Summary notes from Official Version of 9/11 Commission Report (not really)
The Official Version of 9/11 (Onion Report) goes something like this...
Terrorist events in the United States occurring on September 11th, 2001 were orchestrated by an (ex-CIA financed) bearded-guy from some cave in Afghanistan somewhere. He completely brainwashes nineteen hard-drinking, coke-snorting, devout Muslims who enjoy lap dances, and cavorting with women generally to take flight training classes using small prop planes before their mission to meet Allah...
Despite there being questionable evidence that several of the 19 named hijackers were even on these flights, using nothing more than craft knifes (box-cutters), they overpower cabin crew (even before a simple distress code can be entered), passengers and pilots on four planes...
And hangovers or not, they manage to give the world's most sophisticated air defense system the slip...
Unphased by leaving their “How to Fly a Passenger Jet” guide in the car at the airport, they master the controls in no-time and manage to score direct hits on two towers, causing THREE to collapse completely...
Then, defying the known laws of physics, perform a feat of (Red Baron-like) acrobatic genius hitting the Pentagon perfectly and leaving virtually no visual or physical evidence of any kind.
Having the foresight to leave a last will and testament in a conveniently placed bag on a bench in the airport lobby, Mohamad Atta and 18 others are all fingered in record time with photos appearing on TV within hours.
Meanwhile, George W. is reading to schoolchildren in Florida, Bush Sr. and the Bin Laden family (also in NY), watch events unfold from the comfort of the conference screens as Cheney was making some last minute phone calls in the bunker.
Now, after 8 long years (whereby millions of people worldwide have relinquished their basic civil liberties and freedoms), trillions of dollars, and hundreds of thousands of troops committed to the effort, we unfortunately report Osama’s cave can’t be found.
Showing posts with label 9/11. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 9/11. Show all posts
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Friday, October 22, 2004
9/11: A Reason To Invade Iraq
Among the most compelling reasons to invade Iraq, and about the only reasonable argument left standing as to why we really did invade, was the characterization of Saddam's link to terrorism and al-Qaida. We would prevent future acts of terrorism by adopting a pre-emptive strategy and invade Iraq.
I still remember the Bush & Co. media quips concerning terrorists before 9/11 as not having the time to "swat at flies". Alluding to the Clinton administration's policy of using precision strikes against known sites in response for acts of terrorism.
Then, conveniently, when the call to war came, they presented this information to the UN as a reason to invade. Claiming that Abu Musab Zarqawi, a Jordanian militant with ties to al-Qaida, was known to have a terrorist complex in northern Iraq.
New information shows that the Pentagon had, in 2002, presented plans to attack this camp three separate times, but all requests were turned down by the White House. The camp, funded by al-Qaida was known to be producing ricin and cyanide
Zarqawi is now blamed for more than 700 terrorist killings in Iraq, and ranks second on our most wanted list under Bin Laden.
I still remember the Bush & Co. media quips concerning terrorists before 9/11 as not having the time to "swat at flies". Alluding to the Clinton administration's policy of using precision strikes against known sites in response for acts of terrorism.
Then, conveniently, when the call to war came, they presented this information to the UN as a reason to invade. Claiming that Abu Musab Zarqawi, a Jordanian militant with ties to al-Qaida, was known to have a terrorist complex in northern Iraq.
New information shows that the Pentagon had, in 2002, presented plans to attack this camp three separate times, but all requests were turned down by the White House. The camp, funded by al-Qaida was known to be producing ricin and cyanide
Zarqawi is now blamed for more than 700 terrorist killings in Iraq, and ranks second on our most wanted list under Bin Laden.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Fehrenheit 9/11
Damn, this stuff is good.
Hats off to the man, Michael Moore.
If you haven't yet, visit the official Moore blog site by clicking on the link above. The truth will set you free.
About the movie? Must see it ... must see it .... must see it.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Homeland In-Security: Are We Really Prepared?
Homeland Security Director, Tom Ridge, has been doing an excellent job pacifying the masses with color coding threat levels on national TV, yet somehow I still feel certain that something like 911 will happen again. This time, we'll be just as unprepared as before. I'm sure my growing sense of doom doesn't relate to the overwhelming flurry of actual information spouting from that office.
This excerpt from a September 2 speech entitled, "Information Sharing a Key to Nation's Security", Secretary Tom Ridge said the following to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
"Part of our mission is to turn information into courses of action which we can then communicate to those who can immediately ramp up security. As the 9-11 Commission so rightly framed it, 'The need to know has been replaced by the need to share.' Widespread information sharing is the hallmark of the nation's new approach to homeland security. That is why we have developed new tools for communication that reach horizontally across federal departments and vertically to our partners at the state, local, territorial, and tribal levels as well as out to the private sector as well."
More all-inclusive (English only) content designed to make you feel better can be found at, The Office of Homeland Security Website: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/
So that all sounds very good, but I'm just wondering how prepared we really are to cope with a serious terrorist, or even natural disaster.
