Iraq war leaves Americans skeptical of force as a tool to spread democracy

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N28324502.htm

CHICAGO, Sept 29 (Reuters) - The war in Iraq has left Americans skeptical about the use of military force as a tool to spread democracy, according to a poll released on Thursday.

Seventy-two percent of those questioned said the conflict has made them feel worse about the use of military force "to bring about democracy" down the road, compared to only 20 percent who said it made them feel better about such a prospect, the survey found.

It also found that nearly three of every four Americans believe overthrowing Iraq's government and trying to establish a democracy in its place was not a good enough reason to go to war there. The survey did not address the question of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

"Most Americans do not appear to have been persuaded by President George W. Bush's ... argument that promoting democracy is a critical means for fighting terrorism and making the world safer," said Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes, a research group affiliated with the University of Maryland.

[leftchick]

1. duh!

dumbed down amerikans are seeing the light? Finally?

[malaise]

2. Double duh!

Did it take nearly 2000 dead young Americans, over 100,000 dead Iraqis and thousands of permanently injured soldiers people for them to realize this???

[babylonsister]

3. Americans are finally waking up to the fact that

our problems aren't being addressed or even handled here by this lazy, corrupt admin. Too bad it took a storm like Katrina to wake them up.

[Sanity Claws]

4. How could anyone think that democracy could be imposed by

an invading army?
I don't think anyone really did. Spreading democracy was just a loincloth for *'s imperialist ambitions.

[Freedomfried]

5. actually, war is pretty much an obsolete tool for doing anything with