The Blame America poll and the Blame America candidate
My second syndicated column this week ties two revealing world polls together — one on the globe’s opinion about who’s to blame for 9/11 and another on the globe’s favorite presidential candidate.
If you need another snort this morning, check out “The World Wants Obama.”
***
The World Still Blames Us
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2008
Al Qaeda’s media relations department must be seething. Or rather, they must be seething beyond the usual Destroy America/Kill the Jews/Behead the Infidels/Convert-or-Die seething that is their second nature. After years of churning out throat-slitting propaganda videos, investing in the finest video editing software and studio sets, and establishing cozy relations with sympathetic international newspapers and global network news channels, the jihadists still don’t get no respect from world opinion.
They are the Rodney al Dangerfields of global mass murderers.
A poll released this week of more than 16,000 people in 17 nations revealed that “majorities in only nine countries believe al Qaeda was behind the attacks on New York and Washington that killed about 3,000 people in 2001.” A mere 46% of individuals overall said they believed al Qaeda executed the attacks – despite all the back-patting, fist-pumping video productions from AQ’s media arm, as-Sahab, claiming credit.
In 2006, the AQ flacks released tape of Osama bin Laden at an Afghan training camp with several of the 9/11 hijackers. “I ask you to pray for them and to ask God to make them successful, aim their shots well, set their feet strong and strengthen their hearts,” bin Laden urged in the sicko promo. In April, another clip showed irate and aggrieved jihadi leader Ayman al-Zawahiri lambasting Hezbollah for crediting Israel for the 9/11 attacks. “The purpose of this lie is clear — (to suggest) that there are no heroes among the Sunnis who can hurt America as no else did in history. Iranian media snapped up this lie and repeated it,” he griped.
But to no avail. Maybe this is why FBI Most Wanted Terrorist Adam Yahiye Gadahn, the American-born Muslim convert-turned-al Qaeda publicist, has not been heard from in a while. He’s been falling down on the job. Either that, or those damned 9/11 Truther conspiracy nuts have surpassed the Islamic jihadis’ recruitment efforts on YouTube. Time to hire a new viral violence marketing team.
So, who’s stealing the bin Laden operation’s thunder around the globe and getting all the blame (er, credit) for the September 11 terrorist attacks? The citizens of the world have cast their vote. Seven years after Mohammed Atta, Hani Hanjour, and their Allahu Akbar-screaming team succeeded in slaughtering nearly 3,000 innocent men, women, and children, large numbers of our putative allies in the civilized world are still blaming America and Israel.
“Israel was behind the attacks, said 43 percent of people in Egypt, 31 percent in Jordan and 19 percent in the Palestinian Territories,” the survey found. “The U.S. government was blamed by 36 percent of Turks and 27 percent of Palestinians.” The pollsters noted that no prompting was necessary: “These responses were given spontaneously to an open-ended question that did not offer response options.”
Among our great friends south of the border, Mexico boasted “the second-largest number citing the US government as the perpetrator of 9/11 (30%, after Turkey at 36%). Only 33 percent name al Qaeda.” Which, of course, is no shock to those who remember when the U.S. soccer team was taunted with chants of “Osama! Osama! Osama!” after a match in Guadalajara four years ago; or when the team was booed again in 2005 and plastic bags filled with urine were reportedly tossed on American players.
They hate us. They still really, really hate us. And it is not all about Iraq. As a Mexican soccer fan told the Christian Science Monitor: “‘Every schoolboy knows about 1848. . . . When they robbed our territory,’ referring to when Texas, California and New Mexico were annexed to the U.S. as part of a peace treaty ending the war between the two countries, ‘that was the beginning.’”
Not coincidentally, another world opinion poll was released this week that dovetails with the 9/11 survey. While the global community refuses to unite against al Qaeda as a common enemy to humanity, it has decided on who should be America’s next president. The BBC-commissioned poll named Barack Obama the world’s favorite candidate by an overwhelming margin of four to one. They see in their fellow “citizen of the world” a kindred spirit:
Someone whose former spiritual mentor shares the European elite’s “chickens coming home to roost” schadenfreude. Someone who has promoted the need for “empathy” toward the head-chopping jihadists. Someone who shares their fetishizing of terrorists as poor victims of imperialism in need more “understanding” and “education.” Someone who cynically hawks “Buy American” campaign stickers while courting the “Blame America” Left at home and abroad.
Obama is their man. Never forget.
See what others have said
Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.
Trackbacks
- Pitbulls, pigs and jackasses; Sarah Palin and her critics slug it out « Northern Thoughts And Reflections
- Hardcore, left-wing, feminist ideologues zeroing in on their target, Gov. Sarah Palin. « Republican Party of Jefferson County, TN
- Michelle Malkin » Lamest Obama ad ever: McCain doesn’t do e-mail!
- Michelle Malkin » Lamest Obama ad ever: McCain doesn’t do e-mail!
- MishMashZone » World President Obama?
- Lamest Obama ad ever: McCain doesn’t do e-mail! « MorganWrites
- Michelle Malkin » Rainbows and unicorns and a world without the j-word
- Blame America Tour Hits Cairo, Egypt : Stop The Liberals Now
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Categories: Barack Obama
Power Line
» More From the East Anglia Archives
American Thinker
» Sarah Palin and the low ebb of the cultural leftRedstate
» Morning Briefing for November 24, 2009Doug Ross @ Journal
» ACORN pwnage part II: Breitbart's BigGovt Lowers the BoomBig Government
» BREAKING: San Diego ACORN Document Dump ScandalVillainous Company
» Amateur Hour in the Oval Office Continues....Nice Deb
» O
I’ll pay the shipping!
