The Iraqi war's divides

Earlier this month, I posted about a conservative criticizing the Iraqis for being ungrateful. I found, in a round-about way, more insight into how the war in Iraq is dividing more Americans. Bear with me for a second.

The Washington Post wrote about Iraqi bloggers, leading me to the Baghdad Burning blog by "Riverbend," who won a book award and is up for another. This, in turn, led me to look up the book on Amazon.com, where I found it: "Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq."

What I also found were a bunch of customer reviews that suggest the increasingly broad division over America's role in Iraq, and, in MeTheSheeple's view, an increasingly unwillingness by some to objectively view the facts. "Baghdad Burning" -- the book, not the blog -- gets incredibly polarized reviews: Nearly all are either five stars, two stars or one star. In short, people love it or hate it.

The reviews, it turns out, are less about the writing of the book and more about the viewpoint. I'm fascinated by the comments, but this one just sticks out:

Starts good but ends up being a rant, November 30, 2005
Reviewer: Thomas J. Villars "Tom Villars" (Ann Arbor, MI USA) - See all my reviews
I read Riverbend's blog entries as she was posting them and the impression I have are probably different from those who read everything in all at once. Like many of the Iraqi bloggers the best part is the honesty that comes across in her writing. Her descriptions of the killings, bombings and other hardships endured by the previously privileged residents of Baghdad were griping.

Unfortunately as time passes Riverbend becomes overly cynical and starts sounding like a western journalist covering the story. When she decided, along with most Sunni, not to vote in January 30th, 2005 election, it becomes clear political ranting is all that's left of the once semi-objective "Girl Blog from Iraq."

For a balanced view of the situation in Iraq, including blogs like IraqTheModel and HealingIraq is a must.

You have to wonder what "overly cynical" means when your country is spiralling toward civil war. The reviewer also questions her objectivity, while noting she is a blogger and once only semi-objective. Now that the review disagrees with her posts, she is apparently no longer allowed to have an opinion ... ? So much for freedoms.

Another reviewer critizes the Iraqi blogger for biting the hand that feeds her. Curiously, a look at the "Quality of Life" measures on the Brookings Institute's Iraq Index shows little progress in many measures, from unemployment to electricity available to oil production (the presumed base of an Iraqi economic revival).

Other reviewers simply fawn over the book. One guy is buying it for all of his grandchildren:

This chronicle of what really happened and continues to happen with America's well intended invasion of Iraq will be a case study for generations. Truthful reporting always brings detractors with vested interests, some of them venomous. But Riverbend's work will be treasured for the understanding it brings among peoples meeting for "hearts to heal and souls to mend."

You almost have to check twice to see if they're writing about the same book, don't you?

Sadly, that suggests you have to check twice to see if Americans are even thinking about the same war.