A couple of days ago, I caught Ed Gillespie, the Republican National Committee chairman, on a cable news show talking about Iraq. He assured viewers that the "vast majority" of Iraqis supported the United States and wanted our troops to remain in that nation. His Democratic counterpart, also on the program, did not challenge his facts.
According to a CNN/Gallup poll (you can also click here) -- a poll conducted before the recent heightening of violence in Fallujah and elsewhere -- 55 percent of the Iraqi population dislikes the United States. The same number of Iraqis believe that our military will not leave their country unless forced out. About half preferred Saddam Hussein's dictatorship. 57 percent want American forces to leave completely after the official handover of power in June. 54 percent said the United States is not serious about improving the Iraqi economy. (They noticed the scandalous sell-off of national assets to foreign corporations, a fact most Americans prefer not to face.) 57 percent said the United States won't let Iraq determine its political future.
I predict that Americans will continue to prefer the fantasyland version of Iraqi attitudes, just as they continue to think Osama and Saddam were partners. There's only one way to fight the misperceptions: From now on, whenever someone like Gillespie spews falsehood, we must eschew politeness. Every Democrat and independent in the room should shout "LIAR!" with as much vehemence as the vocal cords allow.
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