While the Obama Administration’s position on Syria continues to change, there is never any doubt among officials that getting involved in the nation’s civil war is something they should be doing.
Yet another new poll has been released, however, this time from Fox News, showing overwhelming opposition among American voters to the idea of getting involved. The poll showed only 23 percent of voters approve involvement, compared to 68 percent who did not.
And unlike a lot of polls, this one shows solidarity across party lines, with 70 percent of Republicans, 69 percent of Democrats, and 65 percent of Independents opposing involvement.
The results reflect a growing opposition compared to similar polls from Reuters and CBS in late April, which both showed solid opposition of 61 and 63 percent, respectively. Though the Obama Administration has repeatedly insisted polls won’t drive their policy, such overwhelming American opposition to meddling in Syria seems like it will be difficult to ignore.
Here you go again Jason.., there is no civil war in Syria.., and when would you stop using this wording which makes people to believe that Syrians are fighting each other and no foreign politics or nation are involved.., that falsifying the truth.., there are Europeans, there are Americans, there are Saudis, there are Wahhabis, there are salafis, there are Al-Queada, there are all other kind of terrorists and terrorism trained by cia sent to Syria fighting the Syrian people.., for the sake of the argument.., can you come up with date or time in last twenty years that there was a terrorist attack in Syria, that there was a sectarians killings of any kind in Syria.., that Muslims or other religious beliefs were killing each other like in Iraq.., or the Syrian government was beheading its people like in Saudi Arabia.., or Syrian government is condemned by the UN due to disrespect for human rights and other related matter as Israel disrespect the international laws of all kind.., now can you Jason..,
"In my imagination, there is no civil war in Syria."
There, fixed that for ya.
Yes, the rebels have foreign support, but that doesn't mean there's no indigenous component. It is a war between two forces, neither completely exogenous, for control of the state. That is a civil war.
Words mean things, and they continue to mean things whether you like what they mean or not.
Is that like the MSM reporting for seven years plus that Iraq "risks" falling into civil war, though it seems like it has been for all that time?
They don't have the Syrian people backing.., they are mercenaries hired by third party trained by third party and then sent to Syria to fight the Syrian people.., there is a religious war conducted by the payed and brain washed mercenaries by the Saudis and others that are used by the westerner vulture capitalism culture and non of them are Syrians. So you cowboy acting T. L. Knapp you don't fixe anything for anyone and I don't think that you are capable fixing anything but wanting to say that is the Syrian people fault and not the USA or EU neo fascism political and economical interests that divides people first then steal their wealth as they supporting terrorism of all kind for that propose.
"They don't have the Syrian people backing"
There are 22 million Syrian people. Some of them back the rebels. Some of them are AMONG the rebels.
Exact proportions? Who knows? But there is no such thing as a unanimous/united "Syrian people."
"they are mercenaries hired by third party trained by third party and then sent to Syria"
Some of them are. Some of them aren't.
"T. L. Knapp you don't fixe anything for anyone and I don't think that you are capable fixing anything"
And you are? Sitting around for years posting repetitive comments on Antiwar.com doesn't "fix anything."
"but wanting to say that is the Syrian people fault and not the USA or EU neo fascism political and economical interests that divides people first then steal their wealth as they supporting terrorism of all kind for that propose"
Ah, once again we go back into your imagination, where respect for fact and reality equate to not toeing your ideological line.
No, I don't think it is "the Syrian people's fault." Some Syrians support the Assad regime. Some Syrians support the rebels. My best guess is that the vast majority of them wouldn't give two shits about it if it wasn't for the fact that both the Assad regime and the rebels are out there blowing stuff up and murdering people.
One more thing.., if words means thing then by reading your "words" I "imagine" that you and Jason trying to blame the entire social political and economical problem in middle east on the people of middle east while USA and EU arming tyrant regimes and their terrorism as Israel to kill them…, you are trying to paint a colorful picture of the west as THE savior of the people while at home you facing the censorship of all kind, while facing the limited and sliced freedom by the day, these bandits and barbarians They don't have the Syrian people backing, the majority of the Syrian people are not involved in this unjust and imported western style Neo politics war on them.., so it cannot be named anything els but war of aggression conducted and supported by vulture capitalism supported by a militarism regime. SO, Knapp take off your hat and look inside your head while there, perhaps then you can fix something.
"you are trying to paint a colorful picture of the west as THE savior of the people"
Maybe the imaginary me is trying to do that in your imagination.
In the real world, I oppose intervention by "the west" in the affairs of [insert victim here], period, end of story. As does Antiwar.com. We don't have to pretend that your fantasies are real in order to be on the same side of the issue.
If what is called "rebels" by the west.., which in reality the west tries to hide the truth about these "rebels" being terrorists of all kind, mercenaries of all kind and from nations in Europe, Saudi Arabia and etc.., if these mercenaries had the backing of the majority of the Syrian people Hillary Clinton, Obama would have been invited to Damascus with Johan Kerry and that English David Cameron to celebrate the beheading of the Syrian government…, as they did in Libya.., you call yourself anti war of anything but that doesn't mean that in reality you are unbiased.., in that regard all and every wording about Syria is twisted so that people get another understanding of the issue by twisting the related wording.
"Just because criminal mercenary terrorists are proclaiming themselves to be the 'representatives' of the 'Syrian People' doesn't make it so"
I agree 100%.
You're looking for a fight that's not there to be had.
I don't support the rebels, nor do I support intervention on the rebels' behalf by the US, NATO or anyone else.
Neither does Antiwar.com.
That doesn't mean that we have to pretend that the Ba'ath Party and the Assad regime "represent the Syrian people" or are "legitimate" than their opponents, though.
