If we are winning the war, how come everyone thinks we are losing it?

Answer 1

1. Because news outlets release negative stories every day, rarely taking the time to show the positive work that's being done to reform Iraq. Some of this probably stems from bias, but I also believe it's just a matter of getting more readers or watchers.

2. The Iraq War and reconstruction phase have been going on for a very long time. I think Americans are growing impatient because they have an unreasonable time line in mind for how long reconstruction should take. If it's any indication, the United States' reconstruction failed around 1876 and was only revived after decades of violence and segregation in the 1950s and '60s. So, imagine what Iraq's going through at the moment.

3. Like it or not, we live in a post-Vietnam world where Americans don't tolerate high numbers of casualties. We no longer use World War I or World War II as a gauge of how many soldiers is typical to lose in a military conflict.

4. Even though Bush offered up many reasons for the war, including American security, humanitarianism, WMDs, and terrorism, people are only remembering WMDs and terrorism, which makes them believe the war was premised on lies or half-truths or misinformation.

5. There's an isolationist element in American foreign politics that believes the US government should never get involved in other countries' affairs, but if you ask me, these people were discredited sixty years ago and should shut up now.

Answer 2

Everyone thinks we're losing because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stood in the well of the Senate and declared the war is lost. The news media is fixated on the bombings, IED's and secular violence and make no effort to report the good things that happen. It's easy to understand, drama and violence holds people's attention longer than "feel good" stories. Why do you think John Murtha said today that "
This is big time," Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., said of the upcoming fall debate. "When you get to September, this is history. This is when we're going to have a real confrontation with the president trying to work things out." They're not even waiting for Gen Patreus to give his report in September. They've already made up their minds that we've lost.

Answer 3

Everyone doesn't think it's being lost. But, if enough believe that it is, then it will be. A war can be lost if one side loses it's ability to fight, but it can also be lost if one side loses the will to fight. America is rapidly aproaching the latter. As more people are convinced the war is lost, it will, finally be lost - no matter how great the military disparity between the antagonists. That's how America lost in Vietnam, and that's how America's enemies in Iraq are counting on winning their conflict.

Answer 4

We can never win this war, because it was never a war to begin with. It was an unjust invasion of a country that never even had wmd's. Now it is an occupation, not a war. Therefore, we can never actually win. All we are doing is sending more and more troops over to be killed. Bush calls it "The War on Terror," an endless war against fear itself that can never be won and is only making more countries hate us.

Answer 5

QWe won the "war". W stood on the flight deck of that carrier, dressed in his Air Force Reserve flight suit and said we won. The HUGE banner behind him, that he knew nothing about beforehand, stated it pretty concisely. "Mission Accomplished"

What we're having trouble with is winning the occupation of Iraq. Let us not lose track of our neo foreign policy. We will maintain our position as the world's only superpower. And we will re-emptively attack any country that we think will threaten our position.

It is a failed policy.

It made matters worse in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We have to stay there until we make things better again.

Answer 6

The media only focuses on the bad.

You will have to get the actual story from the troops on the ground to find out what is actually happening.

Only General Petreaus is saying the war is being won but it will take a long time publically, but Americans are only listening to the armchair quarterbacks.

Answer 7

A bad job of PR on behalf of the president.

Why blame the media? The president gets all the media coverage he wants, AND USES IT. He and his people speak to us unfiltered on every TV news network EVERY DAY! His opinion gets more coverage and is repeated more than anyone else's! He has thousands of radio programs and an entire TV news network that tell us of his "greatness" EVERY DAY.

But he still can't convince us we are winning.

If we are indeed winning and we just don't believe it, I would say the responsibility rests with W, he is failing because he has lost our confidence. (I guess he shouldn't have lied to us about the WMDs or how well we would be received by the Iraqis.)

Answer 8

Who said we are winning, and what would the defintion of winning be? However, to answer your question, I think many would say we are losing the war, because Iraq is in the midst of a civil war. How we can win a civil war?

Answer 9

Liberals are unable to look at things fairly. They use their preconceived ideas and eliminate facts. Victory can be marginalized down to winning one heart to a cause but in this case we need to give the troops a break and acknowledge the gains they have made. Women being allowed to show their faces and vote and drive are examples of the effects of our victory.

Answer 10

We are doing better, and hopefully starting to win.
But Democrats want us to lose.
That's why Democrats support the Insurgents and the Terrorists.

So actually, we are fighting Terrorists, Insurgents, and Democrats.

That makes a tough war. But America may win anyway.