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In reply to the discussion: Are we really going to pretend we were fooled into the Iraq War? [View all]Spider Jerusalem
(21,786 posts)41. "We" as in the American people? Were fooled into it
-- Do you believe in Iraqi "WMD"? Did Saddam Hussein's government have weapons of mass destruction in 2003?
Half of America apparently still thinks so, a new poll finds, and experts see a raft of reasons why: a drumbeat of voices from talk radio to die-hard bloggers to the Oval Office, a surprise headline here or there, a rallying around a partisan flag, and a growing need for people, in their own minds, to justify the war in Iraq.
People tend to become "independent of reality" in these circumstances, says opinion analyst Steven Kull.
The reality in this case is that after a 16-month, $900-million-plus investigation, the U.S. weapons hunters known as the Iraq Survey Group declared that Iraq had dismantled its chemical, biological and nuclear arms programs in 1991 under U.N. oversight. That finding in 2004 reaffirmed the work of U.N. inspectors who in 2002-03 found no trace of banned arsenals in Iraq.
Despite this, a Harris Poll released July 21 found that a full 50 percent of U.S. respondents _ up from 36 percent last year _ said they believe Iraq did have the forbidden arms when U.S. troops invaded in March 2003, an attack whose stated purpose was elimination of supposed WMD. Other polls also have found an enduring American faith in the WMD story.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/07/AR2006080700189.html
Half of America apparently still thinks so, a new poll finds, and experts see a raft of reasons why: a drumbeat of voices from talk radio to die-hard bloggers to the Oval Office, a surprise headline here or there, a rallying around a partisan flag, and a growing need for people, in their own minds, to justify the war in Iraq.
People tend to become "independent of reality" in these circumstances, says opinion analyst Steven Kull.
The reality in this case is that after a 16-month, $900-million-plus investigation, the U.S. weapons hunters known as the Iraq Survey Group declared that Iraq had dismantled its chemical, biological and nuclear arms programs in 1991 under U.N. oversight. That finding in 2004 reaffirmed the work of U.N. inspectors who in 2002-03 found no trace of banned arsenals in Iraq.
Despite this, a Harris Poll released July 21 found that a full 50 percent of U.S. respondents _ up from 36 percent last year _ said they believe Iraq did have the forbidden arms when U.S. troops invaded in March 2003, an attack whose stated purpose was elimination of supposed WMD. Other polls also have found an enduring American faith in the WMD story.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/07/AR2006080700189.html
Poll: 70% believe Saddam, 9-11 link
WASHINGTON (AP) Nearly seven in 10 Americans believe it is likely that ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the Sept. 11 attacks, says a poll out almost two years after the terrorists' strike against this country.
Sixty-nine percent in a Washington Post poll published Saturday said they believe it is likely the Iraqi leader was personally involved in the attacks carried out by al-Qaeda. A majority of Democrats, Republicans and independents believe it's likely Saddam was involved.
The belief in the connection persists even though there has been no proof of a link between the two.
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-09-06-poll-iraq_x.htm
WASHINGTON (AP) Nearly seven in 10 Americans believe it is likely that ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the Sept. 11 attacks, says a poll out almost two years after the terrorists' strike against this country.
Sixty-nine percent in a Washington Post poll published Saturday said they believe it is likely the Iraqi leader was personally involved in the attacks carried out by al-Qaeda. A majority of Democrats, Republicans and independents believe it's likely Saddam was involved.
The belief in the connection persists even though there has been no proof of a link between the two.
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-09-06-poll-iraq_x.htm
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The REAL "know-nothings" accused "us" of being a bunch of ignorant, naive "know-nothings"
Proud Liberal Dem
Feb 2013
#67
i know a lot of people in the same boat. and people have blindspots- you see a lot of
bettyellen
Feb 2013
#76
I did, too. I wasn't really into politics at the time and though I hated Bush, et al,
gateley
Feb 2013
#27
Not me. I'm only surprised the whole region didn't melt down worse than it has
TheKentuckian
Feb 2013
#4
Snow job by the media walking hand in hand w Bush. We weren't fooled by that
emulatorloo
Feb 2013
#6
August 2003 - 70% of Americans still believed that Saddam Hussein was personally involved in 9/11
Douglas Carpenter
Feb 2013
#10
Yes, OP thinks that everyone must believe the same things that the OP does.
stevenleser
Feb 2013
#11
at least 80% of the people I know have never heard of PNAC. even now. it's sad.
bettyellen
Feb 2013
#92
Yawn - Virtually the entire world thought that Iraq likely had WMD. You can pretend that this wasnt
stevenleser
Feb 2013
#58
The US had, has, and will continue to have WMD - If that justifies an invasion we're fucked.
Xipe Totec
Feb 2013
#53
I said nothing about justifying an invasion or anything else that you wrote. nt
stevenleser
Feb 2013
#57
According to the various UN Resolutions, it would have in Iraq's case. However...
stevenleser
Feb 2013
#65
I think the point is that many of us accepted the Official Story because we wanted a war.
Warren Stupidity
Feb 2013
#80
There are some who wanted that, yes. That doesnt explain the rest of the world believing WMD were in
stevenleser
Feb 2013
#83
I certainly don't believe Bush was involved in any way with September 11 - That strikes me as the
Douglas Carpenter
Feb 2013
#34
I think you mean the NY Times. They are the ones who printed that misleading article whose headline
stevenleser
Feb 2013
#61
Both the NY Times and USA Today were involved in participating in studying the recount
Samantha
Feb 2013
#69
Here it is. I think this NY Times article is the one to which you are referring
stevenleser
Feb 2013
#64
I think that is because the realization was a slow one. The UN Weapons inspector reports of 3/7/03
stevenleser
Feb 2013
#13
It certainly had been planned. In Paul O'Neill's THE PRICE OF LOYALTY, he says that
raccoon
Feb 2013
#44
Excellent book and I believe that incident happened at the first cabinet meeting
Samantha
Feb 2013
#96
Yep. And, not a few "liberal" Democrats jumped on the "Bring it on" bandwagon to another dumb war.
Tierra_y_Libertad
Feb 2013
#21
I hope Ms. Maddow lists those Democrats that claimed to be "fooled" starting with Tom Dashiell.
rhett o rick
Feb 2013
#23
I guess you forgot how the American people marched in record breaking protests.
joshcryer
Feb 2013
#25
I was out protesting and then I got really sick so I was in the hospital after it started up....
WCGreen
Feb 2013
#26
Yes, large swaths of the American people were fooled; but what about members of Congress?
Martin Eden
Feb 2013
#97
Bush conflated Al Qaeda with the Palestinians who are bombing Israel &that's why his lie worked
Kolesar
Feb 2013
#52
Correct and that is because on March 7th, 13 days beforehand, we knew for sure from the Reports of
stevenleser
Feb 2013
#84
"We were duped" sure beats taking responsibility for the deaths of 100s of thousands of people.
Tierra_y_Libertad
Feb 2013
#82
"in order to feel good about their desire for senseless murder on television"
Martin Eden
Feb 2013
#87