The World’s Collective Blindspot

by John Hawkins | February 5, 2003 5:26 pm

The World’s Collective Blindspot: There are a couple of polls I’ve seen lately that I find to be quite troubling. First up is a poll mentioned by David Frum[1]…

“Last week, the left-wing tabloid the Daily Mirror sponsored a poll of British opinion about Iraq. It offered readers three options: immediate war, war after further UN action, and no war under any circumstances. Results: 9% for immediate war, 41% for war after further UN action, 43% opposed to war under all circumstances.”

The number that really jumps out at me is that “43% opposed to war under all circumstances.” So that 43% is in effect saying that they’d be perfectly willing to let Saddam acquire nuclear weapons, turn Iraq into a terrorist training camp, takeover the surrounding region, cooperate with Al Qaeda in a war against the US, set up concentration camps and start liquidating the Kurds, anything rather than go to war. We’ve also got to keep in mind that Britain is a hawkish country compared to their neighbors so you have to figure those numbers may be higher in much of the rest of Europe.

Now let’s take a look at some numbers from the WildMonk Personality Profile Results[2].,

“A few notes: among self-identified “Greens”, 66% (256 respondents) say that the US is the greatest threat to peace. Self-identified European leftists vote the same way by 59% (243). Interestingly enough, 41% of self-identified Democrats (615) think that the US is the greatest threat and 10% (154 people) are unsure. Among Republicans, the figures are 5% and 2%. 92% of Republicans disagree or disagree strongly with this proposition. If you wonder why many Americans doubt the patriotism of the Democrats, this will go a long way toward explaining why.”

That’s right, 66% of Greens, 59% of European leftists, 41% of Democrats think that the US is the greatest threat to peace. Really? The US that helped stop a nuclear war between Pakistan and India, that supports Israel against it’s genocidal neighbors, that has defended Europe since WW2, that defends Taiwan from China, that guarantees South Korea’s freedom, that saved Bosnia from the Serbs, that tossed Saddam out of Kuwait, etc, etc, — this country is the “greatest threat to peace?”

When I look at both of these poll results, you know what I see? A combination of incredible naiveté about how the world works that has led to a lack of appreciation for all the thankless tasks the US has taken on across the globe. The world had better hope that the US doesn’t decide to take its ball and go home one of these days for a few decades of rest. Because if it ever comes to that point, and I believe that it may when the war on terrorism is over, the world is going to be in a lot of trouble.

There is no nation, no group of nations, and no organization that is willing & able to the shoulder the burden the US carries in the world today with little reliable help. And I fear that within a decade, not only may we step aside and let the rest of the world find out how invaluable we are, but we’re going to enjoy watching the planet go to Hell in a handbasket while we smugly say, “I told you so.” Let us hope for everyone’s sake that it never comes to that…

Endnotes:
  1. David Frum: http://www.nationalreview.com/frum/diary020303.asp
  2. WildMonk Personality Profile Results: http://wildmonk.net/Articles/fog0000000041.html

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