Seriously? In all of our history?
Washington (CNN) – Support for the war in Afghanistan has dipped below 20%, according to a new national poll, making the country's longest military conflict arguably its most unpopular one as well.
I think it's a mistake to label anything as the most or worst or best of anything based on what a handful of people tell a pollster. And I don't think it's enough just to measure the percentage of those not supporting a war; intensity matters, too. My memories of all the passionate demonstrations against Vietnam tell me that war was a more unpopular. I think nowadays, with a Democrat in the White House instead of that evil George W. Bush, the press has mostly ignored Afghanistan, so the American public doesn't get a daily dose of it. If I had to guess the prevailing attitude toward the war, I'd say indifference.
And what about the Civil War? Polling was not the ubiquitous force then that it is now, but I expect that conflict was pretty darned unpopular, what with it tearing apart the country and affecting almost every family in one way or another.
Comments
Leo, you sarcastically write about "the evil George W Bush" but let's summarize briefly the accomplishments of the Bush II Administration.
1.) In 2001 Bush inherited a budget surplus of $280 billion. When he left office the budget deficit was $1.4 trillion. Let's not forget Bush had a Republican congress 6 of his 8 years as President. Where were the Teabaggers while that was going on?
2.) In Sept. 2001 the National debt was $5.8 trillion. When Bush left office it was $11.8 trillion. Bush stated in 2001 that thw National debt would be paid off in 10 years. As a side note, Mr. Bush's VP Dick Cheney stated "Reagan proved deficits don't matter". I could be wrong but don't recall any calls for spending cuts at that time. My how times have changed.
3.) Bush expanded government with the Medicare Part D program and the addition of the Dept of Homeland security. Where were the cry's for smaller government then?
4.) Bush spent the Social Security surplus. In his first State of the Union address Bush admitted there was a $2.6 trillion Social Security surplus. During a speech in Virginia in April2005, Bush admitted the surplus was gone. $2.6 trillion in retirement money spent in 4 years. Of course now the GOP says we need to cut SS because we can't afford it.
5.) Bush spent trillions fighting 2 wars but not paying for them.
6.) Bush was the first MBA President. He cut taxes twice while increasing spending. Do you need an MBA to figure out what will happen to your budget?
7.) Bush signed TARP into law. This was pushed by then Treasury Sec. Henry Paulson, former CEO of Goldman Sachs. The banksters got bailed out to the tune of $750 billion part of which they used for multi-million dollar bonuses.
8.) 4486 US military personel have been killed in Iraq alone along with 32240 wounded. All chasing imaginary WMD's. I won't bother quoting Bush, Cheney, Condi Rice, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, etc. that time after time assured the American people WMD's were there and a threat to the U.S.
9.) Mr. Bush presided over $9 billion in taxpayer money that according to ABC news, was "lost & unaccounted for." in Iraq.
10.) Halliburton overcharged the Pentagon $1.4 billion. KRB, a division of Halliburton also overcharged the Pentagon (read that me and you) $3.2 billion according to Pentagon auditors.
11.) VP Dick Cheney was Halliburton CEO before joining the Bush Administration.
Ya know Leo, maybe you weren't being sarcastic after all.
Joe, do me a favor and go to www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/debt, and plug in any date for which you claim a Clinton "surplus". Compare the numbers at the top and bottom of the page and you will notice an increase in debt.
It appears that the "surplus" causes an increase in total debt.