Let me think, the thug on the right or the left?
"An Oxford International poll taken in February for ABC News and several networks from other countries found a higher level of optimism than more recent polling taken after months of bombings and other violence. Still, only a quarter of those polled by Oxford said they had confidence in coalition forces to meet their needs, far behind Iraqi religious leaders, police, and soldiers. "
I think if I were an Iraqi, I would also have to side with the group of people that hasn't had a history of coming into the country and kicking my ass. I think when I would go through my checklist of people I chose to protect me, I would look seriously at their history of bombing me. Whatever may be said about the Iraqi religious leaders, police, and soldiers, I don't think the Iraqi have fear of them blockading their own country (Not only has the US blockaded Iraq, but it has chosen to blockade itself in the past!)
Give me a break. Who thought the results would be different? I think a more competitive question is whether or not the average Iraqi trusts the Baath party more than the coalition. If I were an Iraqi I would be torn between which group of people should lead when both have already proven it can kill many people.
If we want the average Iraqi to support the US intervention, we need to merit that support. Recent events do not show that merit. How many have died already for this new democratic government that does not yet exist let alone the fact that it has yet to help anyone? What happens when Iraq's democrcy is no more successful than the democracies of the poor Latin American countries? Ok fine fine, not all these countries have a significant source of export. But let's take Venzuela, because these have oil too. Are they doing all that well? Don't they have a democracy?
The US doesn't have all the answers and it is arrogant to think that we do, just because things are going well for us.