Working in the hurricane-isolated region of the Midwest, it might be hard to imagine what personal impact Ivan will have to the residents of the Gulf Coast, but even here the effects are already felt. As oil and natural gas facilities are forced to close, the price of energy rises accordingly, slowing productivity and growth. Consumer prices rise, and the economy slows.
Florida, already hard hit, will need over 5 billion in Federal aid in order to recover. Tax time. Like the power grid that cris-crosses this nation, labor capacity lost due to these natural disasters is quickly rerouted to other areas outside the danger zone. Overtime.
At least, we won’t have to suffer the loss of personal property, direct income, and possibly the lives of loved ones.
When I think of what Homeland Security would mean to me, part of that would contain a good plan for action. The, "What People Would Do When Things Got Bad To Make Things Better" plan. This plan would be a swell plan too. Everyone could use it, follow it when needed, and probably make it out OK. Everyone could read the book, and in this book, there would also be some really great tips and techniques that individual people could use, if someday the possibility arose. Stuff like: Tip #784 - If you think the building is going to collapse, whatever you do, DON’T run up the stairs.
It might have to be a pretty big book in order to make sure all the good ideas made it in though, because this is not a time for skimmin' on the details, right? Anyway I think it might be lost, so if anyone out there knows where is, please let me know and I'll feel allot better.
Those living in the Gulf Coast area might be able to use some of this information: http://www.Ready.gov/
Specific hurricane-related information is available here: http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/hurricanes.shtm
Noting the tone coming from the second half of the news article though, I would have to say that there are certainly several people who would benefit from this information, including someone in government who can help those trapped people before Ivan hits.
"They said get out, but I can't change my flight, so I figure I might as well enjoy myself," said George Senton, of Newark, N.J., who listened to the music. "At least I'll have had some good coffee and some good music before it gets me."
Personally, if something similar happened to me, I'd hate to be the one saying that.
With more than 100,000 people trapped inside New Orleans city limits alone, and waves potentially cresting past the flooding limit of 10 feet, the situation doesn’t look promising.
... Send a good thought to those of us who are going through these tough times.
This excerpt from a September 2 speech entitled, "Information Sharing a Key to Nation's Security", Secretary Tom Ridge said the following to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
"Part of our mission is to turn information into courses of action which we can then communicate to those who can immediately ramp up security. As the 9-11 Commission so rightly framed it, 'The need to know has been replaced by the need to share.' Widespread information sharing is the hallmark of the nation's new approach to homeland security. That is why we have developed new tools for communication that reach horizontally across federal departments and vertically to our partners at the state, local, territorial, and tribal levels as well as out to the private sector as well."
More all-inclusive (English only) content designed to make you feel better can be found at, The Office of Homeland Security Website: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/
So that all sounds very good, but I'm just wondering how prepared we really are to cope with a serious terrorist, or even natural disaster.
Working in the hurricane-isolated region of the Midwest, it might be hard to imagine what personal impact Ivan will have to the residents of the Gulf Coast, but even here the effects are already felt. As oil and natural gas facilities are forced to close, the price of energy rises accordingly, slowing productivity and growth. Consumer prices rise, and the economy slows.
Florida, already hard hit, will need over 5 billion in Federal aid in order to recover. Tax time. Like the power grid that cris-crosses this nation, labor capacity lost due to these natural disasters is quickly rerouted to other areas outside the danger zone. Overtime.
At least, we won’t have to suffer the loss of personal property, direct income, and possibly the lives of loved ones.
When I think of what Homeland Security would mean to me, part of that would contain a good plan for action. The, "What People Would Do When Things Got Bad To Make Things Better" plan. This plan would be a swell plan too. Everyone could use it, follow it when needed, and probably make it out OK. Everyone could read the book, and in this book, there would also be some really great tips and techniques that individual people could use, if someday the possibility arose. Stuff like: Tip #784 - If you think the building is going to collapse, whatever you do, DON’T run up the stairs.
It might have to be a pretty big book in order to make sure all the good ideas made it in though, because this is not a time for skimmin' on the details, right? Anyway I think it might be lost, so if anyone out there knows where is, please let me know and I'll feel allot better.
Those living in the Gulf Coast area might be able to use some of this information: http://www.Ready.gov/
Specific hurricane-related information is available here: http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/hurricanes.shtm
Noting the tone coming from the second half of the news article though, I would have to say that there are certainly several people who would benefit from this information, including someone in government who can help those trapped people before Ivan hits.
"They said get out, but I can't change my flight, so I figure I might as well enjoy myself," said George Senton, of Newark, N.J., who listened to the music. "At least I'll have had some good coffee and some good music before it gets me."
Personally, if something similar happened to me, I'd hate to be the one saying that.
