The Gallup Poll - Why Care?

Submitted by Angry Scotsman (United States), Jun 1, 2010 at 20:35

"Barack Obama entered with high hopes of improving the U.S. image among Muslims worldwide, hauling out his middle name, giving his first interview as president to Al-Arabiya television, quoting hadith, giving major speeches in Istanbul and Cairo, and talking ceaselessly of "respect" for Muslims. Where has this got him?" (Pipes, 2010).

Recalling the original wave of enthusiasm at the news of Barack Obama's Presidential win, I remember CNN cameras being focused on the cheering and jubilant crowds in Gaza. Hopes and aspirations were witnessed beating within the breasts of many a Muslim around the globe, offering praise and gratitude for this new electoral victory. For some reason, it was being generally perceived (within the Muslim world) that President-Elect Obama was a new American style prophet about to reverse all of the ills and injustices in the Middle East, and was going to 'set things straight' by the mere implications that his middle name had offered up.

A recent Gallup Poll summarized their findings, conducting "face-to-face interviews with 1,000 adults aged 15 and older in each of Mauritania, Algeria, Egypt, the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, and Iraq (a curious collection of places). It asked the same question once in 2008, twice in 2009, and now for the first of two times in 2010: "Do you approve or disapprove of the job performance of the leadership of the United States?" The margin of error ranges from ±3.1 percent to ±3.9 percent" (Pipes, 2010).

I would also tend to agree with the author, that the poll was taken from a "curious collection of places" which happened to conveniently exclude Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is not surprising, therefore, to see that "Obama does worse than Bush in Iraq (going from 35 to 30 percent)" (Pipes, 2010). Perhaps this might have something to do with the Iraqi population's very real perception and fear, that when U.S. troops evacuate, they fully understand that the vacuum will be once more filled with Al Quaeda insurgents and Iranian puppet masters. What is even more puzzling and perplexing, is that U.S. (Democrat) Jews overwhelmingly voted for the new President by a factor of 4 to 1. The message is most certainly a mixed one, especially since the very survival of Israel is constantly and is consistently at stake.

Perhaps recent cool Palestinian sentiments are now reflected in the attitude that this present Obama Administration is not about to take the immediate drastic measures against the 'Evil Zionist Empire', as once was believed and assumed? Further complicating the matter, is the Obama Administrations' shameful statements in condemning Israel for protecting it's own Sovereign borders and shores, when a ship recently attempted to break through an embargo, which potentially was a vehicle for importing weapons (as has been documented in the past).

In typical fashion, the various new media outlets, have picked up on the story and have also shamelessly promoted and presented it as another example of Israeli 'Nazi Storm Trooper' tactics against an innocent and impoverished Arab minority. One must also truly wonder how U.S. Jews are able to justify their political allegiances in the face of such narrow-minded and belligerent sentiments against a tiny nation which owns both a historical and religious claim to the region. Can American Jews be that duped and/or naïve in not recognizing how their homeland is being attacked from every edge, and that any policy based upon 'Land for Peace' has consistently failed when granting land concessions, only to be betrayed with more escalations in attacks?

Let us be clear about one thing, when discussing Islam and the Palestinian issue: Islam is a political system akin to fascism and is about total control. And just as when Britain and Europe placated Hitler during the 1930's, it was regarded as weakness in the West. Aggression is only halted with a show of equal aggression. For some unknown reason, Europe, Canada, Great Britain and the United States has forgotten the lessons learned during WWII, and is willing to bend to the whims of appeasement & dhimmitude and all that it entails. Now, this writer is not suggesting going to all out war. What this writer is suggesting is that by understanding and recognizing the values, motivations and historical tendencies of the 'aggressor', then a clearer plan of action is better formulated. Instead of apologizing for our Western values, we should be collectively advocating them in places which are under the 'yoke' of an oppressive Islamic regime.

In the end, Gallop Polls assessing approval ratings of any American Administration, in Middle Eastern nations, should not even be undertaken, since they assume & presume that (a) American Foreign Policy is guided by and is motivated by the sentiments of rogue Islamic nations, and (b) that Israel, in any way, will ever be considered as a 'bargaining chip' when placating Islamic populations in any future talks. Israel, as a 'matter of policy' should always be 'left of the table', and cannot ever be reproached. In this regard, The United States is remiss in its' duty to be the global watchdog and protector of democracy, when it abandons Israel at its' most prescient moment.

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