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Interesting poll: Who should the US defend militarily?

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Most Americans aren’t carrying a grudge about D-Day and Pearl Harbor these days, that’s for sure. But the war in Vietnam is still obviously a sore subject.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% of Americans believe the United States should provide military assistance to Germany if it is attacked. Thirty-three percent (33%) disagree, and 14% aren’t sure.

Americans were asked specifically whether the United States should provide military assistance to a country when it is attacked and then read a list of 18 countries around the globe that are regularly in the news. Germany is one of only five countries that most Americans are willing to defend militarily.

Japan did a little worse but still came in sixth. Forty-six percent (46%) say America should provide assistance to the island nation if it is attacked, but 41% oppose such aid. Thirteen percent (13%) are undecided.

Not surprisingly, Americans over 65 are less favorable toward Germany and Japan than those who are younger.

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Ironically, France, America’s ally in World II against the Axis powers of Germany and Japan, doesn’t fare quite as well now. Forty-five percent (45%) say U.S. military assistance should go to France if it is attacked, putting it at seventh, but 37% oppose that idea and 18% are not sure whether to help or not. Still, in March 2006, only 18% of Americans believed France was an ally in the war on terror, while nearly as many viewed it as an enemy.

Vietnam placed 13th, with just 19% saying the United States should provide it military assistance and 64% against any such help. Sixteen percent (16%) are not sure. Twenty-one percent (21%) think Vietnam is a U.S. ally, while the identical number (21%) say the Southeast Asian nation is an enemy. For nearly half of Americans (47%), Vietnam falls somewhere in between an ally and an enemy,

Adults ages 30 to 50 are slightly more supportive of Vietnam than those in other age groups.

In first place in terms of countries America should assist is Canada. Seventy-eight percent (78%) favor aiding our northern neighbor in the event of an attack, and just 16% disagree.

Next comes Great Britain, but then it’s been more than two centuries since America fought its way free of the Mother Country. Seventy-three percent (73%) think the United States should provide military help for Britain if it is attacked, but nearly one-in-five Americans (18%) are against such assistance.

Tied for third are Mexico and Israel, each with 59% support in the event of an attack. Twenty-eight percent (28%) oppose helping our neighbor to the south, and 13% are unsure. Similarly, 29% don’t think American should help Israel militarily, while 12% are undecided.

Forty-nine percent (49%) of Americans said in May that if Israel attacked Iran over the latter’s nuclear weapons program, the United States should help Israel.

As for the remaining countries on the list, there is more opposition than support for helping them if they are attacked. Rasmussen Reports will release the findings for those countries on Thursday.

The new findings parallel those from a month ago when Americans were given the same list of 18 names and asked to identify the country as an ally of the United States, an enemy or somewhere in between. Canada and Great Britain led the list of allies in a virtual tie, with over 80% viewing them as friends. Israel came in third.

In April, 37% of U.S. voters agreed with President Obama that in dealing with its European allies over the years, the United States has shown arrogance, been dismissive and even derisive. Forty-seven percent (47%) disagreed. Most voters (54%) said it would be better for the world if Europe became more like the United States.

Fifty-four percent (54%) of voters say America's allies should do what the United States wants. Only nine percent (9%) say the United States should do what its allies want, and 31% agree with neither position.

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http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/ally_enemy/many_americans_see_old_enemies_as_friends_defensively_speaking
 
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