Re: Milan Rai on UN occupation of Iraq

["Devine, James" <jdevine@xxxxxxx>]

> Some folks sititng in university offices in the United States often will
> attribute to those in other parts of the world who aren't saying what they
> want them to say (or can't really hear what they are syaing) the quality of
> being a "tool."

On the other hand, people do often reply to polls by saying what they feel they "ought to" say. I remember that (years ago), I wandered around my (middle class/upper blue-collar working class) neighborhood in Illinois asking people to sign a petition against the war (or, more specifically, against the extension of the Vietnam war into Cambodia). Two things were notable: 

(1) some people were _afraid_ to sign the petition, even in the land of the free, home of the brave. This seems to have been a hangover from the McCarthy era. I'd bet that the hangover from the Saddam era is stronger, especially if people in Iraq are conscious of the fact that the US used to be an ally of Saddam's. (Have you seen the picture and movie of Rumsfeld shaking Saddam's hand?)

(2) if I asked people what they thought, most of them were vaguely against the war but supportive of "their" president, but if I asked them what _people in general_ were thinking, the perceived anti-war feeling was stronger. My guess was that a lot of people were more against the war than they said they were and attributed their true feelings to others. If I were a pollster, I'd value this kind of info. 

> It is pretty clear from Iraqi sources apart from this poll or US media
> (etc.) that indeed Iraqis are worried about the likelihood of civil strife
> and war upon withdrawal of troops. The Bush administration is using this
> concern to try to perpetuate his military (and political and economic)
> influence on the course of events.

there was an opinion piece in the GUARDIAN [U.K.] arguing that the Bushies are exploiting terrorist attacks to cow the opposition. 

> ... It might also be a good idea to support Iraq's growing trade 
> union movement:
> http://www.iraqitradeunions.org/

good idea, especially since Proconsul Bremer decided to keep Saddam's old anti-labor law.

Jim D.