The Real Opinions of Amerikans

I'd like to start off by debunking the common mythology of the Amerikan "left" that most of the U.S. population is basically progressive-minded. Many "leftists" in this country believe most of the population borders on radicalism simply by virtue of supporting more funding for health care and education, ever higher minimum wages, etc. They have discovered the amazing fact that *gasp* Amerikans support their own further enrichment. There's a shock. Who would've thought? They likewise often point to polls suggesting that most Amerikans might oppose a particular war they're losing. But here's the bigger point: what are the broader views of Amerikans that combine to make up the psyche? Examining even just a handful of these, we can easily see through the myth. Here are a few samples borrowed from PollingReport.com:

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USA Today/Gallup Poll. Dec. 10-12, 2010. N=1,019 adults nationwide. Margin of error ± 4.
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"Do you think the United States does or does not have a special responsibility to be the leading nation in world affairs?"

Does: 66%
Does not: 31%
Unsure: 3%

"Because of the United States' history and its Constitution, do you think the U.S. has a unique character that makes it the greatest country in the world, or don't you think so?"

The greatest: 80%
Don't think so: 18%
Unsure: 2%

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The above poll shows that the overwhelming majority of Amerikans are characterized by extreme national chauvinism that leads around two-thirds to openly (not just objectively!) support Amerikan imperialism in principle. This is the mentality of an exploiter society; a nation that collectively benefits from the plundering of foreign countries and peoples.

Let's continue:

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CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Dec. 17-19, 2010. N=1,008 adults nationwide. Margin of error ± 3.
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"As you may know, a website called Wikileaks has displayed thousands of confidential U.S. government documents concerning U.S. diplomatic and military policies. Do you approve or disapprove of the Wikileaks website displaying these documents?"

Approve: 20%
Disapprove: 77%
Unsure: 3%

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To judge from the above, I would say most Amerikans are capable of connecting their own interests to those of the U.S. military. The safety of occupying Yankee troops apparently trumps the right of their victims to have their (horror) stories told, in terms of priority. It does not matter to the Amerikan that torture, rape, and murder have been and are being systematically committed on their behalf and in their name. It matters only that this country advances its own material interests in the world. This too is the mentality of an exploiter society.

Pressing on:

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ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Dec. 9-12, 2010. N=1,001 adults nationwide. Margin of error ± 3.5.
"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Obama is handling the situation in Afghanistan?" Approve: 45% Disapprove: 46% Unsure: 10%

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Nov. 19-21, 2010. N=1,037 adults nationwide. Margin of error ± 4.
"Thinking now about U.S. military action in Afghanistan that began in October 2001: Do you think the United States made a mistake in sending military forces to Afghanistan, or not?"

Made a mistake: 39%
Did not make a mistake: 58%
Unsure: 3%
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This differs considerably from those polls Amerikan "leftists" typically show us wherein 63-72 percent of Amerikans "oppose" the Afghanistan War. The statistics on the proportion of Amerikans who "oppose" the war rise in proportion to the proportion that sees Amerika as losing that said war and will conversely fall off in the event that Amerika appears to be winning at a given juncture. The same is true of any U.S. war of aggression. In other words, Amerikans are thinking purely in strategic terms of how best to advance their nation's interests around the world, not in moral terms of whether wars are right or wrong.