Will We Or Won’t We?
Yesterday we were told that Iraqi’s are “optimistic despite their suffering in sectarian violence since the American-led invasion four years ago this week.” (source)
Today, I discover that “A new survey paints a pessimistic picture of Iraqis’ confidence in their own government and in coalition forces.” (source)
Ok, which is it? Depends on who you ask, I suppose. Or does it depend on what you ask?
After reading both articles, I find them both to pretty accurately describe what I see in my area. Many people are concerned with the number of deaths, not just in their own families, but throughout the country. Also, many think that life is better without Saddam, but see potential for even better things to come. Everyone I talk to is sure that security will settle out to the point that the majority of Coalition Forces will one day withdraw from Iraq, but no one is under the illusion that violence will be stamped out completely and permanently. They can easily point out the violence in neighboring “peaceful” countries like Iran, Syria and Turkey to know better than that bit of utopian wishfulness.
So, what I find is the major difference in the two articles referenced is the headline. One journalist finds darkness and gloom where the other finds hope.
Inshallah, Iraqis hoping for and making a better future will win out over those pessimists who tend to see mostly the bad and push aside the good, sometimes violently.
To answer my own question in the post title, we will. Despite the pessimists in Iraq and elsewhere, we will succeed in turning Iraq into a proud nation that participates peacefully in the community of nations.
March 20th, 2007 at 7:31 am
I agree that we will - and it won’t be through gloom and doom and hand-wringing. Thanks for the continuing perspective to counter the MSM doom/gloomers who try to suck the positive attitude out of us!
March 20th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
I totally agree. We WILL succeed in Iraq, if our troops are given the opportunity to do their jobs. It’s pretty upsetting that of course the MSM had to come out with their own survey to counter the one done by the independent British firm. It’s up to those of us to blog to continue to get the stories out about what’s really occurring in Iraq and Afghanistan, so that people are able to see the entire picture, instead of just the doom and gloom that the media continues to show.