too bad reading is such a pain in the ass Carrol, you'd totally dig this book!
At 09:37 AM 2/22/2012, Wojtek S wrote:
>Robert: "I bet if the question asked: "Do you think the U.S. should
>continue to
>use drone strikes to target low-level fighters in Pakistan, who are
>not known to have engaged in any attacks against the United States,
>despite the fact that many current and former U.S. officials say that
>the policy has become counterproductive, and despite the fact that
>many Pakistanis and independent groups believe that the policy has
>produced significant civilian casualties," the answer would be very
>different."
>
>[WS:] Which is a textbook example of how NOT to ask survey questions.
>
>The broader point here is that the so-called opinion surveys are, for
>the most part utterly useless, a total waste of resources. They are
>like measuring shapes of clouds in the sky. A far better approach to
>gauging people's perceptions of issues are focus groups - which
>incidentally would probably yield results similar to ones that you
>hypothesize. But establishing this is not the point of most surveys.
>Most surveys are used the same way as drunks use lamp posts - for
>support rather than enlightenment.
>
>Wojtek
>
>On Tue, Feb 21, 2012 at 11:08 AM, Robert Naiman
><naiman at justforeignpolicy.org> wrote:
> > Most Americans know very little about the drone strikes. If more
> > detailed questions were asked and raised, I think a more nuanced
> > picture would emerge.
> >
> > For example, President Obama claimed in his "google hangout" that the
> > drone strikes only target named people on a list.
> >
> > But as the New York Times subsequently pointed out, citing U.S.
> > officials, that is simply not true.
> >
> > When the Washington Post asked,
> >
> > "13. Changing topics, thinking about the following decisions of the
> > Obama administration, please tell me whether you strongly approve,
> > somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove...The
> > use of unmanned, "drone" aircraft against terrorist suspects overseas
> > "
> >
> > What exactly was it that people were saying yes to?
> >
> > I bet if the question asked: "Do you think the U.S. should continue to
> > use drone strikes to target low-level fighters in Pakistan, who are
> > not known to have engaged in any attacks against the United States,
> > despite the fact that many current and former U.S. officials say that
> > the policy has become counterproductive, and despite the fact that
> > many Pakistanis and independent groups believe that the policy has
> > produced significant civilian casualties," the answer would be very
> > different.
> >
> > On Tue, Feb 21, 2012 at 9:29 AM, ken hanly <northsunm at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >>
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/poll-finds-broad-support-for-obamas-counterterrorism-policies/2012/02/07/gIQAFrSEyQ_story.html
> >>
> >> But fully 77 percent of liberal Democrats endorse the use of drones,
> meaning
> >> that Obama is unlikely to suffer any political consequences as a result of
> >> his policy in this election year.
> >>
> >> The poll shows that 53 percent of self-identified liberal Democrats — and
> >> 67 percent of moderate or conservative Democrats — support keeping
> >> Guantanamo Bay open, even though it emerged as a symbol of the
> post-Sept. 11
> >> national security policies of President George W. Bush, which many
> liberals
> >> bitterly opposed.
> >>
> >> Liberal democratic hawks seem to be the predominant species.
> >>
> >> Cheers ken
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Blog: http://kenthink7.blogspot.com/index.html
> >> Blog: http://kencan7.blogspot.com/index.html
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> pen-l mailing list
> >> pen-l at lists.csuchico.edu
> >> https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Robert Naiman
> > Policy Director
> > Just Foreign Policy
> > www.justforeignpolicy.org
> > naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
> >
> > ___________________________________
> > http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>
>
>
>--
>Wojtek
>http://wsokol.blogspot.com/
>
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