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Title: A Conspiracy Against Us All
Source:
NRO
URL Source: http://article.nationalreview.com/? ... M0M2ZjOTUwZWU4YWRiMjRlOTVjZGM=
Published: Sep 11, 2006
Author: Andrew Cline
Post Date: 2006-09-16 13:16:49 by It Is A Republic
Keywords: None
Views: 35061
Comments: 428
Five years after 9/11, the truth about what happened that day is more thoroughly documented and widely available than ever. And yet the crackpot conspiracy theories alleging that the Bush administration orchestrated the attacks or allowed them to happen have become more deeply entrenched and broadly accepted than at any time since that terrible day. More than a third (36 percent) of the American public believes it is likely that the Bush administration either perpetrated the 9/11 attacks or deliberately failed to stop them “because they wanted the United States to go to war in the Middle East,” according to a Scripps Howard/Ohio University poll released last month. A Zogby poll in August 2004 found that half of New York City residents believed the Bush administration knew the attacks were coming and “consciously failed to act.” The true believers might be a tiny fringe element, but thanks to the Internet, hack academics, and a passive media, they have succeeded in planting a grain of doubt in the minds of a substantial number of Americans. The Internet is a brilliant vehicle for the dissemination of half-truths — or what only have the appearance of half-truths. Presenting one-sided versions of the story, which usually leave out mountains of available data, and armed with a few snapshots or video clips, conspiracy theorists have crafted page after page of “proof” of their theories. For example, photographs showing dust and smoke shooting out of the towers as they collapse are cited on website after website as proof that the towers were brought down by explosions. The theory is reasonable enough, so long as you ignore all the available evidence — which is exactly what the theorists do. Numerous engineers who’ve studied the towers, and even ones who haven’t, have concluded that the puffs of smoke and debris are the result of air being pressed outward by the force of the top floors falling. It is really rather elementary: The physical space occupied by any office building consists mostly of air; if the top floors fall, where does the air in the floors below go? Out. There is no other option. Yet the theorists claim that this perfectly expected expulsion of air is proof that bombs were used. The most prevalent theory is that the government brought the towers down by controlled demolition. This is what Brigham Young University physics professor Steven Jones, put on leave by BYU last week, believes — once again, despite the preponderance of facts showing otherwise. Jones and his followers believe that the government placed thermite explosives in the buildings and brought them down by detonation. Never mind that thousands of pounds of explosives would somehow have to have been planted throughout the towers — in office space, behind walls, etc. — without anyone noticing. The “proof” of this theory is that the towers came down so quickly: The resistance of the lower floors would have slowed the collapse — unless, that is, the lower floors were exploded. The video evidence clearly refutes this claim. The towers unquestionably collapsed from the top down, not bottom up. The force of the collapsing top floors, combined with the weakened steel below, were enough to bring the towers down remarkably quickly — almost in free fall, in fact. A good example of the flimsiness of the conspiracy theories is the claim that a video shows “molten steel” falling from one of the towers. A jet-fuel fire is not strong enough to melt steel, so the picture “proves” that thermite explosives were used. The National Institutes for Standards and Training found was that the photo really shows melted aluminum from one of the aircraft. The theorists scream that melted aluminum is white, and the metal in question is clearly yellow, case closed. In its pure state, melted aluminum is white, but of course, it wasn’t pure when coming out of the towers. It was mixed with all the other burned debris, which changed its color. The conspiracy theories rely on just that sort of thinking. They approach 9/11 as if it were a controlled scientific experiment: In theory, things are supposed to work in a certain way; because they did not, the official story cannot be true. Conspiracy theorists have little patience for facts of life, such as bureaucratic incompetence, human error, and extreme conditions. They tend to believe that the government functions at peak, even superhuman, levels. Their regard for the government — or at least, for the competence of the government — is particularly strange. The top conspiracy theorist, David Ray Griffin, claims the official story cannot possibly be true is because “such incompetence by FAA officials is not believable.” The support of “academics” such as Griffin has lent much credence to the conspiracy mongers, but how credible are these academics? Last Wednesday Britain’s Daily Mail published a story claiming: “The 9/11 terrorist attack on America which left almost 3,000 people dead was an ‘inside job,’ according to a group of leading academics.” But the group in question, Scholars for 9/11 Truth, of which Griffin is the most prominent member, is in no sense a “group of leading academics.” It is a collection of like-minded crackpot theorists who happen to have some connection to academia. Scholars for 9/11 Truth claims about 300 total members, 76 of whom have “academic affiliations,” according to its founder, retired University of Minnesota-Duluth philosophy professor James H. Fetzer. He told this to my newspaper, the New Hampshire Union Leader, last month when