I realize that polls taken immediately after terrible events are not necessarily reliable indicators of longer-term trends. Nonetheless it’s gratifying that the latest YouGov/Daily Telegraph survey of the British public (pdf) — taken the day after the London terrorist attacks– shows a majority holding opinions firmly at odds with what George Galloway, Tariq Ali and the rest of the gang think they should believe.
For example:
–By 49 to 42 percent, Britons are satisfied with Tony Blair as prime minister (compared to 61 percent dissatisfied in January).
–While 72 percent believe Britain’s role in Iraq has made the country more vulnerable to attack by Islamic terrorists, 52 percent believe Britain should retain its close alliance with the US in the war on terror (up from 44 percent in March). And only 14 percent agree with Galloway, Ali, et al that British troops should be brought home from Iraq immediately. A full 48 percent think they should remain as long as needed, while 15 percent think they should stay for three months or less and 16 percent for a year or less. Sorry, George.
–Finally a result that doesn’t surprise me one bit: only 1 percent said the terrorist bombings will change “a lot” the way they lead their lives. Compare that to 61 percent who said the attacks will not change the way they lead their lives “at all.” Sorry, terrorists.
