Patriotic and not

Polls can produce an amazing variety of odd and often conflicted opinion. And the Zogby poll yesterday certainly provided some of that. News of Zogby's poll of Iraqi vets flew around the web yesterday, carrying with it the result that

72% of American troops serving in Iraq think the U.S. should exit the country within the next year.

This result more than echoed the same general American feelings at home. But, another number jumped out, which was seemingly passed over by anyone just glancing at the numbers:

The troops have drawn different conclusions about fellow citizens back home. Asked why they think some Americans favor rapid U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq, 37% of troops serving there said those Americans are unpatriotic....

Now, that's an interesting overlap of conflicted opinion. 70% of troops advocate leaving Iraq soon, while almost 40% think that Americans back home are unpatriotic for wanting the same thing. Of course, the soldiers do not know the results of their own poll beforehand.

It might be interesting to go back with these results and ask these same soldiers whether they thought 72% of their brothers-in-arms are as unpatriotic as those Americans whom they accuse of said same.

I can almost hearing the gears whirling....