Mind you, I’m assuming that we’ve somehow managed to make gobs of oil available on the world market or cow OPEC nations into not cutting production levels so that the price stays that way, but Iraq itself is still a clusterfuck. Being cynical, I’m thinking that most Americans would only make sympathetic noises about the sorry shape Iraq is in, and not be complaining about the way things are going.
I think the American casualties would still be an issue.
I agree…I don’t think the price of gas actually factors in too much in how the average American perceives the current clusterfuck in Iraq. I think that had things gone smoothly and there been no insurgency, with the whole flowers at our feet and eternal gratitude schtick, that most American’s would be content with the war…regardless of the current price of gas.
-XT
Assuming that the President’s approval ratings reflect the Iraq war, gasoline prices, etc., there have been alot of people attempting to link the President’s approval ratings to the inverse of gasoline prices. I believe it is coincidence, interesting to note and very sad if true.
I really don’t think gas has anything to do with it. I’m upset about the war because of the cost, the loss of life, and the ill-will it has brought us in the international community, and the Muslim community especially.
I think about the high price of gas completely independently of the war in Iraq.
Ah, yes, but you’re a Doper, and thus, in theory, smarter than the average joe. (No dis against you intended, BTW.) You also list your location as MIT, so no doubt the folks you encounter are going to be well educated. My location is where things land after they fall off the turnip truck. I’d like to believe that the rest of America believes as you do, but I encounter so many folks on a daily basis who spew such inane crap that it makes Fox News look like Air America that I have trouble believing people elsewhere think any different.
I don’t get it. You think most Americans are only upset about Iraq because gas is expensive? Please, give us some evidence of this. It makes no sense. Gas isn’t that expesnice, by historical standards. People are upset because Americans are dying and there seems to be no progress-- rather, there seems to be a degradation fo the situation month by month. No WMDs. Very little indication that a democratic society is being formed. And Americans keep dying. Those are the reasons. I don’t see that it has much of anything to do with gas prices.
Anyway, you’ve stated an unsupported opinion in GD. Support it, or admit you’re just ranting.
I seem to be the only one who thinks this, but I don’t see this was as an issue so much but it almost seems like a personal grudge GW Bush had against Saddam himself. If you remember wasn’t Saddam responsible for a murder plot against not only his father but his mother and brother and the whole family. Of course that never panned out, but it seems like the only reason GW Bush wants war is he seemed to want to finish what his dad didn’t.
Now he seems to want war so it’ll be guaranteed to extend to the next presidental administration, so his legacy can be saved by him saying “Look I’m not responsible for the outcome, it was so and so.” Be the next president Republican or Democrat
This fact always kills me when people bring it up. It fails to take into account that in terms of income, the average income is declining for most people. Sure, some of them might be earning more money, but that money buys less than it once did. The rate at which their income is increasing is also declining. And people certainly percieve the price of gas as being onerous, as they’re shelling out all kinds of money for vehicles that get high fuel economy numbers, while car makers are having trouble unloading gas hogs.
And what is it that reminds many of them everyday that there’s no progress? Certainly the news media plays a role in it, but a good number of Americans pay no attention to the news. They do, however, see signs on gas stations every time they drive by one.
And Americans are notoriously bad about paying attention to anything that happens outside of the US. I’ll wager that most Americans don’t have any idea of who’s the PM of Canada, or the President of Mexico. Gas prices, however, are something that they’re bound to notice every time they fill up.
I’ve posted my reasons for thinking so, and were I wanting to rant about this, I’d have posted it in the Pit (where you’ll certainly admit I’m no stranger). I posted it here, because I’d hoped that someone could say something to make me change my mind, but so far, I’m not seeing anything.
The price of gas is almost 2/3 what it was at its peak. The American people don’t seem to care 1/3 less about our mess in Iraq.
And it’s still higher than what it was before we got involved in this mess.
I’ve never connected the war in Iraq with oil. And if it were connected to oil, regardless of the cost of gasoline, the invasion of Iraq was unwarranted and, if there was a true backbone anywhere in Congress, the president would have been impeached on grounds of high crimes (and yes, I know the rea, technicall definition of “high crimes.”) I don’t give a damn about the price of gasoline. I’m perpetually angry because brave young American men and women are being murdered every day because our president is too fucking stupid to be president. But he’s a pretty damn good liar, which is why the American people put him back in office after he’d already embarked on this incredible disaster.
Crap, I meant to hit “Preview” on that last post. I apologize for the typographical errors.
We at one time were thought of a country that did not attack a nation unless they attacked us first. We were against torture and were thought of (by ourselves at least) as defenders of the rights of people and liberty . We called ourselves a beacon of right. We are not the same as we were and may never get there again.I do not know if we can feel the same about America as we did 6 years ago.
What’s the “good number” of Americans you speak of? Where are you getting your facts?
3,000 dead soldiers and counting… and you think we care only for gas prices…
In NYC, for example, there are many people who don’t own cars, so they may never “drive past” a gas station and look at the price.
I’m sorry this post is disjointed but this really upset me. O.P. - have any of your freinds or relatives been injured or killed in the Middle East?
The price of gas makes no difference whatsoever in how I view the situation in Iraq (or Iran, or Israel, or Palestine, or Afghanistan…).
I give a shit because of the Iraqi casualties. Tens of thousands in a conservative estimate.