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Friday, January 31, 2003
Who cares what they think
If there is one consistent theme running through your average warblog (outside of the fact that none of them are scheduled to do any actual fighting themselves short of, maybe a few hours playing Splinter Cell), it is the constant harping on Germany and France, whose people also did not elect President XBox. Vodka Pundit, for example, says:
Now comes word that 21 nations will allow US forces access for next month’s Iraq war. A further 20 will allow overflights by US warplanes. We’re talking almost a quarter of the world’s governments. Now we’re getting into some serious numbers here. And that doesn’t even include places like Lithuania, who don’t have anything useful to offer us, but will at least wish us well in our endeavor.
And who is on board? Maybe not all the biggest countries, but certainly some of the finest – and most of the ones who matter. The United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Spain, Poland, Canada, Turkey, Kuwait, Romania, Bulgaria, Israel and more. Maybe you don’t like all of them. I know I don’t. But if, like us, none of them is perfect, at least, like us, they’re mostly trying to do better.
Yet two countries that used to be in the Top Ten, Germany and France, are not only doing everything in their meager powers to stop us, they’re accusing us of acting unilaterally. I’m starting to suspect that in parts of western Europe, “unilateral” means “without the express, detailed, written-in-triplicate consent, and under the overly scrutinizing overview of Paris and Berlin.”
The sad part is, many Americans agree.
Look, whether you’re for or against this new phase of the Terror War, by what principle does Franco-German meddling in the goal of a 42 nations carry more weight and is deemed more “multilateral” than the 42-nation coalition?
Shouldn’t Paris stop its cowboy ways and rejoin the Mostly Decent nations of the world? Isn’t it high time Germany stopped goose-stepping on the dreams of 22 million oppressed Iraqis?
While it true that most countries appear to be supporting Operation Inigo Montoya, well, the citizens beg to differ:
A 39-nation public opinion survey published Friday found sentiment in favor of military action against Iraq strongest in the United States and Australia, while six in 10 in France and Russia and half in Germany opposed it under any circumstances.
[snip...]
Poll results also can be affected by question wording. The Gallup International survey asked, in native languages: "Are you in favor of military action against Iraq?" with response alternatives "Under no circumstances," "Only if sanctioned by the United Nations," "Unilaterally by America and its allies," or don't know/no opinion.
In the United States, 33 percent favored "unilateral" action by America and allies - by far the highest percentage of any country surveyed (Uganda was next with 20 percent) - while 34 percent favored military action if U.N.-sanctioned.
In Australia, 56 percent favored U.N.-sanctioned action and 12 percent favored "unilateral" action. Other countries with majorities favoring one or the other of the pro-war responses were New Zealand (60 percent), Ireland and Holland (58 percent each) and Canada (56 percent). Those responses combined got 50 percent in Switzerland and other countries within sampling error of that mark were Britain, Hong Kong, Romania, Germany, Denmark, Uganda and Cameroon.
In Britain, Bush's strongest ally in the campaign against Iraq, 41 percent said no under any circumstances, 39 percent would support U.N.-sanctioned action and 10 percent agreed with unilateral action.
In France and Russia, whose leaders have opposed unilateral action by the United States and Britain, a majority of respondents said no under any circumstances - 59 percent in Russia and 60 percent in France. In Germany, whose government also opposes a unilateral war, 50 percent said no under any circumstances.
Twenty-one percent of Americans said no to war against Iraq under any circumstances. At the other end of the sentiment scale, about 80 percent in Argentina and Uruguay and roughly 75 percent in Macedonia, Bosnia and Spain opposed military action under any circumstances. Six in 10 in India and Pakistan also felt that way.
So yes it is fair to say that many countries support the Boy Emperor....but unlike us, they don't have representative governments (insert irony here) . If the war goes badly or causes terrorist attacks to start up in countries with large Muslim populations, look for some governments to change.
Apocalypse now.
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