Pew Research: Record Support For Afghanistan Troop Withdrawl

From the Huffington Post:

This latest result confirms the findings from four other recent national surveys, all of which indicate majority support for bringing some or all of the troops home. The numbers are bigger when pollsters allow options for returning "some" troops or "reducing" their number rather than implying a total drawdown. But majorities now support troop withdrawal, regardless of question phrasing:

•A CBS News poll in early June found nearly two-thirds of Americans (64 percent) want the number of troops in Afghanistan decreased, rather than increased (8 percent) or kept at the same level (22 percent).
•A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll from early June found even more who want to bring home all (39 percent) or some (35 percent) of the troops rather than keeping their number the same number deployed (18 percent) or send more (6 percent).
•An ABC News/Washington Post poll found nearly three quarters of adults, 73 percent, say the U.S. should withdraw "a substantial number of U.S. combat forces" from Afghanistan, while 23 percent say the troops should not be withdrawn.
•A Gallup poll in early May found a majority, 59 percent, agreeing that "the U.S. has accomplished its mission in Afghanistan and should bring its troops home," while only 39 percent chose the alternative, "the U.S. still has important work to do in Afghanistan and should maintain its troops there."

Both the Pew Research and CBS News polls, which have tracked these questions for two or more years, indicate a big jump in desire to withdraw U.S. forces since the killing of Osama bin Laden in early May. The Pew Research survey shows an eight-point jump over the last month (from 48 to 56 percent). The CBS News survey shows a 16-point jump (from 48 to 64 percent) since a survey conducted in the immediate aftermath of bin Laden's killing.

More here.

Yeah, I actually posted about that Washington Post poll back in March, and I've got the same question now I had then: why the fuck are we still there? I mean, I know why we're still there: it has nothing to do with democracy, which, if it did, would mean that we wouldn't be there anymore, and everything to do with rule by and for wealthy and powerful interests.

To be honest, I'm not quite sure what these special interests are actually gaining by our presence there, but I can speculate, of course. Certainly, the defense contractors want us there because it means lots of defense contracts. The oil industry wants us there because it means the US can directly influence politics in the Middle East, just because we've got a lot of guns and men on the ground. Global corporations want it because it shows that the US is keeping the world safe for capitalistic exploitation. And because the corporations like it, politicians like it, too. Indeed, Democrat honchos want us there because, in their pathetic minds, it means their dicks are as big as Republican dicks. Republicans want us there because their dicks are bigger than Democrat dicks--I mean, there are a few fractures showing now on this because Obama, a Democrat with a big dick, wants us there, but there is still a great deal of support from GOP leaders for fighting Muslims.

And, oh yeah, the military wants us there, too. Not quite the same as a wealthy interest, but the military is a powerful influence on national politics, simply because our leaders have so fetishized the military that they are now like mythological gods, and their opinion counts.

But guess whose opinion doesn't count? That's right. Yours. Your opinion doesn't count. Don't give me that old shit about how in a democracy people's opinions are supposed to be reflected by government action. We don't fucking live in a democracy. We live in an plutocratic oligarchy. Rule by the few, rule by the wealthy. You don't count. So the fighting continues, whether you like it or not.

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