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Sixty-two percent of Americans surveyed by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press opposed bombing the Syrian military, and 63 percent were against sending weapons to groups fighting Assad. A similar number, 64 percent, said the U.S. does not have a responsibility to act in Syria
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This opinion stretched across party lines. According to Pew, majorities of both Republicans and Democrats within the pool of 1,503 adults surveyed March 7-11 agreed the U.S. does not have a responsibility to get involved, and rejected the idea of military intervention or providing arms to the opposition.
As seen last year in Libya, public opinion does not necessarily preclude action. Before the U.S. and its allies launched air strikes to protect Libyans in their fight against strongman Muammar el-Qaddafi, 69 percent of Americans surveyed by Pew last March opposed arming the rebels. And a whopping 77 percent opposed bombing Libyan air defenses. Even after the Libyans seized Tripoli and Qaddafi went into hiding, fewer than half—44 percent—surveyed in September said that launching air strikes was the right decision.
Given that Obama ignored the US people when he took us to war with Libya, I don't see any reason to expect anything different this time. I hope I'm wrong and that we have learned from our past mistakes.
I think we should give up being a democratic republic and move to pure democracy. Let us see who takes the initiative for a constitutional amendment towards that effect.
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