Why is our military so misinformed????

[NJmaverick]

I was reading the rest of the Zobie poll of the Military people in Iraq and found this part SHOCKING!


The wide-ranging poll also shows that 58% of those serving in country say the U.S. mission in Iraq is clear in their minds, while 42% said it is either somewhat or very unclear to them, that they have no understanding of it at all, or are unsure. While 85% said the U.S. mission is mainly “to retaliate for Saddam’s role in the 9-11 attacks,” 77% said they also believe the main or a major reason for the war was “to stop Saddam from protecting al Qaeda in Iraq.”

http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1075

[Avalux]

1. They watch Fox News and only Fox News, per DOD orders

When the information getting to them is controlled, what can we expect? I'm sure their emails are screened too.

[pocket]

7. they do get NPR & BBC in Iraq but you can only lead a horse to water

.

[Katherine Brengle]

19. My hubby says they only watch FOX News where he is. n/t

[pocket]

24. I was talking about radio

not so fun to watch, and they use too many big words for the average GI

[Skelington]

30. The "average GI" ?

Every single "average GI" is a remarkable component to something larger than themselves, and deserve better than an ill-informed cheap shot.

I proudly spent the best 23 years of my life as active duty USMC, how dare you make a comment like that regarding the "average GI". Someday you may grow up enough to love something larger than yourself, someday you may even understand what love of country is all about, but for now your little cheap shot at the men and women in uniform shows your experience level.

Regardless of your opnion of bush, or his dilusional thinking, the men and women in uniform don't deserve petty, self serving insults.
Your assesment of our soldiers inability to comprehend information leads me to believe you have little comprehenshion of just how ignorant your statement really is. I can put that in smaller words if it will help.


Semper Fi

[Sammy Pepys]

31. jerk...n/t

....

[Texasgal]

32. What a shitty comment!

That was really uncalled for!

[npincus]

20. "per DOD orders"????? OMG- how do you know that?

[Avalux]

28. I don't know that for sure.

I have known folks over there and it's Fox News all the time. Rummy's on a propoganda crusade - he'll control everything he can.

[underpants]

2. Eh whatever gets you through

I doubt that it is really that high. Some of it is probably an inside joke like how students obviously screw up tests on purpose, some of it is that they get drummed with it all the time, some of it is groupthink, some of it is real, some of isn't and there is a mixture of all that.

[converted_democrat]

8. They don't have access to alot of info..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x547522

[MadMaddie]

3. Because they only hear what their military Leadership wants them to...

Their access to news and accuracy of why they are in war is not being told to them because it would demoralize them....

Think about it if you have watched your buddies get blown to bits and you have had to defend yourself and kill the enemy (who has been defined for you as Al Queeda insurgents) and then you find out that the real reason that you were told you were going to war was a lie....

it would lead to mutiny...and a breakdown in military order..

We have Dem soldiers over there and they know the truth...they just can't share the truth....that is why we have a surprising number of soldiers coming back and getting into politics and running as Dems....

[The Sad Little Pony]

10. I did encounter MANY...

Al Qaeda in Iaq.

[specimenfred1984]

11. And You Know This...How?

eom

[The Sad Little Pony]

17. Various means.

Propaganda found on their persons.
Confessions.
Videos claiming credit for attacks.
Flyers emblazoned with the AQIZ logo.
Intel sources higher and adjacent.

Many formerly Iraqi Insurgent groups are now associated with AQ, for the sake of support and ideology.

[Jara sang]

21. Again, how do you know this if you do not speak the language?

[leftchick]

33. he sleeps with the fishes

along with all of the other keyboard Kammandos.

[dogday]

35. More like he is on his way to the glue factory nt

[MadMaddie]

12. I believe they are there no doubt about it.........

And thank you for your noble service we are proud of our service men and women. :patriot:

I just think that it's under reported that Iraqi's are taking shots at our soldiers also..... (Not all but enough to cause bodily harm to our guys and gals)


Welcome Home!!

[specimenfred1984]

14. It Certainly was Predicted that Where the U.S. Goes...

Al-Qaida will follow. I was just wondering what makes a person sure that another person is a member of Al-Qaida. Which then raises the question of torture.

Let's go there if anyone dares.

[MadMaddie]

22. You are absolutely correct...

it was predicted...but curious * and Rummy weren't going to hear anything like that...they are not deep criticial thinkers, they don't heed history and they don't heed the law..

I am a sucker for dares...

It's been proven that torture doesn't work, mental or physical torture....you will get the answer you desire with torture....

If you have a person that may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time and is picked up and tortured ...and he wasn't part of Al Quaida before...there is a high probability that when he is released he may become part of the group because of the torture....

