mat@hou5d.UUCP (M Terribile) (11/13/83)
Well, here it is, as promised. (A week and a half late, but here).
This reflects the responses that I recieved regarding the Grenada
invasion. There were 42 replies received. I also recieved several
comments, which are reproduced below.
The poll questions, and the responses to each, are shown here. For each
response to a question, I include a summary of responses to other questions.
I also include the raw data, at the very end of this long article.
There is only one thing that I will bring to your notice. Of those who were
opposed to the invasion, NONE said that a military action of this sort could
ever be definately justified, and only one thought that it MIGHT be
justifiable. Conversely, no one who thought that such an action could
be definately justifed said that this one was definately unjustified.
Draw you own conculsions on the reasons.
Thanks to all who replied. My feelings on more recent events are posted
in another article on net.flame,net.politics. See you there!
-------------------------- The Poll ------------------------------
********1) The military actions taken by the US in Grenada were
a) Definately unjustified
b) Possibly justified
c) Definately justified
d) I need more information to decide
Question #
*1* 2 3 4 5
10 - a 4 - a 9 - a 6 - a 3 - Eastern
5 - b 1 - b 1 - b 3 - Central
1 - Decl. 3 - b 1 - Mountain
1 - Pacific
2 - Declines
11 - b 1 - a 4 - a 6 - a 6 - Eastern
8 - b 5 - b 1 - b 2 - Central
2 - c 2 - Und 4 - c 1 - Mountain
2 - Pacific
12 - c 0 - a 5 - a 8 - a 6 - Eastern
6 - b 7 - b 1 - b 3 - Central
6 - c 3 - c 1 - Mountain
2 - Pacific
9 - d 2 - a 7 - a 7 - a 8 - Eastern
6 - b 2 - b 0 - b 1 - Central
1 - c 2 - c 0 - Mountain
0 - Pacific
********2) Use of military force against a nation not engaged in declared
war with the US may, depending on circumstances, be
a) Definately unjustified
b) Possibly justified
c) Definately justified
Question #
1 *2* 3 4 5
4 - a 7 - a 6 - a 3 - a 3 - Eastern
1 - b 1 - b 0 - b 2 - Central
0 - c 4 - c 0 - Mountain
2 - d 0 - Pacific
2 - Declined
5 - a 25 - b 13 - a 16 - a 15 - Eastern
8 - b 10 - b 3 - b 4 - Central
6 - c 2 - Undec 2 - Mountain
6 - d 4 - Pacific
0 - b 9 - c 5 - a 8 - a 5 - Eastern
2 - b 4 - b 0 - b 2 - Central
6 - c 1 - c 1 - Mountain
1 - d 1 - Pacific
1 - a 2 - Decl 1 - a 0 - a 0 - Eastern
0 - b 0 - b 0 - b 1 - Central
0 - c 1 - c 0 - Mountain
0 - d 0 - Pacific
********3) The current actions of the US Congress in attempting to use
the War Powers Act to limit or control executive branch use of military
force reflects my opinions.
a) Well
b) Poorly
Question #
1 2 *3* 4 5
9 - a 6 - a 25 - a 16 - a 11 - Eastern
4 - b 13 - b 1 - b 7 - Central
5 - c 5 - c 8 - c 3 - Mountain
7 - d 0 - d 2 - Pacific
1 - Decl 2 - Decl
1 - a 1 - a 15 - b 10 - a 10 - Eastern
5 - b 10 - b 2 - b 2 - Central
7 - c 4 - c 3 - c 0 - Mountain
2 - d 0 - d 3 - Pacific
0 - a 0 - a 2 - Undec 1-a 2 - Eastern
2 - b 2 - b 0 - b
1 - c
********4) I work
a) in industry
b) in academia as a teacher or administrator
c) in academia as a student
Question #
1 2 3 *4* 5
6 - a 3 - a 16 - a 27 - a 16 - Eastern
6 - b 16 - b 10 - b 4 - Central
8 - c 8 - c 3 - Mountain
3 - Pacific
7 - d
1 - Undec. 1 - Declined
1 - a 0 - a 1 - a 3 - b 2 - Eastern
1 - b 3 - b 2 - b 0 - Central
1 - c 0 - c 0 - Mountain
1 - Pacific
3 - a 4 - a 8 - a 12 - c 5 - Easterm
4 - b 6 - b 3 - b 5 - Central
3 - c 1 - c 0 - Mountain
2 - d 1 - Pacific
1 - Decl 1 - Und 1 - Declines
********5) What time zone do you live in?
Question #
1 2 3 4 *5*
3 - a 3 - a 11 - a 16 - a 23 - Eastern
6 - b 15 - b 10 - b 2 - b
6 - c 5 - c 5 - c
8 - d
2 - Undec.
