The Pendragon's Hall

CNN does it again. Yet another poll of Iraqis that supposedly shows most of them want the US to leave the country. Then I sign into blogger and am greeted with a headline of what I take to be an Iraqi blog saying that he has "new freedom of expression" not enjoyed under Saddam Hussein. Even CNN admits that roughly 75% of Iraqis are doing as well or better than they were before the regime change. But they just want us to leave.

First, of all, I'd like to know how the questions were worded. I can picture CNN asking some illiterate Iraqi: "Would you rather have the US here and no food, no power, no good water, be beaten twice a day, with no work and no money or have Saddam and live in a nice house with lots of things?" What's the poor Iraqi to answer? Rephrase the question and ask about having the US there with all those things or Saddam in power and get a different answer. Biases are so skewed these days. One news service (I forget which) included in President Bush's "disapproval" rating those who had answered they thought he was doing ok. Apparently there is no middle ground--you either agree with everything or you think he is a miserable failure like Dick Gephardt so brilliantly put it (this from a guy who couldn't even win his next door state). There is probably no middle ground in Iraq either--you want the troops gone or you want them to stay. Any qualifier means what CNN wants it to mean. Ah, the irony of free press!

I'm actually getting quite sickened and if I wasn't so convinced that CNN is twisting the words of Iraqis the same way it twists the words of Americans, I would break forth into a rousing rendition of Rudyard Kipling's "Take Up The White Man's Burden." In fact, in deference to our Swedish friends, than whom it doesn't get more white, I think I will. Here goes:

Take up the White Man's burden--
Send forth the best ye breed--
Go, bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need;
To wait, in heavy harness,
On fluttered folk and wild--
Your new-caught sullen peoples,
Half devil and half child.

Take up the White Man's burden--
In patience to abide,
To veil the threat of terror
And check the show of pride;
By open speech and simple,
An hundred times made plain,
To seek another's profit
And work another's gain.

Take up the White Man's burden--
The savage wars of peace--
Fill full the mouth of Famine,
And bid the sickness cease;
And when your goal is nearest
(The end for others sought)
Watch sloth and heathen folly
Bring all your hope to nought.

Take up the White Man's burden--
No iron rule of kings,
But toil of serf and sweeper--
The tale of common things.
The ports ye shall not enter,
The roads ye shall not tread,
Go, make them with your living
And mark them with your dead.

Take up the White Man's burden,
And reap his old reward--
The blame of those ye better
The hate of those ye guard--
The cry of hosts ye humour
(Ah, slowly!) toward the light:--
"Why brought ye us from bondage,
Our loved Egyptian night?"

Take up the White Man's burden--
Ye dare not stoop to less--
Nor call too loud on Freedom
To cloak your weariness.
By all ye will or whisper,
By all ye leave or do,
The silent sullen peoples
Shall weigh your God and you.

Take up the White Man's burden!
Have done with childish days--
The lightly-proffered laurel,
The easy ungrudged praise:
Comes now, to search your manhood
Through all the thankless years,
Cold, edged with dear-bought wisdom,
The judgment of your peers.