With more than 100,000 people trapped inside New Orleans city limits alone, and waves potentially cresting past the flooding limit of 10 feet, the situation doesn’t look promising.
... Send a good thought to those of us who are going through these tough times.
Saturday, September 11, 2004
A Special Anniversary
Why does it seem so strange that we are all drawn to be creatures of habit, each seemingly needing to come back to the place where we once came from? Do we choose to reflect upon our lives, or do we selectively remember out of habit?
These marks on our calendars are a fundamental part of who we are, and yet each time something has changed since we were there last. Just like the animals who roam this earth, we are creatures of habit. Migratory birds circle the earth thousands of miles each year on their annual mating and feeding cycles. Whales, without the benefit of decent eyesight, span the murky ocean depths returning to the same hunting grounds without fail.
And we signify various times in our lives bringing ourselves back to that singular moment designated as a birth, a death, or some pivotal moment forever ingrained, “lest we forget”.
In the past, I’ve often heard remarks from those who claimed they knew where they were and what they were doing the day John F. Kennedy was shot, or when Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon, but for some reason I had my doubts. Lacking a significant event in my own history to compare it with, now I understand what a single event can do to change ones life. Three years later, I can still remember where I was and how I felt the moment it happened. 911 will forever be ingrained into my soul as a day of terror. Still there are lingering doubts. Are we really so different from a flock of gulls?
I’m not worried if I will forget the gripping moments while I watched in disturbed horror as civilization seemed so vulnerable, but now looking back as time moves on, one has to wonder how this event will be interpreted collectively in the years that follow.
Unlike animals, people have the luxury of insight and adaptation. Our species is so adept in meeting new challenges that change is expected, anticipated. And so we move on to new paths in our own lives and collectively as a culture.
But I can only wonder what will happen if we fail to understand the importance of what 911 really is to this generation. Sadly, I am left feeling that we have already been caught in the misrepresentation of its significance. Just like World War One, we are caught in the potential trap of having not only to endure a terrible beginning, but having to repeat it again in a more horrible way because we cannot remember past mistakes. With the Armistice of the Great War, the United States government witnessed in dismay as the French and English sought and won alarmingly punitive compensation from their defeated enemies, and occupied vital industrial/agricultural regions critical to their survival. Just as we were once brushed aside by the European victors written off as inexperienced in the complexities of world affairs, it is our turn to repay the favor with Iraq. What will be the cost this time?
Can we endure another election cycle of costly political mistakes that don’t take into account the importance of history past? Are we truly prepared for the revenge our enemies will wage against us for our brutal and arrogant treatment?
One has to ask, do we choose to remember, or are we destined to repeat? Let us all only hope it isn’t the latter.
These marks on our calendars are a fundamental part of who we are, and yet each time something has changed since we were there last. Just like the animals who roam this earth, we are creatures of habit. Migratory birds circle the earth thousands of miles each year on their annual mating and feeding cycles. Whales, without the benefit of decent eyesight, span the murky ocean depths returning to the same hunting grounds without fail.
And we signify various times in our lives bringing ourselves back to that singular moment designated as a birth, a death, or some pivotal moment forever ingrained, “lest we forget”.
In the past, I’ve often heard remarks from those who claimed they knew where they were and what they were doing the day John F. Kennedy was shot, or when Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon, but for some reason I had my doubts. Lacking a significant event in my own history to compare it with, now I understand what a single event can do to change ones life. Three years later, I can still remember where I was and how I felt the moment it happened. 911 will forever be ingrained into my soul as a day of terror. Still there are lingering doubts. Are we really so different from a flock of gulls?
I’m not worried if I will forget the gripping moments while I watched in disturbed horror as civilization seemed so vulnerable, but now looking back as time moves on, one has to wonder how this event will be interpreted collectively in the years that follow.
Unlike animals, people have the luxury of insight and adaptation. Our species is so adept in meeting new challenges that change is expected, anticipated. And so we move on to new paths in our own lives and collectively as a culture.
But I can only wonder what will happen if we fail to understand the importance of what 911 really is to this generation. Sadly, I am left feeling that we have already been caught in the misrepresentation of its significance. Just like World War One, we are caught in the potential trap of having not only to endure a terrible beginning, but having to repeat it again in a more horrible way because we cannot remember past mistakes. With the Armistice of the Great War, the United States government witnessed in dismay as the French and English sought and won alarmingly punitive compensation from their defeated enemies, and occupied vital industrial/agricultural regions critical to their survival. Just as we were once brushed aside by the European victors written off as inexperienced in the complexities of world affairs, it is our turn to repay the favor with Iraq. What will be the cost this time?
Can we endure another election cycle of costly political mistakes that don’t take into account the importance of history past? Are we truly prepared for the revenge our enemies will wage against us for our brutal and arrogant treatment?
One has to ask, do we choose to remember, or are we destined to repeat? Let us all only hope it isn’t the latter.
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