Gerhardt has said that Germany would never accept a UN resolution
"legitimising a war" against Iraq.

I have learned over the years, that you can get any polling result you want
with the appropriate questions.  So, if you ask people something like:  "US
president George Bush wants to go to war with Iraq immediately, without
waiting for the inspectors to do their work.  Do you agree with this action
or would you rather let the inspectors do their work and then decide what to
do?"

Since most people's recollection about world affairs is about 2-3 months,
they will promptly forget Saddam's use of WMD against his own people and
Iran.  His invasion and subsequent looting and pillaging of Kuwait, his
torching 500+ oil wells, his dumping of countless hundreds of thousands of
liters of oil into the Persian Gulf, his 12 year defiance of the UN
resolution and the events of 1998.  They will just remember that the
inspectors have just arrived and were running around.  They will not even
know what the 17th resolution, 1441, says about disclosure.  They will just
think the inspectors have not discovered anything so far.

No sane people want war if there are other possibilities, and since Bush is
viewed as a cowboy and a warmonger in Europe (Schroeder's minister even
compared him to Hitler, how reprehensible), they will put the blame on Bush
and say: "Give peace a chance!"  I am actually surprised that up to 10-15%
agree that it is time to go in forcibly.

I recently listened to a discussion of poll results on TV.  The talking
head, a well-known pollster here in the US, was commenting on the 75%
support in the US for war on Iraq.  He said that over the years, when such
situations arise, the polls invariable show that 11% would never bomb or
attack under any circumstances; 33% would attack and bomb at the slightest
provocation or justification.  This leaves 56%, "the thinkers," to make up
their minds, depending on the circumstances.  In the current crisis, that
would mean 42% of the population or 75% of "the thinkers" support aggressive
action.  It also means that 14% of the population or 25% of "the thinkers"
do not support it or have not yet made up their minds.

Just so you know, I am definitely not part of the 33% that is ready to
attack at any time.  I was against the invasion of Haiti, I was against and
appalled at the bombing of the Sudan, the actions in Bosnia and the bombing
in Kosovo.  I never did figure out what was so dangerous about Slobodan
Milosevich that the European populations wanted to effect regime change
there.  He posed no threats to any one, and even after years of running
around all over the place there since his forcible removal, there has been
no evidence found of the mass graves and huge massacres he is accused of
having perpetrated.

As for the NATO questions you ask, read this one:
http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/national/will/story/6098414p-7054337c.
html


Denys

* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *