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(National Review)   New survey shows the vast majority of Iraqis feel safer than ever in their own neighborhoods, that they support their new government and increasingly reject sectarian violence. Somebody needs to remind them what a failure this war has been   (article.nationalreview.com) divider line
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692 clicks; posted to Politics » on 21 Jul 2006 at 2:32 PM (16 years ago)   |   Favorite    |   share:  Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook



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bearsfolks
2006-07-21 2:00:28 PM  
I suppose the best person to "remind them" will be an upper middle-class white liberal from the comfort and safety of the U.S.
 
2wolves [TotalFark]
2006-07-21 2:15:06 PM  
U fuuni.
 
Sensei Can You See [TotalFark]
2006-07-21 2:16:19 PM  
Let's send Arianna Huffington over and let her explain it to them.
 
Kyosuke
2006-07-21 2:18:20 PM  
The Easter Bunny is real, too.
 
SpongBub
2006-07-21 2:21:08 PM  
What's with the National Review? Are they like the official propaganda rag of the Republicans or something?
 
Killrthm
2006-07-21 2:23:26 PM  
Yeah, I'm sure that as president of American Majority, this guy MUST be telling the truth.
 
RobbieFal
2006-07-21 2:23:36 PM  
Spongbub, You mean that Newsmax was deposed for that honor?
 
Old_Fark
2006-07-21 2:24:36 PM  
"The International Republican Institute's "Survey of Iraqi Public Opinion,"

Now class, what is wrong with this sentence?
BTW I happen to know that at least 100 Iraqis per day disagree with this poll.
 
TheOnion [TotalFark]
2006-07-21 2:27:26 PM  
If they put it on the internets, it must be true! Or, surverys never. Your choice
 
ChairmanKaga
2006-07-21 2:31:14 PM  
SpongBub

What's with the National Review? Are they like the official propaganda rag of the Republicans or something?

Yes, Yes they are:

Cable Broadcast = FoxNews
Print Media = National Review and WSJ
Web = NewsMax
 
vernonFL
2006-07-21 2:33:37 PM  
Basically what they found is that in the north of the country (Kurdish) and the south of the country (Shi'ite) everything is going pretty well. In the middle of the country (Sunni/mixed) things are not going as well.

This is obvious to anyone who has been paying attention.
 
inFARKshun
2006-07-21 2:35:54 PM  
Good news for the dozens of bodies flowing into the Baghdad morgues daily!
 
uh_clem
2006-07-21 2:38:03 PM  
Darn, that kool ade is sure refreshing.

Why, thank you, I will have another.
 
Macinfarker [OhFark]
2006-07-21 2:38:33 PM  
Um, DUH. The Republican party conducted the 'survey'

"We surveyed 2000 [dead] Iraqis and found their opinions of the war to be quite uplifting"
 
Occams_Electric_Razor
2006-07-21 2:39:18 PM  
I've got a Reuters story just out this very day that talks about the fact that partitioning Iraq is being discussed since all other ways to avoid civil war has failed.
 
Mr. Clarence Butterworth
2006-07-21 2:39:35 PM  
I hope those 30-odd people who got blown up yesterday appreciate all the US did for them.
 
Fart_Machine
2006-07-21 2:40:45 PM  
Awesome, then we can start clearing out the region right?
 
Skleenar
2006-07-21 2:41:33 PM  
Quote:

Eighty-four percent of Iraqis list "security" as either their top, second, or third concern; 71 percent list "infrastructure"; and 54 percent list economic development/job creation.

Headline:

New survey shows the vast majority of Iraqis feel safer than ever in their own neighborhoods

They feel so safe that, by an overwhelming majority, they consider security to be the top priority.
 
RsquaredW
2006-07-21 2:42:25 PM  
I can't help myself.

Mission Accomplished.

// now let's go home
 
TofuTheAlmighty [BareFark]
2006-07-21 2:42:29 PM  
Old_Fark: Oh yeah, well I bet those 100 Iraqis per day don't disagree with the poll!

Good luck asking them, I doubt you'll get much of a reply.
 
dogdaze
2006-07-21 2:42:56 PM  
The news here to most farkers is things are indeed going well in Iraq and the country is making progress towards stability. This is not news to MSM b/c anything good out of Iraq is good for the the GOP and independents and therefore needs to the buried on to page 33 or just not published at all. What's good for free minded people these days is that we are no longer limited to our sources of news, thanks to the internets and cable TV.

I know many of you are going to trash what I've just said, and that's fine. At least I have the right to say it and I welcome the criticism. Iraqis too have similar rights now, where before speaking their minds often meant death/rape/torture.

/just sayin'
 
Bladel
2006-07-21 2:45:00 PM  
"Another Mosque bombing, chief. Heavy casulaties."

"Quick! Launch the Surveys!!"
 
inFARKshun
2006-07-21 2:45:08 PM  
Iraqis too have similar rights now, where before speaking their minds often meant death/rape/torture.

Whereas now all it takes is being a particular religion (Sunni or Shi'ite).
 
inFARKshun
2006-07-21 2:47:15 PM  
I'm sure dogdaze and Skwidd are planning to take their family vacations in Baghadad this year.
 
