contracts. Two guys went to jail, the rest took the money laughing all the way to the bank
Since Citizens United it is all about corporations and big money. If you want to get elected anymore, you will have to give the corps and the bigs what they want. O knows that and so do all the other candidates. Now if those guys want a war in the middle east or a no fly zone, that is most likely what you get. Screw the two thirds.
Only 59% favored a repeal of tax breaks for the rich? Really?? Either the question had to be phrased oddly or I am left with WTF is wrong with all these people?!
Troops
Home
Now
True then, truer now.
I’m going with the WTF is wrong with these people.
They might someday be rich; otherwise known as The Joe (not his real name) The Plumber (not his real occupation) Conundrum
Ah yes, the old American dream. WTF.
Sad but true.
Well, I think someone needs to tell all these someday-I-might-be-rich people that when they get rich, they can buy their own politicians and get tax breaks back but until then, they need the rich to pay their fair share so the rest of us don’t have to pay their share for them.
At least I am heartened by the high percentage who want the troops home now. I think I still have one of my old Bring The Troops Home Now badges from the 60′s/70′s. I will have to pull it out and put it on my coat.
Of course not,
after the army pulls out, we will pay Blackwater to take over.
Is there such a thing as the American dream anymore ?….seems more like a nightmare…buy a house only to find out it’s worth pennies than what you paid for it ,you got screwed.Get a job with pension plan only to find out the companies aren’t obligated to give you any pension benefits once you retire,you got screwed.etc,etc.
From the Bloomberg poll linked above:
So 56% want to create jobs, but 53% think the way to do so is to cut taxes. Reagan’s supply side propaganda has really taken hold, thanks to the villagers and their spokesmodels. (Answer to Royal Oak’s question @ 11.)
So whar do we do about Libya? I’m pretty sure Newt and his friends have the answer. We can back out of Iraq and Afpak and take up stakes in Egypt and the rest of North Africa. Sort of help the people don’t you know?
I feel that pain every day.
How can we move the country forward when so many of us are brainwashed? *note: it was really, really hard to not write “stupid” instead of brainwashed…..I mean 42% voted for cutting spending……it makes my brain hurt…
Or we caN move over to the next people to help out of slavery. There are literally millions out there.
McCain wants a no fly zone and so does Newt. Let’s go for it. Why not, after all?
I think both “brainwashed” and “minimally aware” apply, with an added dollop of “apathetic.” It’s a sad state of affairs that has been engineered over the years by the right-wing foundations and their corporate sponsors.
The Imperial Court that is the Village will never accept the opinion of ‘commoners’ that the era of undisputed American hegemony is coming to a close. I would wager that if one were to scratch a villager deeply enough, that hegemony is the fixed point of all his or her social reasoning. The meaning of America to a Villager has nothing to do with Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness (how quaint), but maintaining America’s imperial rule. I believe that this view is part of their self-definition. Heavens knows, only a very few profit from it directly. That view is what makes America probably the greatest current danger to world peace and survival. Sad to have to say it. I never thought I would.
Hmmm, odd. There are a few libertarians who sort of think the same way.
AH, I prefer primarily ignorance with a good dose of complacency to compliment it.
McCain wants a no fly zone.
Didn’t he have personal knowledge of no fly zones with like five jets ?
Okay, some good news
Marines Face Huge CR Procurement Loss
By Colin Clark Tuesday, March 8th, 2011
http://www.dodbuzz.com/2011/03/08/marines-may-face-huge-procurement-loss/
Feh. Doesn’t matter one whit what the proles want or think or “vote for.” That’s a mug’s game anymore.
I’m going with what some commented, above: even IF the USA engineers a full withdrawal from Iraq & Afganistan, all those sweet sweet US tax dollahs in the MIC budget will still be “needed” and the budget won’t be decreased by dime. If anything, that budget will increase by many many many dimes (and more).
And many conservatives will clap & cheer when RushGlennSarah tell ‘em that is so necessary in order to maintain our freedumbs ‘n stuff. Ya know: Freedom isn’t Free (my ancient mom, RIP, had *several* cheap tawdry “blankets” with that ludicrous statement on them…. ick; I disposed of ‘em all down the trash chute when she died).
That’s about the same number of Americans who favored a public option.
Full withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan might be popular. It might even be the right thing to do. Doesn’t mean the American people will see it happen any time soon. Not with this batch of losers and sellouts in the White House and Congress who call themselves Democrats.
We don’t have a functioning democracy. It’s all about what the elites want. 2/3 of Americans don’t mean doodly squat. Elections are just dog and pony shows.
Polls like this imply that Americans really care one way or the other about foreign relations. Afghanistan was, what, about three percent in the last election? With all due respect for the American people, they have more important things (to them) to worry about than Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of them probably couldn’t find these places on a globe.
IOW the fact that most Americans really don’t give a damn mandates reductions in US overseas military operations.
ha!
We can’t leave, we’re at terror level pink. Attack is eminent. Guard your skyscrapers.
March on Washington,DC. March 19th with US Veterans against the war. Put up or shut up people.
http://www.answercoalition.org/national/events/saturday-march-19-2011.html