Now as many time before you are talking BS.., if the Ba'ath party was not the opponent party to the Saudis kind of regime or the falsified western democracy neither system would be interested and betting on the regime change in Syria.., or for that matter Libya and etc. why do you think that Bush invaded Iraq.., ? Why do the antiwar.com think Bush invaded Iraq.., one of the reasons was and is that Ba'ath party being a socialist.., free education, free medication and hospitalization, free school lunch and all other social benefits that are needed and necessary in life.., is antiwar.com fighting for any of the above for the American people,.., there is almost a million homeless in Los Angeles alone.., the estimated homeless people in entire country is 9-12 million, every fourth child in USA have nothing to eat.., there is no such thing as Medicare and you telling people, again, that Ba'ath party is not representing the Syrian people…, here one thing is for sure.., the government of Syria is not and never have cooperated with terrorists to overthrow us or any government but it has helped the Syrian people for a free education. Ask the Iraqi people, they tell you what they had before and what got now.
Look: USA and EU regimes consist of two social maters that are necessary to keep the vulture capitalism alive.., one: war, two: wars.., wars against all and every kind of functioning democracy even if is a religious one.., two: against all and every nations or government whom are against the USA and EU imperialism.
"Is antiwar.com fighting for [state socialism] for the American people"
Antiwar.com's cause is non-interventionism, and nothing else.
That's what you continue to not get: The only dog we have in the Syrian fight is that we don't think the US (or, by extension, US pawn organizations like NATO) should be involved in it.
That's not to say that none of us have personal ideological perspectives. We all do — and most of them are more realistic than your utopian fantasies about "free" stuff.
But it really doesn't matter whether we think Ba'athism or Saudi-backed Wahabbe Islamism is better or worse. We think the US should keep its nose out of the region, not just that it's picking the wrong side to back.
Because that is our position, I don't feel any great need to humor your abject ignorance or help you pretend that you know what the hell you're talking about. That we agree on the one thing is enough.
Again you are talking garbage.., when it comes to a functioning democracy verses falsified democracy…, if antiwar.com is only about the matter you describe.., then Antiwar.com should concentrate its effort on the truth and not only half of the truth and rest nothing of a kind.., There is no civil war is Syria nor in Iraq.., there are however mercenaries and professional murderous hired paid and trained by Turkish, the Jordanian, Saudis, the Qatari and all other regimes involved in Syria doing the idea of Paul Wolfowitz the father of all zionism in USA and EU a favor.., that idea is about USA and EU being able to occupy the entire middle east from Lebanon to Pakistan.., this idea in practical matters practiced by the US democratic party in all directions at home and broad.., droning the pakistani people is one of them, weakening the uprising of peoples democracy in that part of the world is another..,and to those of you who think that Obama is not involved in all of this atrocity brought against the Syrian people.., then ask yourself this.., why is he still supporting the Saudis, the Qatari, the Israeli in all secrecy matters that possible.?
Knapp,
You claimed this is a "civil war" " between two forces"…you are simply wrong about the "civil war" thing. It is a "proxy war"…look it up…as "Words mean things" of course…
And yes, Assad is the "legitimate" 'President'/'Head of State' of Syria…he derives his power from the "Constitution" of Syria… You might want to look that up too…
There are 'winners' and 'losers' in any, and all, political systems. If the "issue" is about 'mechanisms'/'metrics', there is already a 2014 Presidential "election" tentatively scheduled, so there should be no "issue"…
There are very few syrians in the conflict. The same thugs who attacked in Libyia are now in Syria. They were recruited by Isreal and sent to Libya. They will continue to attack governments until they are killed. If by some chance they are no longer needed they will move to ther USA anf become major killers and thugs in our cities. Foolish Foolish to create an army of evil.
Jason, it is not helpful to describe this as a "Civil War".
Now let's take this in stages;-
American public opinion is totally against an attack on another country, in this case Syria.
So Obama wishes to keep this totally concealed and make out there is no American involvement, he is merely acting in outrage against all these atrocities etc. etc.
And only wants to bring democracy.
So he falls back on the device of American policymakers of a Covert Operation, as they are known, or secret war. It has gone on for years.
Butthere must be Plausible Deniability.
Or as Eisenhower said;-
"it must not be obvious, but if it becomes obvious, the must be Plausible Deniability"
Eisenhower 1953
It is provably a Covert Operation – and a return to the classical Covert Op. with bases in another country and began with a Color Revolution.
So concealing this actually aids Obama and Kerry in their operation and aims.
Americans growing brains?
well that should be the OK to do it then…when americans dont want something to happen….
the US government will usually do the opposite
quit killing others for the…"safety" of the "free" world….
so what do they do…kill kill kill
Maybe the polls are difficult for American politicians to ignore but even harder to ignore is money from israels friends who are keen to get us into a war with Syria (and Iran).
Pliticians dont give a shit about people and people do not give a shit what politicians do if it does not directly affect their pockets or reality TV shows. This is America.
Why should we attack them? They didn't do anything to us. But like American and international opposition to Iraq, it will be shown that polls don't matter.
Plus you put USStormtroopers in harm's way for dubious gains and ever-shifting reasons. Supposed Israeli allies sniping and road-side bombing their US targets, ala Iraq…hundreds of times…indigenous "friends" taking potshots as well…utter stupidity worthy of a Neocon.
If only all these people who are against the USA going into Syria had done so when Bush was sabre rattling, we would be a lot better off.
Jct: There was overwhelming opposition to the US attacking Iraq but the back-room boys for their war crime invasion and really rule. Opposition from the irrelevant matters little. A million people hacking at the branches of the tree of evil matter not when no one's hacking at the root.
The gangsters running the U.S. don't care what the citizens of America want or don't want! They are playing their own games with the world and domination or it is their objective!
We are spiraling ever downwards.
As if the government cared about what the useful idiots want The US elites shit on the opinions of the people.