Then you have the three warring factions in Iraq that have been fighting each other for hundreds of years....they are fighting with each other and our troops are caught in the middle. The * cabal lumping them in with Al Qaida? whoooo....slippery slope....

I think therin lies the problem, is every brown person in Iraq Al Qaida? How do you tell the difference...

With every innocent Iraqi man, women and child that is caught up in this debacle the * cabal creates an Al Qaida member or insurgent....* broke it and now it's impossible to go back and fix it...

Just a few thoughts...

[The Sad Little Pony]

18. Most of the AQ in IZ

Are Iraqi.
There are some Foreign Fighters, but many more Iraqi AQ.

At first I thought it was just politically convenient labelling.
As time went on, it became apparent that most of the active Iraqi Groups are becoming allied with AQ.

[Orsino]

4. They need to believe in what they're doing.

Today's military demands ever-greater sacrifices, and so service members are eager for any justification that means they are not suckers. I don't hold this against them; I've been there.

But good gravy! They should have given up years ago in the face of obvious Administration lies.

[librechik]

5. Limbaugh on Armed Forces Radio

Franken and Schultz barely started counter propoganda.

[pocket]

6. if they weren't misinformed then they wouldn't enlist in the first place

chicken/egg thing

[converted_democrat]

9. Because they don't have access to much information..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x547522

[w8liftinglady]

13. when my son was in Iraq(three times)-

they worked about 16-18 hours/day,7 days a week.occaisionally,he'd get a break and get to call or email,but usually they were working.Not much time for news(besides,they are 19-21 year old guys for the most part-what do YOU think they are going to watch when they have a few hours).On his first deployment,there was a great deal of tension between us,as he was totally committed to the cause.After his second deployment,when he was sent to Fallujah for "something that was really bad"-his demeanor changed.He was very quiet and withdrawn.His third deployment,he was like"F*ck this noise"Then he was injured,and totally supports my activism.They really are insulated from the news overseas.

[specimenfred1984]

15. Some are, Some Aren't

My neighbor, who was there for almost 2 years had frequent access to a computer w/video conferencing to the U.S..

[MadMaddie]

16. Thank you for sharing with us...

and please thank your son for his service and sacrifice...

I think this is why we are seeing so many of the soldiers coming back and getting politically active!!


:hi:

[w8liftinglady]

40. thank you..and I agree..

David Harris,who will be running for House in my district against Joe Barton,is an Iraq War vet,and he relays many woes about the VA system after care.I read an article that said 1 in 3 soldiers are being treated for mental issues related to their time in Iraq.

[genie_weenie]

25. Sorry your Son was injured

I was in Ramadi during the Operation Al Fajr in Fallujah (Nov 2004) helping to support the 2/1 CAV Blackjack who were operating ivo Karmah.

Now, I'm out of the Corps, whilst my guys are back in Ramadi for their 3rd tour! Each and every Marine I have served with is committed to leaving the Corps.

We discussed the Anthrax policy before...

[w8liftinglady]

39. I'm not sorry-he'd still be in Iraq if he wasn't injured...but thanks :)

[dogday]

34. My Son is there now and working the same hours

Said he averages about 60-90 hours a week and gets one day off... Same thing....

[baldguy]

23. It's called political indoctrination.

[FearofFutility]

26. There have been several threads about this that keep sinking

I just want to point out that this poll was based on 944 soldiers. The numbers still amazed me though.

[SoCalDem]

27. propaganda

Rush`Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Michael Savage-weiner, Neil Boortz, G.Gordon Libby, Ollie North, etc..

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

29. It goes with the territory. The military discourages thinking.

Soldiers are trained killers. That's their function. That's why they carry guns. They are supposed to follow orders, not ask questions about what the hell they're doing.

It comes within the first 5 minutes of boot camp/basic training and continues until you get killed or get out.

[pocket]

36. also, water is wet.

:D

[DeaconBlues]

37. because the average troop is young, dumb, and full of you know what

I'm not putting down anyone in the military. Hell, I was one of them, a number of years back, and this is how I know what's going on in the head of the typical volunteer.

They are young and inexperienced. They are from poorer backgrounds, so they may have not had much time to devote to keeping informed as other who are more advantaged. Many have probably never watched an actual news program in its entirety. They definitely don't have much time for the news in the service.

They are also filled with an immature patriotism that made them join in the first place (especially in these times). So, they are more likely to buy into the lies that have been given to them by the Administration and others. So, the numbers you give don't surprise me at all.


I'm not saying there aren't career soldiers who know what's going on, but the new troops who make up the majority of the military aren't going to be very informed, or in a state of mind that lends itself to being informed.

[Garbo]

38. Nothing like good, old-fashioned....

.....contempt for the military. What a lovely thread.