British support for war in Iraq drops - THE FREEDOM SNOBS are out of the closet.

Ananova.com ^ | 3/16/04 | staff

[dinok]

British public support for the war in Iraq has dropped to 43%, from 61% at the end of the war in May, according to a poll.

The Pew Global Attitudes Project survey found, however, that a slight majority of Britons, 51%, viewed Prime Minister Tony Blair favourably.

He got higher ratings in the United States (75%) and lower ones in France, Germany and Russia (35, 33 and 36%, respectively).

But 41% of Britons thought Mr Blair had lied about weapons of mass destruction.

President George Bush got 39% approval among Britons, 15% among the French and 14% among Germans.

In the United States, support for the Iraq war dropped to 60%, from 74% in May. Germans, French and Russians all continued to support their countries' decisions to oppose the war.

Most Britons, 56%, said they wanted Western Europe to be more independent of the United States, and 50% said they thought a European Union equal in power to the United States would be good.

The poll, conducted by the Washington-based group, found that a majority of people in Germany, France and Russia shared those views.

British support for a more powerful EU dropped to 41%, however, if Europe would have to finance its increased responsibility in international matters.

The poll, taken before last week's train bombings in Madrid that killed 200 people, showed that 63% of Britons favoured the US led fight against terrorism. Just over half said those efforts had been sincere, but 41% thought they were motivated by a desire to control Middle East oil or to dominate the world.

[dinok]

I am sickened by the attitude of many here and other democracies who think that its ok for them to live free and vote, but that people who live under dictatorships are not worthy of that freedom. Freedom snobs come from all sides of the political spectrum. Liberals think its ok fro them to demonstate and to have anything in a library, but not of the people in Cuba. Liberals love the Cuban dictatorship and castro. Conservatives are not immune from it as well. They say that if there is no threat fom a dictatorship why should we care about how a dictator treats the people under him. In other words, "I have my freedom...why should I care?"

[Renfield]

I'm also sickened by the fact that we pay for the freedom of the "free" world, while a minority of citizens in those countries appreciates our efforts. We should withdraw from NATO, and make alliances on an ad-hoc basis, with nations we know will shoulder their share of the burden; and that, only AFTER their citizens have voted on a referendem affirming their desire to be American allies, being aware of all that will entail.

[Dr. Frank fan]

British public support for the war in Iraq has dropped to 43% [...] In the United States, support for the Iraq war dropped to 60%

The "war in Iraq" already took place. Shall we poll the British public on their support for the war in Grenada? The United States public on their support for the war in Indochina?

Perhaps the question was really about support for the continued presence in Iraq, while the country is rebuilt built. This would have actually had some relevance. If so, they should have been more clear about that, both to the poll respondents, and to us.

Such a poll, as phrased, is highly misleading. It can be, for example, that the British public feels rather queasy about the circumstances surrounding "the war in Iraq", i.e. the thing that took place last year, while at the same time, supports quite highly the continued presence of troops there. Yet this poll would fail to show the latter sentiment, it seems. And the latter sentiment - feelings about the troops in Iraq right now, not about "the war in Iraq", which took place last year - is the more important one. Right now.

Most Britons, 56%, said they wanted Western Europe to be more independent of the United States

I'll go with that. I, too, want Western Europe to be more independent of the United States. Let's pull our troops out of Germany for example... discontinue NATO as obsolete....

[My2Cents]

Hear hear! I'm also sick of the attitude of those who grow bored or restless because problem in the world isn't solved in 60 minutes like on television.

[dinok]

"I, too, want Western Europe to be more independent of the United States. Let's pull our troops out of Germany for example... discontinue NATO as obsolete..."

The troops we have in Bosnia an go to Iraq.

[swarthyguy]

A BBC ABC Poll showed a majority of the the Iraqis want the US to stay, feel they're better off and freeer than under Saddam, and feel the country is on the right track to a better future. The majorities vary, but the general sentiment is good.

They wouldn't call it snobbism, but are unable to come up with a decent answer when confronted with the fact of a liberated albeit chaotic Iraq.

[Kozak]

Most Britons, 56%, said they wanted Western Europe to be more independent of the United States, and 50% said they thought a European Union equal in power to the United States would be good.

The poll, conducted by the Washington-based group, found that a majority of people in Germany, France and Russia shared those views.

British support for a more powerful EU dropped to 41%, however, if Europe would have to finance its increased responsibility in international matters.

Gee maybe they would like us to pay for it, like we did the majority of their defence during the Cold War. It's going to take more then talk to challenge us, it will take money and balls, neither of which the Euros are willing to put up.

[dinok]

"A BBC ABC Poll showed a majority of the the Iraqis want the US to stay, feel they're better off and freeer than under Saddam, and feel the country is on the right track to a better future."

I saw that BBC poll.

Having lived under a dictatorship and had to listen to people say so what after I got out and would tell them of torture an oppression, I do call it Snobbery.

[KriegerGeist]

I have been expecting the Brits to cut and run any time now. The soldiers have the courage and guts and plenty of conviction in my opinion, but the government doesn't...especially Blair. He would love to have Bush replaced by Kerry so he could and Kerry could both cut and run rom Iraq. I may be wrong, but I don't think I am.

[KriegerGeist]

All U.S. troops out of Western Europe. Take them all out of the Balkans as well. Let the U.N. take care of that mess.

Let all the Euro-weenies band together and form one big, socialist, anti-American love nest until the Islamofascists over-populate/over-immigrate the whole place and then ultimately overthrow it all. It's moving that way anyway.

As for us, we should guard against the emerging Islamic state of Canada. Completely discontinue all Islamics from immigrating to the U.S. from our enemy-terrorist countries.

[Dog Gone]

The Europeans don't like American conservatives. This is no shock. They hated Reagan, too.

The good news is that the British hate us a lot less than the French or Germans.

It's kind of funny that Blair is better-liked here than in Britain, but that's because we don't have to deal with his other agenda items, some of which I think are ruinous.

But all this means nothing. I don't get to vote in German elections, and they don't get to vote here. As it should be.

And if any of these countries chooses not to work with us, they do it at their own peril. We're the superpower and we're willing to lead. They can follow or be left behind. Many have wisely chosen to follow and even work side-by-side.

Those who chose another path may do so without my permission, and they're certainly entitled to reap the consequences of that decision.