one of our reporters discovered that a University of New Hampshire professor was a member and wanted to teach a class on 9/11. The UNH professor, William Woodward, teaches psychology — not engineering or physics — is a Quaker pacifist previously arrested for demonstrating at the office of U.S. Senator Judd Gregg, and has a long history of left-wing activism. When asked by a reporter to explain his theory that the planes were not hijacked airliners, Woodward admitted that he could not account for the missing passengers who boarded their flights and never returned. Nonetheless, he was convinced that he was right — because the official 9/11 report left too much unexplained, he said. That is how it usually is in the world of conspiracy theorists. It seems that they all claim the official story cannot be true because it has too many holes, yet goes on to posit a theory with holes large enough to, well, fly a jumbo jet through. Some members of Scholars for 9/11 Truth are or were legitimate academics of good standing at reputable institutions. Yet, of the 76 Fetzer identifies as having “academic affiliations,” there are many with questionable credentials. A partial list includes a “visiting professor of English” at Kyungpook National University in Daegu, South Korea; an assistant professor of English literature at Dogus University in Istanbul; someone whose qualifications are listed only as “Radiology, Medical hypnosis”; another whose qualifications are “French language and culture”; someone who teaches at Tunxis Community College in Farmington, Conn.; another listed as “architect, communicator”; one professor of “English and theater” at the University of Guelph (that’s in Ontario); and one listed as “author, researcher 9/11, JFK, more.” These are some of the “leading academics” promoting the view that the government did 9/11. One author with an article posted on the Scholars for 9/11 Truth website goes by the name “Scooby Doo.” Of the 76 full members of Scholars for 9/11 Truth, only four are listed as having backgrounds in physics, three in engineering; the other 69 “scholars” are mostly in the humanities and social sciences. Not quite what you’d expect when you hear that a group of “leading academics” supports the theory that the government was behind the attack. What do the vast majority of actual engineers and investigators who’ve studied the attacks conclude? Not unexpectedly, that the towers and the Pentagon were attacked by airliners hijacked by radical Islamic extremists, and the towers collapsed as a result of the aircraft collisions and fires. Every major investigation, from the 9/11 Commission to a panel of experts assembled by Popular Mechanics magazine to the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), has come to the same conclusion. And yet more and more people continue to believe the handful of conspiracy nuts. Why? The Internet bears some responsibility, of course. But the amateur speculation so prevalent there can be cancelled out to a large degree by top-notch investigative reporting, which is what the big media are supposed to do. In this, however, the media have been less than thorough, and, to a large extent, the 9/11 conspiracy theories have spread because the mainstream media have failed in their duty to get to the truth of the matter. Popular Mechanics did an excellent job refuting the conspiracy theorists, as has the NIST. But their work has been little explored by the mainstream press. On top of that, media outlets have tended to do puff pieces on the conspiracy theorists rather than expose their shoddy research. Too many reports on the conspiracy nuts treat them as if their ideas are to be given the same consideration as the facts. The conspiracy theorists are given the standard J-school “fairness treatment.” Get a quote from Person A and another from Person B, present both sides evenly, and leave it at that. The Washington Post did exactly that in its piece on the conspiracy theorists last Friday. What ever the merits of that approach, it doesn’t work in this case. None of the conspiracy theories can stand up to scrutiny; that they have stood up at all is mostly because the mainstream press has not given them any real scrutiny. The academics tend to be treated with the respect any other academic would get, and because they are professors the stories are made to read just like any other dispute between professors. But in reality, the scholars peddling the 9/11 theories are practicing almost entirely outside of their realm of expertise (e.g., Griffin, the theologian) and are an ultra-tiny minority dismissed as crackpots by the vast majority of the academic world, not to mention the world of engineering. As a result, five years after nearly 3,000 innocent people were slaughtered by radical Islamic terrorists, and just as the War on Terror enters an important new phase in which President Bush has vowed to take on both al Qaeda and its allies, and Iran and its puppets, a third of the American people reportedly think the enemy is not the jihadists, who are trying to destroy us, but our own government, which is trying to defend us against the real threat. This is a serious development. If people don’t understand who the real enemy is, if they doubt the very basis upon which our response to 9/11 was initiated, they are not going to support our necessary war against those who are trying to destroy us. One may have his doubts about the Iraq war; and the Bush administration, in its justification and execution, has earned a great deal of the skepticism about that conflict. But the War on Terror is another matter entirely. The skepticism about that has not been earned; it has been manufactured. We cannot allow the truth of what happened on 9/11 to be clouded by the conspiracy nuts. America cannot afford to lose the will to fight this war.
