AP’s bias
There’s an article at Stars & Stripes from an AP newswire story about a Pew Poll which if you bother to read says this about the troops they polled;
The poll results presented by the Pew Research Center portray post-9/11 veterans as proud of their work, scarred by warfare and convinced that the American public has little understanding of the problems that wartime service has created for military members and their families.
The survey also showed that post-9/11 veterans are more likely than Americans as a whole to call themselves Republicans and to disapprove of President Barack Obama’s performance as commander in chief. They also are more likely than earlier generations of veterans to have no religious affiliation.
So what is their headline? This;
Because it’s more important that we know that less than a third of the veterans of this war think it was a waste than it is to know that the majority are more satisfied with the job they did than most Americans.I also wonder what the job descriptions of those 1/3 were. Did they spend their tours playng video games or did they spend their tours patching up the wounded in operating rooms or kicking down real doors prying the bad guys oout of their liars?
AP doesn’t mention that 96% of the respondents were proud of their service, or that 93% says the experience matured them or that 90% said that they gained self-confidence from their service.
And I guess this part wasn’t worth a mention either;
Patriotic sentiment runs high among post-9/11 veterans. Six-in-ten (61%) consider themselves more patriotic than most other people in the country. Just 37% of Americans overall say the same.
Yeah, that one third who says it was all a waste is more newsworthy.
Category: Media, Military issues
I felt my time and what we did in Iraq was a waste, but it was still kind of cool. you know we got to carry guns and get mortared and stuff…and shit like that.
My experience in Iraq was a waste. Opinions vary….but I served to support my Brothers….didn’t give a whit about Iraqi’s, or the various reasons we were there.
“The Pew report is based on two surveys conducted over the summer. One polled 1,853 veterans, including 712 who had served in the military after 9/11 (336 of whom had served in Iraq or Afghanistan). The second survey polled 2,003 adults who had not served in the military.” Christian Science Monitor; 5 October 2011.
So, unless I am misreading this, the ‘served in Iraq or Afghanistan after 9/11’ component of the survey was only 336 voices.
While I’m at it, who speaks for the 6,252?
I saved mens lives. That is never a waste. We tried to do a good thing in a more difficult time, shouldn’t that be the narrative?
I don’t remember being asked to participate in this poll…
I didn’t get through the first paragraph of this article before my bulls**t detector went off.
CBS some how came up with a poll that 2 of off 3 disagree.
I’m pretty sure that securing our respective areas of operation, dramatically reducing the level of violence, basically exterminating Al Qeda in Iraq and all the jihadists who came to play, and standing up a capable security force does not qualify as a waste. This is especially true for those who gave their all. You may not agree with where Iraq is going politically, but it represents the will of her citizens as opposed to a murderous dictatorship.
When I can walk the same streets practically alone where 3 months before we could not go in with less than a platoon… when the markets are open, people in the streets, worshipping in mosques, going to school, and turning away police recruits because they have too many it is definitely not a waste.
2-17 nailed it. 5 of 6 people in the survey were not Iraq or Afghanistan vets, and almost 2/3 served in a prior conflict. the headline implies that it sampled current combat vets only.
Was also there for brothers. Politics cant play on your mind as a soldier. Do what your told and go where you told to go. But, I am proud to belong to a family of men and women who call themselves vets. Whether it be OIF, OEF, Vietnam, Korea…….still a wonderful family.