Hearts and Minds

Opinion polls aren't conducted very often in Iraq but the following chronicles our murder of a nation pretty well. Since today is the four year anniversary of the war it was judged beneficial to see just how the Iraqis are feeling;

• The number of Iraqis who say their own life is going well has dipped from 71 percent in November 2005 to 39 percent now.

• About three-fourths of Iraqis report feelings of anger, depression and difficulty concentrating.

• More than half of Iraqis have curtailed activities like going out of their homes, going to markets or other crowded places and traveling through police checkpoints.

• Only 18 percent of Iraqis have confidence in U.S. and coalition troops, and 86 percent are concerned that someone in their household will be a victim of violence.

• Slightly more than half of Iraqis 51 percent now say that violence against U.S. forces is acceptable _ up from 17 percent who felt that way in early 2004. More than nine in 10 Sunni Arabs in Iraq now feel this way.

• While 63 percent said they felt very safe in their neighborhoods in late 2005, only 26 percent feel that way now.

h/t to DKos

UPDATE: BarbinMD has an excellent post at Kos that follows Bush's comments about the war chronologically using the number of casualties. Puts the whole freaking mess and the insanity of George Bush and company in a clear and dreadfully saddening way.