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Comments (1-297) not displayed.
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#298. To: buckeroo (#297)
how do you know that i don't know her in real life?
I don't think that is the point. You don't have a resume requirement upon 4um to participate, do you? And do you also validate those same resumes? And since when have you created this requirement to vouch for the background of anyone? Just now? Why is that? Because you sense a weakness in her/his postings when I confront her based upon "pings"? Look, you can validate anyone you want. It doesn't subtract from their own postings. And you knew it, too.
If she did you'd be cleaning the hopper with a tooth brush.
You miss your desk job in NYC, stamping approvals from the status quo, don't you, JT?
Never worked a desk. Spent most of my time in picturesque downtown Brooklyn.
How much money did you pick up just walking the beat?
I never counted.
Must be nice to have three income streams ... social security, NYC retirement AND bucks from the street for your involvement of illicit activities. Kinda makes you feel proud sitting on your ass today, doesn't it?
You got some streams wrong, but yes, it feels good :)
Gotta keep the spin general don't you. Can't say things like: "Bush wasn't lying when he and his noise machine told us about the WMD." Can't say things like: "Bush wasn't lying when he and his noise machine told us about he Saddam / Al Quaida Connections." Can't say things like: "Bush wasn't lying when he told us that the trailers of mass destruction were the WMD find." In my opinion, an administration that would lie through its teeth about a war this way, and that would continue to lie through its teeth to this very day (note Cheney's recent statements), is capable of anything. Going on the Republican record of the past six years, pulling off 911 isn't out of character for them at all. And at least 42% of the country agrees with me here - probably more as there are also those who believe Bush and the Republicans would do it, but perhaps took no active role. The Republicans are beginning to reap what they sow. Look how pathetic Bush's current position is: ranting red faced at congress to save him from a war crimes trial by narrowing the scope of the Geneva Convention. Where is the honor and integrity in that worm? He is sleazier than you are.
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Sure she does. The only exceptions are silly goofs we let on for fun - just so we can have fun pushing thier buttons. You filled out the application form didn't you? You participated in the panel interview didn't you? You should know all about this.
i had to fill out a five page form and go through a two hour phone interview before i was allowed to post. minerva's right. everyone has to do this except the idiots Christine lets on just for target practice. these goofs can sign up by just by giving their email address.
seems like all liberace wants to do is come over here and play mind games with us. why is he like that?
Mention the lifetime supply of free doughnuts and fresh-brewed coffee from Dunkin Doughnuts you get every morning delivered to your door at taxpayer expense---that'll give 'im apoplexy...
I think he shows the classic signs of bipolar disorder coupled with a taste for rot gut rum.
hehehehehe....(we still have our annual Christmas party on the cuff) (g)
I read somewhere that buckeroo was hispanic and only recently arrived in the country. The difference in cultures could explain a lot. I will go look for the source now.
Maybe he'll bring one next time.
If we were really at war, the borders would be closed.
he is always trying to push our buttons and play with our heads.
how do you get government grants? i am sick of my work and would rather sponge off buckeroo and his ilk.
Morgana...we're talking about the Liberace of the internet(s). He wants to play with more than heads.
buuuuck..i tell you to look and see that Minerva's not an old lady and now i'm vouching for member's backgrounds? hey, i vouched for you too then when i said you were kinda cute after you showed me your picture in your cowboy hat. :P
So, you put him the miserable failure category. Check.
If we were really at war, the borders would be closed.
make buckeroo post his picture on his home page.
I found one.
If we were really at war, the borders would be closed.
i want him to post one he chooses. that is more revealing.
