UK Survey of Iraqi Opinion - The Murdochian Spin

[babylonsister]

http://allspinzone.com/wp/2007/03/18/the-murdochian-spin/

UK Survey of Iraqi Opinion - The Murdochian Spin

The construction of surveys and analysis of the results is an art form unto itself. Every public opinion poll is influenced by the phrasing of questions, the order in which questions are asked, the skill of the interviewer, underlying personal bias of the responder, and survey sample representation. Let’s be clear about something right up front - I’m not a survey / polling wonk, and don’t claim to be an expert at analyzing survey results - but I can read and make some basic interpretations.

Only a Rupert Murdoch publication (The Times, UK) could positively spin the results of a survey that indicates one in four Iraqis have had a family member murdered since the invasion of Iraq four years ago:

MOST Iraqis believe life is better for them now than it was under Saddam Hussein, according to a British opinion poll published today.

The survey of more than 5,000 Iraqis found the majority optimistic despite their suffering in sectarian violence since the American-led invasion four years ago this week…

The Times article is based on a survey conducted by the UK polling firm, Opinion Research Business. It’s difficult to draw any specific conclusions about a possible ideological slant of ORB, because their client list appears to be all over the ideology roadmap - which is actually a good thing, at least from my own personal standpoint of determining survey credibility. This particular survey sampled 5,019 adults aged 18+ throughout Iraq, and was conducted in face-to-face interviews in all areas of the country. A PDF of the actual survey results and demographics can be found here.

So, with this introduction out of the way, let’s examine a few of the stats from the ORB survey, Public Attitudes in Iraq - Four Years On, March 2007. My commentary is in italics. (Note: for raw sectarian analytical purposes, I’m using the Mother Jones demographic breakdown of Iraq - 65% Shia, 15% Sunni, and 20% Kurd.)

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[Briar]

1. The BBC tried some damage control today as well

John Simpson's gloss on the poll was that Iraqis are "fickle". Yes, when they were polled they were feeling down, but now the surge is working they are feeling less "gloomy" he said. Now, isn't that just like these dark skinned foreigners all over? They're moody, inconsistent, prone to hysteria, lacking resolve. Just like women and children, really. Fancy being gloomy because 655,000 of your fellow citizens have died during a western imposed crusade for "freedom and democracy". Just shows they aren't worthy of it, doesn't it, and that their opinions don't amount to a hill of beans.

[depakid]

2. And the corporate media is already repeating this propaganda

Over and over.

Despite its obvious absurdity- no doubt many ignorant Americans, desperate for some way to quell their cognitive dissonance will buy into it.