IRAQIS HAPPY?
ABC News/TIME poll linked in title suggests that the Iraqi people are happy? How can this be? I thought they were living under the thumb of the tyrannical western army that was being courageously attacked by just martyrs?
If we review polling data and question types for traditional polls here in the US measuring exactly the same type of things measured in the Iraqi poll we see some interesting parallels. How can things be great where the individual is and in his life but terrible for the country?
There is a common disconnect point in the social psyche. While "my" life may be safer, and "my" neighborhood is safer, I see bad things on TV and think "overall it is bad". "MY" life and "MY neighborhood are the exception to the rule and everything is great but it isn't great somewhere else.
This happens all the time here. Polls say "respondents are happy and secure in their homes but worry about the national economy..." -sound familiar?
Sure, the native population are getting antsy for the occupation armies to be out of there. Can't really blame them. A good way to think about these results is what do you know about your daily life and your friends/family versus the national condition? What you have to look at is what the respondents to a poll actually know: their own little slice of Iraq life. More electricity than not, better job outlook, food for the family and safe neighborhoods. These sentiments are universal across social, religious and party lines for the respondents.
The broad-based positive response speaks volumes about the real improvements there.
If you remove the relatively rare bombing incident (numerically one bombing for every 1000 car accidents as a speculative example) you begin to see the day-to-day life is not what is reported on our news networks. This poll proves the microscopic focus on the negative (and admittedly horrendous events) we have been seeing versus the positive aspects of most Iraqi daily lives.
Somebody tell me how Howard Dean responded to this poll? I'll bet it was interesting.
If we review polling data and question types for traditional polls here in the US measuring exactly the same type of things measured in the Iraqi poll we see some interesting parallels. How can things be great where the individual is and in his life but terrible for the country?
There is a common disconnect point in the social psyche. While "my" life may be safer, and "my" neighborhood is safer, I see bad things on TV and think "overall it is bad". "MY" life and "MY neighborhood are the exception to the rule and everything is great but it isn't great somewhere else.
This happens all the time here. Polls say "respondents are happy and secure in their homes but worry about the national economy..." -sound familiar?
Sure, the native population are getting antsy for the occupation armies to be out of there. Can't really blame them. A good way to think about these results is what do you know about your daily life and your friends/family versus the national condition? What you have to look at is what the respondents to a poll actually know: their own little slice of Iraq life. More electricity than not, better job outlook, food for the family and safe neighborhoods. These sentiments are universal across social, religious and party lines for the respondents.
The broad-based positive response speaks volumes about the real improvements there.
If you remove the relatively rare bombing incident (numerically one bombing for every 1000 car accidents as a speculative example) you begin to see the day-to-day life is not what is reported on our news networks. This poll proves the microscopic focus on the negative (and admittedly horrendous events) we have been seeing versus the positive aspects of most Iraqi daily lives.
Somebody tell me how Howard Dean responded to this poll? I'll bet it was interesting.
posted by Possum at 10:28
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