JR's Take: MSNM In Shock: Iraqi's Optimistic About Iraq's Future

A recently released poll shows that Iraqi's are very optimistic about their countries future.

Interviewers found that 71% of those questioned said things were currently good in their personal lives, while 29% found their lives bad.

When asked whether their lives would improve in the coming year, 64% said things would be better and 12% said they expected things to be worse.

Of Iraqi's interviewed, 69% expect Iraq to improve, while 11% say it will worsen.

This of course sends the main stream news media into a tail spin and they are desperately trying to spin the poll so that the negative aspects of it stand out.

The opening statement in an ABC article says it all for the MSNM:

Surprising levels of optimism prevail in Iraq with living conditions improved, security more a national worry than a local one, and expectations for the future high.

In an opening sentence of an AP story:

Most Iraqis disapprove of the presence of U.S. forces in their country, yet they are optimistic about Iraq's future and their own personal lives, according to a new poll.

Notice how we have to hear the negative aspect of the poll first. This is how the MSNM tries to spin the poll toward a negative view of the war in Iraq and the US Military presence there. However, the part of the sentence, Most Iraqis disapprove of the presence of U.S. forces in their country, is misleading.

Compare that statement to this part of the poll:

A fourth of those surveyed, 26 percent, say U.S. forces should leave now, and another 19 percent say troops should leave after those chosen in this week's election take office. The other half say U.S. troops should stay until security is restored, 31 percent, until Iraqi forces can operate independently, 16 percent, or longer, 5 percent.

Granted no citizens want foreign troops occupying their country, but it certainly appears that although it's true the Iraqi's want coaltion forces to leave Iraq, only 26 % think that should happen RIGHT NOW.

The poll also find that:

Two-thirds express confidence in the Iraqi army and in police.

More than six in 10 say they feel safe in their neighborhoods, up from 40 percent in June 2004.

Six in 10 say local security is good, up from half in February 2004.

This is certainly not the picture painted by the main stream news media who bombard us daily with negative news from Iraq.

Here's what Paul Reynolds of the BBC had to say on the poll:

The BBC News website's World Affairs correspondent, Paul Reynolds, says the survey shows a degree of optimism at variance with the usual depiction of the country as one in total chaos.

The findings are more in line with the kind of arguments currently being deployed by US President George W Bush, he says.

The BBC goes on to say:

However, our correspondent adds that critics will claim that the survey proves little beyond showing how resilient Iraqis are at a local level - and that it reveals enough important exceptions to the rosy assessment, especially in the centre of the country, to indicate serious dissatisfaction.

One can expect that the Iraq War critics and the MSNM will do just that.

Although there are still many hegatives in this poll, it appears that the findings of this poll are more in tune with what the President has been saying and a stark contrast from what we see and hear daily form the main stream news media on Iraq.

The fact that ABC News calls the positive results of the poll "Surprising" shows you just how out of touch the main stream new media is when it comes to Iraq.