War With Iran? (American Citizens' Support For The Iraq War Before - And After - Invasion)

Alan: When America goes to war, people "rally around the flag."

Let's be clear.

We are monkeys. 

Which is to say we are manipulable, chest-thumping monkeys.

In the absence of deep education and bedrock dedication to rich contextualization, "monkey see, monkey do."

Accelerating the beat of America's "war drum" was as true for the invasion of Iraq -- the stupidest, most self-harming war the United States has ever undertaken -- as it was for Uncle Sam's other belligerent escapades in the post-World War II era.

"Israeli War Historian, Martin van Creveld's Startling Commentary On The Iraq War"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/06/israeli-war-historian-martin-van.html

Excerpt: "For misleading the American people, and launching the most foolish war since Emperor Augustus in 9 B.C sent his legions into Germany and lost them, Bush deserves to be impeached and, once he has been removed from office, put on trial along with the rest of the president’s men. If convicted, they’ll have plenty of time to mull over their sins." 

War historian Martin van Creveld is the only non-U.S. author whose writings are obligatory reading by America's Officer Corps."

Brace yourselves for SOBMF's "legacy war."

You can't be a "real" president without one.

Invasion of Iraq

Although pro-war sentiments were very high after 9/11, public opinion stabilized soon after, and slightly in favor of the war. According to a Gallup poll conducted from August 2002 through early March 2003, the number of Americans who favored the war in Iraq fell between 52 percent to 59 percent, while those who opposed it fluctuated between 35 percent and 43 percent.^[10]

Days before the March 20 invasion, a USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll found support for the war was related to UN approval. Nearly six in 10 said they were ready for such an invasion "in the next week or two." But that support dropped off if the U.N. backing was not first obtained. If the United Nations Security Council were to reject a resolution paving the way for military action, 54% of Americans favored a U.S. invasion. And if the Bush administration did not seek a final Security Council vote, support for a war dropped to 47%.^[1]

An ABC News/Washington Post poll taken after the beginning of the war showed a 62% support for the war, lower than the 79% in favor at the beginning of the Persian Gulf War.^[2]

However, when the US invaded Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom, public support for the conflict rose once again. According to a Gallup poll, support for the war was up to 72 percent on March 19, the day the fighting began. Positive opinion on the war was not only present, it was strong. Out of the 72 percent who reported supporting the war, 59 percent reported supporting the war strongly, and although allied commanders said they had not yet found evidence of weapons of mass destruction days after the initial invasion, 9 out of 10 Americans believed it was "at least somewhat likely" that the United States would find evidence of these weapons.^[6]

President George H. Bush's approval rating also jumped at the beginning of the war, going up 13 percentage points at the start of this conflict (Smith and Lindsay).^[10]

May 2003[edit]

A Gallup poll made on behalf of CNN and USA Today concluded that 79% of Americans thought the Iraq War was justified, with or without conclusive evidence of illegal weapons. 19% thought weapons were needed to justify the war.^[11]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_opinion_in_the_United_States_on_the_invasion_of_Iraq

"Bush's Toxic Legacy In Iraq"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/06/bushs-toxic-legacy-in-iraq.html

Hans Blix' Fruitless Search For WMD And Bush/Cheney's Rush To War In Iraq

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/08/hans-blix-fruitless-search-for-wmd-and.html

Cheney's Lucid 1994 Rationale For NOT Invading Iraq. Conservatives "Must" See This

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/08/cheneys-lucid-1996-rationale-for-not.html

"The Fall Of Iraq. Jawdropping Video Footage Of Cheney, Albright, Gen Clarke & Others"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-fall-of-iraq-jawdropping-video.html

"Terrorism And The Other Religions"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/04/terrorism-and-other-religions-juan-cole.html

"Obama's Benghazi And Reagan's Beirut"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/10/cover-letter-to-beirut-bombing-mass.html