Eighty or Ninety percent of Americans would not have supported World War II

by MsMcDucket 32 Replies latest social current

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  MsMcDucket

  If there had been a poll, eighty to ninety percent of Americans would not have supported World War II. This is what my daughter's history professor was telling her in class today. The reason why is because the people said that we shouldn't get involved in other nation's affairs and because they were tired of American's dying fighting other people's wars. That was the public's opinion at that time.

  So, my question is? What do you think now? And do you think we will look back on the Iraq situation and think differently?
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  daystar

  I'm popping popcorn if anyone wants any.
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  JeffT

  Your daughter's teacher isn't being very clear about what he's trying to say. If that poll was taken on December 6, 1941 it if likely correct. The american public was overwhelming against getting involved in what they saw as Europe's problem. From the American point of view, we'd killed 55,000 kids twenty years earlier to put a stop to this kind of thing, and here they were doing it again!

  On December 8, 1941 people were lining up at recruiting offices to get in the fight (against Japan). If Hitler had not declared war on the US on December 11th the Europeans would have been on their own. From that moment on the attitude was "we didn't start it, but we'll sure as hell finish it."
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  MsMcDucket

  On December 8, 1941 people were lining up at recruiting offices to get in the fight (against Japan). If Hitler had not declared war on the US on December 11th the Europeans would have been on their own. From that moment on the attitude was "we didn't start it, but we'll sure as hell finish it."

  JeffT, isn't that like what happened at 9/11?
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  Elsewhere

  If there had been a poll, eighty to ninety percent of Americans would not have supported World War II. This is what my daughter's history professor was telling her in class today.

  I don't get it... how does he know this if no pole was ever taken? Sounds like he is BSing the class with his own personal opinions and guesses. This is also known as Mental Masturbation.

  If a pole were to be taken, 80% of people would say they believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
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  XJW4EVR

  Sounds to me like another example of a liberal, pinhead professor trying to indoctrinate his pupils with pacificism, instead of teaching. There are too many professors indoctrinating, rather than teaching.

  Edited to ask: Is this a 4-year university or a community college?
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  MsMcDucket

  I don't get it... how does he know this if no pole was ever taken? Sounds like he is BSing the class with his own personal opinions and guesses. This is also known as Mental Masturbation.

  If a pole were to be taken, 80% of people would say they believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

  The Professor said this at the last class of the semester. A student in class questioned him about the war in Iraq. He immediately said that he doesn't like to bias his classes with his own opinions; but what he did share, is that public opinion is not always right. He said that this doesn't mean that the War in Irag is right; but that, public opinion can definitely be wrong. Although there was no poll taken, there were still newspaper, books, and discussions about it. These books can be checked out your local library.

  Also, JeffT is right about the dates.

  The above is my daughter's response.
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  MsMcDucket

  XJW, she is going to a 4 year college (if that means anything). Jesus didn't have to go to school or have a degree did he? I just had to say that!
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  Gopher

  We elect our leaders to lead, not to follow the way the wind is blowing.

  It may be of historical interest to know whether the nation supported a war ( Civil War, WW 1, WW 2, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and the current Iraq situation) ahead of time.

  What's more important is the actions of our leaders before our nation gets involved, and the outcome.

  It seems that it would be more fair to compare the current Iraq conflict to Vietnam, than to compare it to WW2. The outcome of WW2 was good for America as a whole because of clear-sighted leadership. One cannot say the same for Vietnam, and the current Iraq conflict is turning into another disaster, due to poor planning and execution of our leaders.

  The opinion of the public may have been favorable in 2002 and 2003 regarding going into Iraq, and it's quite opposed now. (I plead guilty to wavering on this very issue, just like much of the American public.) However, that is only academic.
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  MsMcDucket

  The opinion of the public may have been favorable in 2002 and 2003 regarding going into Iraq, but that doesn't matter now.

  Gopher, well I take it that you don't think the war in Irag is justified? And that on hindsight, you think it's a disaster?