Crimes, and the columnists who explain them
or, excuse me while I try to distract the "real" progressives
John Doraemi at Crimes of the State has an
excellent post analyzing the below Silverstein quote while making some important points about the need for credibility for citizen journalists.
I recommend his blog, which focuses on the monstrous crime committed on 9/11. His answer to George Monbiot's UK Guardian put down of 9/11 skeptics is full of facts that should get the attention of all conscientious people.
Two points about Monbiot, and the similarly dismayed,and insulting, Alexander Cockburn: Both seem unaware of WTC 7, and both feel the need to resort to name-calling. Usually, if you are confident in your position, you don't stoop to that level.
UPDATE:
Lots of good responses to Monbiot, but I thought this one particularly good:
gnaghi
February 20, 2007 10:17 AM
'Charlie Sheen is "highly credible", is he? A man whose expertise adds great weight to the 9/11 conspiracy theory.'
This is indicative - the dude lists quotes from 40 people, including numerous ex-army, intelligence analysts, politicians and structural engineers, many of them PhDs, then adds Sheen at the end and everyone ups and says 'lawl Charli sheen?!? he's just actor lol!1!' If you can't see how this makes you a fool... colour me unsurprised.
People keep likening truthers to creationists, but really; which side's argument rests more or less entirely in appeal to authority? - My holy book says it, therefore it's true. NIST says it, therefore it's true. It only takes a reasonably educated mind and a willingness to comprehend reality however ugly to dismiss both silly myths - Genesis and the OCT.
Yes, many, praps even most, of the alternative theories are wild - that's what happen when most of the evidence is withheld. But I don't think anyone with a functioning brain could look at the OCT and say 'it makes perfect sense, I can't think why anyone wouldn't believe it.' And if you accept that, what type of brain does it take to *not bother looking* at the OCT and then say 'it makes perfect sense, the telly told me so. You're dumb lol'?
And as for georgie - yes, it must be painful that so many of your pet causes fall by the wayside because people fixate on things as glamorous as 9/11. But when you bemoan the lack of response to the 'spy network feeding confidential information from an arms control campaign to Britain's biggest weapons manufacturer, BAE Systems', I feel you miss the point - it's too easy. Nobody disagrees, nobody has anything to debate. You mean the arms industry is up to no good, have their own private intelligence services and receive full support from reigning governments? Holy wow, I never would've guessed. Yawn. The whole point about 9/11 is that it's BIG; and we've got a foot in the door. All we need is for people like you to clean the dust off your eyelids and help us heave it open - then, maybe, probably by consequence even, we can tackle the petty, everyday crap you're always harping on about.
or, excuse me while I try to distract the "real" progressives
John Doraemi at Crimes of the State has an
excellent post analyzing the below Silverstein quote while making some important points about the need for credibility for citizen journalists.
I recommend his blog, which focuses on the monstrous crime committed on 9/11. His answer to George Monbiot's UK Guardian put down of 9/11 skeptics is full of facts that should get the attention of all conscientious people.
Two points about Monbiot, and the similarly dismayed,and insulting, Alexander Cockburn: Both seem unaware of WTC 7, and both feel the need to resort to name-calling. Usually, if you are confident in your position, you don't stoop to that level.
UPDATE:
Lots of good responses to Monbiot, but I thought this one particularly good:
gnaghi
February 20, 2007 10:17 AM
'Charlie Sheen is "highly credible", is he? A man whose expertise adds great weight to the 9/11 conspiracy theory.'
This is indicative - the dude lists quotes from 40 people, including numerous ex-army, intelligence analysts, politicians and structural engineers, many of them PhDs, then adds Sheen at the end and everyone ups and says 'lawl Charli sheen?!? he's just actor lol!1!' If you can't see how this makes you a fool... colour me unsurprised.
People keep likening truthers to creationists, but really; which side's argument rests more or less entirely in appeal to authority? - My holy book says it, therefore it's true. NIST says it, therefore it's true. It only takes a reasonably educated mind and a willingness to comprehend reality however ugly to dismiss both silly myths - Genesis and the OCT.
Yes, many, praps even most, of the alternative theories are wild - that's what happen when most of the evidence is withheld. But I don't think anyone with a functioning brain could look at the OCT and say 'it makes perfect sense, I can't think why anyone wouldn't believe it.' And if you accept that, what type of brain does it take to *not bother looking* at the OCT and then say 'it makes perfect sense, the telly told me so. You're dumb lol'?
And as for georgie - yes, it must be painful that so many of your pet causes fall by the wayside because people fixate on things as glamorous as 9/11. But when you bemoan the lack of response to the 'spy network feeding confidential information from an arms control campaign to Britain's biggest weapons manufacturer, BAE Systems', I feel you miss the point - it's too easy. Nobody disagrees, nobody has anything to debate. You mean the arms industry is up to no good, have their own private intelligence services and receive full support from reigning governments? Holy wow, I never would've guessed. Yawn. The whole point about 9/11 is that it's BIG; and we've got a foot in the door. All we need is for people like you to clean the dust off your eyelids and help us heave it open - then, maybe, probably by consequence even, we can tackle the petty, everyday crap you're always harping on about.
