War remains the decisive human failure.
~John Kenneth Galbraith
As the Bush administration continues its "Give War A Chance" policy towards Iran, a new poll shows that the citizens of nearly every country - including our own - believe there is hope to avoid the neo-con/al-Qaeda deathwish for a battle of civilizations.
From the BBC:
Most people believe common ground exists between the West and the Islamic world despite current global tensions, a BBC World Service poll has found.
In a survey of people in 27 countries, an average of 56% said they saw positive links between the cultures.
...
Doug Miller, president of polling company Globescan, said the results suggested that the world was not heading towards an inevitable and wide-ranging "clash of civilisations".
"Most people feel this is about political power and interests, not religion and culture," he said.
...
The most positive respondents came from Western nations, with 78% of Italians, 77% of Britons and 73% of Canadians saying it is possible to find common ground. [Americans came in at 64%.]
...
The BBC poll asked approximately 1,000 people in each of 27 countries three questions about their interpretation of the world they live in.
Most expressed the belief that ongoing clashes could be resolved without violent conflict.
Unfortunately, of course, wars are fought by citizens but waged by governments. It's one of the reasons why it's crucial for a country's press to vigorously question the evidence that governments present for war, hold them accountable for war profiteering, demand and report accurate civilian and troop casualties, and give anti-war demonstrations fair exposure.
Sadly, on the whole, our mainstream press fails on all accounts. (Watch how much play this story gets.)
Meanwhile, different sides of the same coin, George W. Bush and the Osama bin Ladens of the world have no qualms about sacrificing young lambs to further their goals. Even if the majority of human beings stand against them.
Citizens of the World Reject "Clash of Civilizations"
Posted by: MediaBloodhound | February 18, 2007 at 10:14 PM