Macinfarker [OhFark]
2006-07-21 2:47:16 PM  
Of course, with a name like Dick Nadler you gotta expect it to be bulls**t if not satirical.

Dogdaze, one Republican's survey does not a 'going well in Iraq' make. Things are not going well there at all, and talk of civil war has been growing for months now. And while I think it will be great if Iraq does stabilize, the possibility of that happening is slim to not anytime soon.
 
ltdanman44 [BareFark]
2006-07-21 2:47:33 PM  
propaganda
 
Fart_Machine
2006-07-21 2:49:33 PM  
dogdaze
This is not news to MSM b/c anything good out of Iraq is good for the the GOP and independents and therefore needs to the buried on to page 33 or just not published at all.

[image from blogfordemocracy.org too old to be available]
 
Occams_Electric_Razor
2006-07-21 2:49:44 PM  
dogdaze: The news here to most farkers is things are indeed going well in Iraq and the country is making progress towards stability. This is not news to MSM b/c anything good out of Iraq is good for the the GOP and independents and therefore needs to the buried on to page 33 or just not published at all. What's good for free minded people these days is that we are no longer limited to our sources of news, thanks to the internets and cable TV.

I'd just like to point out that the Republican talking point that the media is merely ignoring the good news in Iraq is no longer valid. In fact, here's an article about the Republicans backing away from your point:

http://www.gulfnews.com/opinion/columns/region/10053863.html (pops)
 
Harry Pooter
2006-07-21 2:50:46 PM  
Even congressional Republicans are starting to agree that this poll is shiat and Iraq is a mess!
 
Crazy_horce
2006-07-21 2:53:17 PM  
Regardless of how ridiculous "The International Republican Institute's "Survey of Iraqi Public Opinion," may sound.
I have one question:
How did they poll these Iraqis?
I mean i'm sure there are PLENTY of Iraqis with elecetricity, working phones, who aren't working during the day to take your survey calls. If i was one of those privileged few i would think things were going well too...

//just sayin
///polls are the Gospel
////anyone ever take a stats class???
 
TheOtherWoman
2006-07-21 2:53:27 PM  
Some of the surveys that the IRI have sponsored over the past 3 years are available on-line. The trends among the Iraqis are interesting, and reflect a growing comfort in their situation, even by the Sunnis. Good news.
 
ceejayoz [OhFark]
2006-07-21 2:53:37 PM  
The pollsters conducted 2849 interviews in Arabic and Kurdish, balanced for geography, ethnicity, sex, and age.

Anyone wanna take a stab at the number of interviews conducted in the more dangerous areas? "Hey can we ask you some quest... *bang* Okay, moving right along."

Ninety-four percent of Iraqis support a "unity" government, representing all religious and ethnic communities, as opposed to 2 percent who do not support it.

Sure they do. Said "unity" government should just be dominated by their side.
 
Macinfarker [OhFark]
2006-07-21 2:55:07 PM  
Harry Pooter

Thanks for the link...it's not even about Republican stubbornness anymore...now it's about Bush and the religious Right, who believe that teh precious life stops at birth.
 
MasterThief
2006-07-21 2:56:06 PM  
Here's the poll data.

When you get done shooting the messenger, perhaps you should think about actually rebutting the message.
 
TheOtherWoman
2006-07-21 2:56:09 PM  
FYI, these polls are conducted by an Iraqi company and consist of face-to-face interviews.
 
ahigh
2006-07-21 2:57:01 PM  
"Asked about overall security in the nation, 23 percent of Iraqis consider it to be "good" or "fair", compared to 75 percent who rate it "poor." But asked about security in their own neighborhoods, the numbers change drastically. Sixty percent of Iraqis consider security "good" or "fair" where they live, compared to 38 percent who consider it poor."

So, NRO is trying to say that 75 percent think security nationally is bad and 40 percent think security in their neighborhood is bad. Is this really something to hail as progress if 40 out of 100 people don't feel safe in their own homes?

Why isn't Fox reporting more good news out of Iraq? There's lots of calls for more good news to be reported, but when, one, press doesn't have access because areas are deemed too dangerous, and two, there is no good news, guess what, how the hell to you expect them to report more good news.

And forgive some of us for thinking that it's more important for media organizations to cover the fact that people are dying (and the decisions that led to their deaths, and the reason those decisions are still valid and their sacrifice is still in some way acceptable) than the opening of some school or oil pipeline.

/i have outrage fatigue
 
Crazy_horce
2006-07-21 2:59:29 PM  
TheOtherWoman
and you know this how???
 
Crazy_horce
2006-07-21 3:01:48 PM  
ahigh
When "areas are deemed too dangerous", one would think that there is not much good news coming from there...but feel free to go and find out for yourself if you need proof!
 
Macinfarker [OhFark]
2006-07-21 3:03:30 PM  
Good grief people the point is that this was conducted by a Republican organization. There is NO WAY IN HELL this is unbiased. This is like a Democrat thinktank saying Clinton didn't perjure himself in court.