He has to post it himself. If someone gets a picture without his permission we can't really make fun of it. He'll just accuse us of invading his privacy. It's better to twist his arm until he puts one up himself. Then it can be fair game.
we don't really want a picture of buckeroo per se, we want one that we can make fun of without people coming down on us.
i want him to post one he chooses. that is more revealing. Then I probably have the one you want.
If we were really at war, the borders would be closed.
When should we start the clock?
If we were really at war, the borders would be closed.
Makes sense to me.
If we were really at war, the borders would be closed.
I have no idea what It Is A Republic means. Prompted by his comment, I have reconsidered my posting, and it is still my considered opinion.
Katrina was America's Chernobyl.
ask him if you can post the picture. if he says yes then we can make fun of his picture. if he says no then we can make fun of him for being a chicken shit.
No. He is not the boss.
If we were really at war, the borders would be closed.
OK, I'll try to post it again.
my pictuure is on my home page. i just put it on like any other picture. zipporah, christine, pandora and minerva all have their pictures up too.
OK, it does post, it just doesn't show in preview.
are you in jail in that picture? i see bars and stone walls.
That is the back door to the Portland Saturday Market building off of Burnside Street in Portland, Oregon where I used to work. I am holding a bicycle I am about to get on and ride home. This was taken after working overnight Friday night to Saturday morning; a 12 hour shift. There are two collapsibles behind me inside the building they rent to people new to selling at the market. The Iron gate keeps guys from peeing right at the backdoor. That is skid row up there after all.
If I'm allowed to say this, you are all very good-looking ladies. Or should I say "wymmyn"? :P
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#299. To: christine (#298)
#300. To: buckeroo (#299)
You don't have a resume requirement upon 4um to participate, do you?
#301. To: Jethro Tull (#300)
#302. To: buckeroo (#301)
#303. To: Jethro Tull (#302)
#304. To: buckeroo (#303)
#305. To: Jethro Tull (#304)
#306. To: buckeroo (#305)
#307. To: It Is A Republic (#294)
You know better than that.
#308. To: buckeroo (#299)
You don't have a resume requirement upon 4um to participate,
#309. To: buckeroo (#299)
(Edited)
I don't think that is the point. You don't have a resume requirement upon 4um to participate, do you? And do you also validate those same resumes? And since when have you created this requirement to vouch for the background of anyone?
#310. To: Jethro Tull (#306)
#311. To: Jethro Tull (#306)
You got some streams wrong, but yes, it feels good :)
#312. To: Morgana le Fay (#310)
why is he like that?
#313. To: Peetie Wheatstraw (#311)
#314. To: Morgana le Fay (#310)
#315. To: Morgana le Fay (#310)
play mind games with us
#316. To: jessejane (#315)
#317. To: Minerva (#314)
#318. To: Morgana le Fay (#316)
and play with our heads.
#319. To: buckeroo (#299)
#320. To: Morgana le Fay (#316)
he is always trying to push our buttons and play with our heads.
#321. To: christine (#319)
#322. To: Morgana le Fay (#321)
#323. To: jessejane (#322)
#324. To: jessejane (#322)
#325. To: jessejane (#322)
(Edited)
I found one.
#326. To: Morgana le Fay (#323)
#327. To: Minerva (#324)
He has to post it himself. If someone gets a picture without his permission we can't really make fun of it. He'll just accuse us of invading his privacy. It's better to twist his arm until he puts one up himself. Then it can be fair game.
#328. To: Morgana le Fay (#325)
we don't really want a picture of buckeroo per se, we want one that we can make fun of without people coming down on us.
#329. To: ..., It Is A Republic (#307)
You know better than that.
#330. To: jessejane (#326)
Then I probably have the one you want.
#331. To: Morgana le Fay (#330)
ask him if you can post the picture. if he says yes then we can make fun of his picture. if he says no then we can make fun of him for being a chicken shit.
#332. To: Morgana le Fay (#330)
(Edited)
#333. To: Ferret Mike (#332)
(Edited)
#334. To: Morgana le Fay (#333)
(Edited)
#335. To: Ferret Mike (#334)
#336. To: Morgana le Fay (#335)
(Edited)
#337. To: Morgana le Fay (#333)
my pictuure is on my home page. i just put it on like any other picture. zipporah, christine, pandora and minerva all have their pictures up too.
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