Europeans Say U.S. Should Pay to Rebuild Iraq

[kskiska]

BRUSSELS: Two-thirds of European Union citizens think the US-led invasion of Iraq was unjustified and the United States should pay to rebuild the country, an opinion poll taken for the European Commission shows.

The survey, taken in all 15 EU member states in the run-up to last week's Iraq donors' conference in Madrid, found that most Europeans want the United Nations and Iraq's provisional government to manage the reconstruction effort, not Washington.

And most oppose sending their own country's troops to keep peace in Iraq, although opinion on that is more evenly divided.

(snip)

But six months after the toppling of Saddam, a majority in every EU country except Denmark said the war was unjustified.

Overall, 68 per cent of EU citizens questioned said the war was totally or rather unjustified, while 29 per cent said it was totally or rather justified.

The biggest anti-war majorities were in Greece (96 per cent), Austria (86 per cent), France (81 per cent) and Spain (79 per cent), even though the Spanish government supported the war.

more…
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2707665a12,00.html

[Spazito]

1. Europeans understand "You break it, you buy it" quite well....

and it is not just Europe that feels that way.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

2. Believe it or not

Many of us in America feel the same way. Well, ok, a few of us feel that way.

According to polls, a majority of Americans don't think that we should be spending $87bn in Iraq when we could use the money at home. I completely understand the sentiment, but this sentiment completely ignores that everything broken in Iraq is OUR FAULT, OUR RESPONSIBILITY. Of course, this majority that doesn't want to spend the money is also the same majority that dutifully lined up behind Bush in his push for war.

In other words, we're OK with an illegal invasion, and we're fine with killing lots of innocent people, so long as we can get the European Union and the Japanese and the Canadians to pay the bill for us.

And by the way, the cost is already higher than 87 billion, and it will go much higher still. And if we were to pay all of those costs, the oil still doesn't belong to us.

I have no understanding of how my government and many of its citizens justify their thinking, or lack thereof.

[Flying_Pig]

3. What the hell is wrong with Denmark?

Is butter from all those cookies they eat clogging the cappilaries in their brains?

Actually, the Danes have a very war-like history. It was the Danes who were the baddest Vikings in all Scandanavia, and conquered much of it at one time or another. Still, they are now a very progressive and socilized country, and for the life of me, I can't understand their stance on the war. Anyone have any real knowledge as to why.

[stickdog]

11. Quite clearly, there's

something rotten there.

[Voltaire99]

4. What *is* the price of a feel-good invasion?

Oh, half a trillion or so.

Surprise, Freepers and FOX boys and flag-waving SUV drivers! You can't get that scale of entertainment for free.

The bill is on the way...

[leftchick]

5. I think smirk boy should donate all of his nazi fed trust fund

to the effort. Good golly that must be worth a few billion by now what with the carlye/saudi donations and all....

[Gin]

6. if all his * rich friends donated one years tax break..Iraq would be paved

in gold.

I agree with them...but they should help us get rid of the termites who have burrowed into our white house.

[Say_What]

7. Right they are

Did SmirkBOy & Co. really think that they could destroy a country and then expect the rest of the planet to pay to rebuild it? The world is saying a collective F*ck You! to Uncle Sam and his arrogance.

So much trouble for the Bushies, just in time for 2004. :evilgrin:

[beanball]

8. We the people

let
those lying bastards destroy a country that was doing nothing to the american people,the world court should convene and give their verdict as to who should rebuild what was destroyed.After the verdict,which I am sure would condemn the bush gang,our not so supreme court should deny chaney,s boys from being envolved in the rebuilding.War profiterring is a crime in this country and bush and chaney should be jailed.

[E_Zapata]

9. Okay, I get that, and I think it's a legitimate thing to ask the USA

Fix what we broke.

BUT, if the bush leeches would let go of those pipelines and share the power and the burdens over there, then the world should pitch in to fix it. But not until the imperialist americans let go of their little prize.

And if justice can prevail, and the US is made to take its claws out of Iraq......and the EU still thinks the US should pay for it, then I say, we find the money by CUTTING the billions and billions and billions of dollars that we send outside of this country.

I mean,.....those EUers with this opinion aren't really taking into account how much MONEY we send out all over the world, and how much we have sent out all over the world for decades.

Do they not do the math for how, for example, the US giving $25 billion to a little 3rd world nation paves the way for one of the EU countries to do trade with that 3rd world nation which creates an economic boon for that EU country?

So, the issue isn't 'should the us pay for it?'; the issue is: american imperialism is a very bad thing......america needs to be thrown out of iraq, and pay a good sum of money, but have the UN go in there and rebuild the place.

[Spazito]

10. I think the EU and other countries know that one big way to defeat...

Bush is to leave him hanging in Iraq. I have little doubt that if a dem were to become President, there would be a sea change in terms of offers of help providing the new President did as you say needs to be done.

[Holly]

12. Bush is on his own

I agree. No leader is going to commit political suicide to help Bush get re-elected. They sure won't help him pursue the PNAC agenda. If a Dem is in office, all this will change.Even Blair seems to be distancing himself, his heart isn't in it anymore. (couldn't resist).:eyes:

[PartyPooper]

13. Welcome to DU, Holly!

I think you're going to like it here!

:evilgrin:

[newyawker99]

17. Hi Holly!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Mokito]

14. Homer and the candy machine

like bush* and Iraq

http://www.angelfire.com/md/Rihani/images/arm.wav

[Paschall]

15. I don't have a link, but I think you should understand...

...that several European nations contribute more per capita to international aid and development--and I mean significantly more--than the United States.

Just because the US has the world's deepest pockets doesn't mean it's always the biggest spender. Nor is US "aid" always really helpful to populations or effectively spent (for example: protecting pipelines, fighting the "drug war" with military force, pushing GM foods on peasants, etc.).

[E_Zapata]

16. yeah, you are right......we don't wear only a white hat

that's for sure.

Well, let's get a dem in and see how things shape up.