The Monty Python team couldn’t make this any more ridiculous than it is already.
citizen stupid : USA carried out the 911 attacks.
human with a brain : No no no, you’re confused. It was Al Queda that carried out the 911 attacks.
citizen stupid : No it wasn’t, it was the USA.
human with a brain : No, look here, here’s a photo of the guys that did it. See that guy on the left with the pina colada and the AK47? No not him, him. Yes that one, with his arm around Osama Bin Laden. No, that’s a camel. Yes, him. That’s Mohamed Atta at an Al Queda training camp before 911 holding up a drawing of a plane crashing into a building and laughing. Look Al Queda openly admit they did it!
citizen stupid : The USA did it. And the Jews. They both did it.
human with a brain : Wha.. listen, you’ve got it all backwards. The USA were the victims on 911, for gawd sake!
citizen stupid : I don’t care. They did it.
human with a brain : Oh really? So you’re trying to tell me that a nation of mostly rational individuals just woke up one morning out of the blue and thought, ‘what a lovely day, I think I’ll crash some planes into a few buildings’, is that it?
citizen stupid : Yes.
human with a brain : You’re stark raving mad!
citizen stupid : No I’m not.
human with a brain : Yes you are. You’re a complete loon!
citizen stupid : Am not.
human with a brain : How can you say the USA did it to themselves, when the people who did it are on video saying they did it, you silly man!
citizen stupid : And the Jews too.
human with a brain : Wha.. you’re insane.
citizen stupid : Would you like an Obama ‘08 badge?
Good catch, jsr (#91). I find that 90% of political e-mails I get from others are false, to the point where even the snopes links attached to the e-mails denounce the e-mails outright, which I find humorous and sad at the same time.
To CyberCipher and companion (#81): I like President Dipstick. President Tire Gauge doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.
I’m no fan of polls. More often than not, they are used to sway popular opinion (as opposed to simply providing information), not to mention statistically insufficient (my opinion, partially based on 2004’s election-day exit polls). When I walk into the voting booth, no one’s opinion matters but my own. The poll result that matters most is the one the world will witness on the morning of Nov. 5th.
If the world values our protection and support, they sure have a funny way of showing it. Perhaps the tune would change if the protection and support were revoked. I’m not saying we should, because that is not who we are. Now that I’m thinking about it, instead of asking for forgiveness if we desert them, the world would hate us more.
Generalizing a complex world attitude is not the easiest thing to do. However, my perception is that national pride, international envy, and distaste in our freedoms and military strength mingle in the minds of those who dislike us, mainly because we’re different, because we are the current example of freedom. Imagine the world without an America. The world could be a “utopia” of global-scale oppression, anarchy, and poverty. Somehow, we are being perceived by a growing number as the new Evil Empire, which is alarming and naive.
No thanks, MSM, for your partisan distortions, lies and omissions. You’ve done AQ a great service. To those around the world who trust that the US will properly decide who to choose as our leader — no matter the outcome — I honestly say thank you. But if we want to capitulate to supposed foreign opinion, then we’ll indeed get the change we deserve. As long as that change includes our collective Samson getting its head shaved. (Pardon the theological reference; I’m alluding to the result.)
Here’s the thing:
The Golden Calf claimed that after 9-11, he decided to stop wearing the flag lapel pin because he saw it, to paraphrase, as a false way to prove to everyone that you are patriotic. Of course, that completely missed the point of why so many people were wearing lapel pins, flying flags outside their homes, putting them on their cars and flag stores were completely selling out of them. It was to show unity. It was to show pride. It was to tell the world that they might have sucker-punched us, but we are stronger than ever. But that is beside the point.
He said he would rather talk to the people and let them see, by his actions, just what an all American patriot he really is.
So now here we are, some time removed from when he made that statement, and people still question whether or not he is proud of his country, whether or not he is actually patriotic, whether or not he feels that this is the greatest country the world has ever seen etc.
Seems to me that his actions AS WELL as his “talking to the American people” failed miserably.
You see, pride in your country, true patriotism, is not something you can fake. It is not something that you take off a shelf when it is convinient for you, when it best serves your goals of fame and power.
It is something that you live every day of your life. It is something that is in your actions, your words, your entire way of life. It does not consist of bad-mouthing this country and it’s President when you are overseas in another country. It is not in mere slogans.
He was correct. A simple piece of tin, more than likely made in China if you are not paying attention, is no indicator of whether or not you are a true patriot.
It is in how wearing that pin makes you feel. It is in WANTING to wear that pin, not in feeling like you should. It is in what that pin means.
After 9-11, our Chief issued pins throughout the department. We threw them away. They were made in China and what was worse, did not even have all 50 stars. We wanted those pins. The vast majority of us already wore them on our uniforms. We had them flying on the back of out engines and trucks, and looked for innovative ways to but them on the medics, BEFORE the murders of 7 years ago.
It should be incredibly telling to anyone who is voting in this very important election, that if you have to either question or spend any amount of time defending a candidate’s patriotism…then maybe that person is not the right choice for the leader of the greatest country that this world has EVER seen or produced.
On September 12th, 2008 at 5:14 pm, RetFireman said:
Same goes for the majority of car magnet ribbons. Sorry, folks. That fad has passed anyway, I think.
The rest of what I wrote is just as poignant for the magnets and anything else.
True. I just didn’t want to re-quote it all.
The World WAnts Obama?
They can have him!
What Bill Ayers posted on his blog on September 10, 2008.
…more…