Posted on 03/12/2008 1:04:36 PM PDT by .cnI redruM
....Overall, the results presented in this paper suggest several important facts. First, the findings suggest that there is an explicit and quantifiable cost to public debate during wartime in the form of increased attacks. Based on these results, it appears that Iraqi insurgent groups believe that when the U.S. political landscape is more uncertain, initiating a higher level of attacks increases the likelihood that the U.S. will reduce the scope of its engagement in the conflict. However, the magnitude of the response by Iraqi insurgent groups is relatively small. To the extent that U.S. political speech does affect insurgent incentives, it changes things only by about 10-20 percent. The estimated effects, while consistent in direction across different specifications, also vary considerably in magnitude. Given the relatively large standard errors and the potential lack of robustness to specification, these coefficients should be interpreted with cautionmore dispositive of the cost-sensitivity of insurgents than a precise estimate of their elasticity to increased costs.....
(Excerpt) Read more at people.rwj.harvard.edu ...
That conclusion paragraph hits the point. The more people in the US oppose the war, the more insurgents in Iraq attempt to blow up our soldiers. It's a direct correlation.
And we needed some Harvard PHD to tell us this?
Of course. When we first invaded Iraq, Syria and Iran were making all kinds of nice sounds, until they realized we really were stupid enough to let them get away with murder. Bush was hamstrung by the left and our enemies know it.
The bad news is that we would have to follow the findings of a Harvard study.
ping
Promises to be an interesting read...
Only? ONLY?!?!?!! ONLY?!?!?!?!??!?!!!!!! Over the course of the entire war, that "only" means another several hundred dead brave members of our military and another several thousand wounded.
That’s why we got rid of the draft.
great find!
Notice it is not yet published.
I predict it will not be allowed in academic circulation.
The best news is that this insidious cycle does I believe Work in reverse
That’s why aqi is getting whacked so bad now
No media. No criticism at home no recruits for aqi. Its becoming its own vicious circle.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.