On talkback radio, hosts and callers unite against the war

FEW issues are uniting talkback radio like the war in Afghanistan, and hosts and callers across the political spectrum are clearly against it.

While the carbon tax and live cattle exports dominated over the past week, talkback remains one of the few indicators of what Australians think about the continued war.

The deaths of four soldiers in two weeks have united hosts in opposing the war, even though the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader support it.

An analysis by Media Monitors found 69 per cent of calls to talkback radio about Afghanistan were against Australian troops remaining in the war. Callers to the commercial stations 2GB and 2UE in Sydney did not want it, nor did those to the less conservative stations ABC 774 and 3AW in Melbourne, nor those to 4BC in Brisbane.

One soldier told the ABC Melbourne host Jon Faine it was an ''unwinnable war'', a view echoed by other opponents. The minority who supported the war generally argued the slow-but-steady progress case, but their point of view is being lost as the hosts themselves turn on the war.

In Sydney, the dominant breakfast host, Alan Jones on 2GB, put it directly to his listeners last week: ''Should we be there?'' Media Monitors noted the 2UE morning host, David Oldfield, declared the deaths of soldiers to be ''collateral damage'' for political purposes.

In Melbourne, the columnist, blogger and television and radio host Andrew Bolt last week asked: ''Are we certain that this war, now in its 10th year, is worth this sacrifice and also the cost?'' Following the latest death yesterday, he asked: ''Did we think that 10 years ago going into Afghanistan, we'd still be losing soldiers there?''

A poll by Essential Media last month found the number who wanted troops withdrawn fell by 8 per cent, yet that option was still favoured by 48 per cent. It has found the level of opposition has jumped around: in June last year, 61 per cent wanted troops out, in October it was 47 per cent and by March it was back up to 56 per cent. The Lowy Institute's poll last year found 54 per cent against continued involvement and 43 per cent in favour.

A Washington Post poll this week found 43 per cent of Americans thought the war has been worth fighting, but 75 per cent thought the US should pull out.