Here Goes Nothing ...

I don't think that a large populace of Iraqis indulge in watching this kind of violence and would think that its a smaller number as in the ones doing the violence. A friend of mine who was over there a year or so back said that when they are attacked and you see these people jumping up and down mostly happens when the news shows up in most cases. He told me of a bombing and about these 8 or 9 Iraq guys in their 20's were helping them and when the news showed up they stoped and started doing that stuff. They still fear for their lives for two reasons. One he said is that they still have the fear of the Sadam type and people coming to kill them and their famile. He said this is a fear that they have lived with all their life and have not yet learned how to live without it. The other is a real fear of armed gangs coming to kill them for helping the Iraq goverment and the Americans. He said this is a real fear but is not as common as one would think from the news reports we get which he said was way over blown.
Again, this is the type of thing that never make the papers, or the news. generally same old, same. Don't want us there. Making it worse. Losing ground. Getting our boy's killed for nothing. that's the message of a biased press

Again, this is the type of thing that never make the papers, or the news. generally same old, same. Don't want us there. Making it worse. Losing ground. Getting our boy's killed for nothing. that's the message of a biased press
If for anything else it would be nice to see our servicemen get some recognition for the work they do and not the "oh we support the troops, But" all the time. I don't care if one for or against the war it would just be a nice change for them.

If for anything else it would be nice to see our servicemen get some recognition for the work they do and not the "oh we support the troops, But" all the time. I don't care if your for or against the war it ould just be a nice change for them.

I actually think they're getting lots of love from the media, general public, officials, etc.

I actually think they're getting lots of love from the media, general public, officials, etc.
One of the biggest chips a buddy of mine had on his shoulder (he just got back from a year long tour in Iraq) was that no-one reports on how much progress has been made.

There really isn't many articles talking about what's been done, as opposed to the violence that's going on.

One of the biggest chips a buddy of mine had on his shoulder (he just got back from a year long tour in Iraq) was that no-one reports on how much progress has been made.

There really isn't many articles talking about what's been done, as opposed to the violence that's going on.

He should know

I think one problem with the press and the public perception of the war is that the Bush administration made unreasonably rosy projections about how smoothly the post-Saddam Iraq would run. Had the administration been prepared for the insurgency and told the public that it is going to be a long hard road in Iraq, we are going to face tough Al Qaeda types, etc. before and after we went in, I think public support for the war would be higher right now. The Administration did a great PR job in getting us to go to war, but they did a horrible PR job of preparing us for what the war would entail and how long it would last.

It's kinda sad, but the Administration's handling of the PR situation is very reminiscient of the Iraq Information Minister's handling of our invasion. Remember how he used to say, "everything is under control, the Americans will be slaughtered like pigs in the streets of Baghdad," while U.S. tanks rolled right past his position? Instead of constantly telling the public that the insurgency amounted to little more than "Saddam dead-enders" and "Mission Accomplished," they should have been bracing us for the worst and hoping for the best.

One of the biggest chips a buddy of mine had on his shoulder (he just got back from a year long tour in Iraq) was that no-one reports on how much progress has been made.

There really isn't many articles talking about what's been done, as opposed to the violence that's going on.

I was in ROTC, but I left in 2000 a year before getting my commission as a 2nd LT in the Army. Every last one of my classmates have all gone to Iraq, Afghanistan, or both and they give me very mixed signals. The friends who served in Iraq in 2003-mid 2005 were 100% behind the mission and continue to support our presence. The friends who served from mid-2005 to 2006 seem to be less supportive of the mission (including a friend who served in the 75th Ranger Regiment in both Afghanistan and Iraq).

I do hear some common themes from these guys though. They all told me how amazingly nice and hospitable most Iraqis are and how they genuinely felt bad for citizens simply caught in the cross-fire. One friend told me that these people were so amazingly poor, yet would invite Americans into their homes to eat what little food they had. Some of my friends also told me, however, that the brutality of the insurgents is so ridiculous that it's frustrating to hear about things like Abu Grahib (where we were so inhumane as to scare prisoners with dogs). I think these guys didn't like what was going on at Abu Grahib, but that they were frustrated because the press has no sense of proportionality (cutting off heads of civilians is different from failing to appoint POWs independent counsel).

I think one problem with the press and the public perception of the war is that the Bush administration made unreasonably rosy projections about how smoothly the post-Saddam Iraq would run. Had the administration been prepared for the insurgency and told the public that it is going to be a long hard road in Iraq, we are going to face tough Al Qaeda types, etc. before and after we went in, I think public support for the war would be higher right now. The Administration did a great PR job in getting us to go to war, but they did a horrible PR job of preparing us for what the war would entail and how long it would last.

It's kinda sad, but the Administration's handling of the PR situation is very reminiscient of the Iraq Information Minister's handling of our invasion. Remember how he used to say, "everything is under control, the Americans will be slaughtered like pigs in the streets of Baghdad," while U.S. tanks rolled right past his position? Instead of constantly telling the public that the insurgency amounted to little more than "Saddam dead-enders" and "Mission Accomplished," they should have been bracing us for the worst and hoping for the best.
I'd have to disagree as Bush has said all allong that it was not going to be easy. I think that we saw in the first Desert Storm and in the beging of the 2nd. we could do what we wanted as far as the war went. We then get there and things slow down and we are not use to this. I would also say that I don't think many thought that these people would flood in there to fight as they have done. I know ther are people saying that they warned of this but the only warnings I remember is of the thousands of Americans that would die in the first stages of the war. Then that didn't happen so now they are saying they warned of this. I will agree that the Mission Accomplished was not a good idea but that also tells me that our Generals did not expect this insurgancy after we took hold in Iraq. I do remember that Information Minister doing that press conference as the tanks where rolling in and the press guys telling him that we had tanks just over the hill behind him but he just keep on talking.

Maybe America is fat, spoiled, and "I" oriented. We would like our wars to get wrapped up in a long holiday weekend. We expect results as in "Desert Storm One", with very few allied casualities, and tremendous losses from the opposition.
We are unaccustomed to shedding the blood, war demands.
It has been many years since this country has experienced the kind of loss from the Great War, Guadalcanal, D-Day, Chosin Reservoir, or even Vietnam. While this by no means compares to those, we don't like it. It doesn't run on a schedule. It's not over until it's over.
I believe 9-11 brought us to a new reality. We will fight the terrorist factions, either on their home ground or our own! Maybe both................maybe forever.

Maybe America is fat, spoiled, and "I" oriented. We would like our wars to get wrapped up in a long holiday weekend. We expect results as in "Desert Storm One", with very few allied casualities, and tremendous losses from the opposition.
We are unaccustomed to shedding the blood, war demands.
It has been many years since this country has experienced the kind of loss from the Great War, Guadalcanal, D-Day, Chosen Reservoir, or even Vietnam. While this by no means compares to those, we don't like it. It doesn't run on a schedule. It's not over until it's over.
I believe 9-11 brought us to a new reality. We will fight the terrorist factions, either on their home ground or our own! Maybe both................maybe forever. I'm not sure about forever but I think we will be fighting terrorism for the rest of my life span. Its a shame that is what things have come to but maybe I could be wrong and I'd be more than happy to say I was wrong about this.