How daft to people have to be to actually believe this tripe?
 
skookum
2006-07-21 3:05:07 PM  
Precisely the kind of information the anti-war crowd would prefer we not see. The truth is that Iraq is stabilized for the most part. All we need to continue doing is make sure Iraq has its own security force to deal with the insurgent element.

Nonetheless, we must continue to maintain a presence there, perhaps as long as ten years to ensure the democratically-elected government isn't weakened by corruption or some zealous charismatic Islamic cult of personality.
 
Superjoe
2006-07-21 3:05:47 PM  
Oh God not this NRO shiat again.
 
TheOtherWoman
2006-07-21 3:07:25 PM  
Crazy_horce

They discuss the poll methodology in the report detail. See MasterThief's link.
 
Crazy_horce
2006-07-21 3:09:01 PM  
"...to ensure the democratically-elected government isn't weakened by corruption or some zealous charismatic ... cult of personality."

how do we do that here?
 
Harry Pooter
2006-07-21 3:09:23 PM  

Why isn't Fox reporting more good news out of Iraq? There's lots of calls for more good news to be reported, but when, one, press doesn't have access because areas are deemed too dangerous, and two, there is no good news, guess what, how the hell to you expect them to report more good news.

Uhhhhhhh, they're supposed to make it up. Duh.

Clearly you forgotten how the press is supposed to operate in a Post-9/11 WorldTM.
 
Occams_Electric_Razor
2006-07-21 3:09:50 PM  
skookum: Precisely the kind of information the anti-war crowd would prefer we not see. The truth is that Iraq is stabilized for the most part. All we need to continue doing is make sure Iraq has its own security force to deal with the insurgent element.

Then why won't our our top military brass say we're winning there?

There's no shame in the fact that you were conned into supporting this disaster at the outset.
 
kmill25
2006-07-21 3:10:00 PM  
I don't remember the last time I looked on the Front Page of any of the major newspapers and saw any good news in large print. Good news doesn't sell newspapers. The way trends are going bad news doesn't sell newspapers either.

Have you ever noticed that the promos for the 11:00 news are always like this: "X item may kill you! News at 11!" or "Want to get rid of those pesky giant ants? News at 11!"

The media rarely leads off with good news. It does not catch your attention unless it has to do with your money. "Will you be getting a tax cut? News at 11!" Want to beat Uncle Sam at the tax game? News at 11!" So spare me this good news nonsense. I remember the following headline well "Clinton Impeached!" Wouldn't you say that was good news to you Right-wingers? For 8 years the media skewered Bill Clinton, wasn't that good news to you? How about this revelation? The media will skewer whomever is in power, and since the right happens to run the three branches of government that a majority of the stories will be against you?

Think about that.
 
Harry Pooter
2006-07-21 3:11:50 PM  
I don't remember the last time I looked on the Front Page of any of the major newspapers and saw any good news in large print. Good news doesn't sell newspapers. The way trends are going bad news doesn't sell newspapers either.

Have you ever noticed that the promos for the 11:00 news are always like this: "X item may kill you! News at 11!" or "Want to get rid of those pesky giant ants? News at 11!"

The media rarely leads off with good news. It does not catch your attention unless it has to do with your money. "Will you be getting a tax cut? News at 11!" Want to beat Uncle Sam at the tax game? News at 11!" So spare me this good news nonsense. I remember the following headline well "Clinton Impeached!" Wouldn't you say that was good news to you Right-wingers? For 8 years the media skewered Bill Clinton, wasn't that good news to you? How about this revelation? The media will skewer whomever is in power, and since the right happens to run the three branches of government that a majority of the stories will be against you?

Think about that.

Why do you hate America?
 
Crazy_horce
2006-07-21 3:12:36 PM  
Public Opinion Research

An important goal of IRI's program is to provide Iraqi politicians, opinion leaders, government officials, and prospective candidates with timely and accurate assessments of public opinion. Results from IRI sponsored focus groups and polls are shared widely and constitute one of our most valuable tools for teaching and promoting meaningful political dialogue and responsive politics.

IRI has partnered with an Iraqi organization in the fielding of more than a dozen national opinion polls that solicit public opinion in both rural and urban areas. These polls have provided an important baseline against which to evaluate the Iraqi public's understanding of the January and December 2005 elections, the October 2005 referendum, popular support for the government, as well as issues that are of greatest concern to the people as a new, permanent government forms in 2006.


Nothing mentioned about face to face interviews, or polling methods for that matter. An Iraqi company? Yes
face to face? no
 
SacriliciousBeerSwiller
2006-07-21 3:16:35 PM  
NRO = Yellowtimes
 
skookum
2006-07-21 3:16:53 PM  
Occams_Electric_Razor: Then why won't our our top military brass say we're winning there?

Maybe they're cynical career military men that need to retire. The evidence speaks for itself. What's happening is that rival religious clans are free to fight each other now that Saddam is out of power, and rather than continue to be caught up in this distraction, the key is to train Iraqis to handle their own domestic problems.

There's no shame in the fact that you were conned into supporting this disaster at the outset.

And as I've stated, this is not a disaster. As the article states, substantial progress has been made. The simple truth is that the American people expect a lightning-quick war with equally instant results and that just isn't realistic or even a fair assesment to expect.
 
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