3 - a 2 - a 7 - a 5 - a 10 - Central
2 - b 5 - b 3 - b 0 - b
4 - c 2 - c 5 - c
1 - d
1 - Decl
1 - a 0 - a 3 - a 3 - a 3 - Mountain
1 - b 2 - b 0 - b 0 - b
1 - c 1 - c 0 - c
0 - d
1 - a 0 - a 2 - a 2 - a 4 - Pacific
2 - b 3 - b 2 - b 1 - b
1 - c 1 - c 1 - c
0 - d
2 - a 2 - a 2 - a 1 - a 2 - Declined
0 - b 0 - b 0 - b 0 - b
0 - c 0 - c 1 - c
0 - d
------------------------ The Comments ----------------------
Some comments to item 3:
3. not clear how to answer this. I feel that the power to use force
probably should not be left up to a small number of people (president
and his close advisors), yet I have little confidence in the ability
of congress to act quickly and rationally.
3) a (No that's not a contradiction. If an operation is big enough to
take more than 2 months, then more than presidential authority
should be sought)
3) c The (c) response for question 3 indicates "undecided" -- the conflict
here is between checks-and-balances and separation-of-powers.
3) b) poorly (when was the last time your congressman asked your opinion?)
Comments to other items:
1) d (tending toward extreme condemnation, but the jury's still out.
The need for some type of intervention may have been justified,
indeed, it seems this was the case. BUT military force?? Did
our man Ronnie even try any other course of action?)
2) b (I had a problem answering this question. I felt bad answering with (b);
military force is [in my humble opinion] rarely, if ever, justifiable.
You left the question so wide open, however, that I couldn't answer
it definitively.)
--------------------------- The Raw Data ----------------------------
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) EST
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) declined to answer
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) c 5) central
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) c 5) declines to answ.
1) a 2) b 3) a 4) a 5) EST
1) a 2) b 3) a 4) a 5) Central
1) a 2) b 3) a 4) a 5) mountain
1) a 2) b 3) a 4) b 5) Pacific (PDT)
1) a 2) b 3) b 4) a 5) EST
1) a 2) Decl 3) a 4) c 5) Central
1) b 2) a 3) a 4) c 5) central
1) b 2) b 3) a 4) a 5) mountain
1) b 2) b 3) a 4) c 5) CDT (central)
1) b 2) b 3) b 4) a 5) eastern
1) b 2) b 3) b 4) a 5) PST
1) b 2) b 3) b 4) b 5) EDT
1) b 2) b 3) b 4) c 5) EST
1) b 2) b 3) Und 4) a 5) EST
1) b 2) b 3) Und 4) c 5) EST
1) b 2) c 3) a 4) a 5) Pacific
1) b 2) c 3) b 4) a 5) eastern
1) c 2) b 3) a 4) a 5) EST
1) c 2) b 3) a 4) a 5) est
1) c 2) b 3) b 4) a 5) Pacific
1) c 2) b 3) b 4) b 5) eastern
1) c 2) b 3) b 4) c 5) pacific
1) c 2) b 3) b 4) c 5) central
1) c 2) c 3) a 4) a 5) Rocky Mountain Standard Time
1) c 2) c 3) a 4) a 5) central
1) c 2) c 3) a 4) c 5) east
1) c 2) c 3) b 4) a 5) EDT
1) c 2) c 3) b 4) a 5) EDT
1) c 2) c 3) b 4) a 5) cst
1) d 2) a 3) a 4) c 5) Eastern
1) d 2) a 3) b 4) a 5) East
1) d 2) b 3) a 4) a 5) Central
1) d 2) b 3) a 4) a 5) EST
1) d 2) b 3) a 4) a 5) EST
1) d 2) b 3) a 4) a 5) EST
1) d 2) b 3) a 4) c 5) EST, i.e., New England
1) d 2) b 3) b 4) a 5) east
1) d 2) c 3) a 4) a 5) e
42 responses, total.