Letter of the Week
This week’s LOW goes to Greer Thomas, if for no other reason than his dogged persistence. Like Fox Mulder, Thomas and the rest of the Truthers keep searching with the knowledge that “The Truth Is Out There.” We may not agree with their premise, but we certainly respect their stick-to-it-ness.
Many persons in the 9/11 truth movement have studied the events for four years, longer than they attended high school. They have examined the evidence and now understand that the official explanation of 9/11 is impossible.
The masterful books by David Ray Griffin, a former college professor and theologian provides a framework to study and think about the 9/11 events. Although Griffin has been called by critics the “high priest of the conspiracy nuts,” anyone who has read his thoughtful and well reasoned analysis, knows that Griffin speaks truth to power.
Griffin is a critical thinker. He is honest, truthful and, most importantly, realistic. Importantly, he points out that the official story of 9/11 is also a conspiracy theory.
Numerous Americans are now aware of the many lies the Bush/Cheney administration told to get us into these highly profitable wars (for war profiteers only). The same people will defend this administration against its probable involvement in facilitating 9/11, saying “they would never do such a thing”.
David Ray Griffin discusses this phenomenon in context of the deepest American religion, not Christianity, rather, the belief in American Goodness and Exceptionalism. Americans understand that other countries have corrupt governments and leaders, but ours could never be. Bush’s Christian veneer makes him even more insulated from doubt. George Bush? Ignorant? Maybe. Naïve? Probably. Corny capitalist? Uh-huh. But corrupt? Impossible.
Griffin reminds us of the famous quote from Lord Acton in an 1887 letter to Bishop Creighton: “power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Being aware of this, Griffin says it is surprising that so many Americans will defend those in power on an a priori basis in defiance of what should be common sense and suspicion.
For critical thinkers, the realization that all persons in power, even in America, are likely corrupt, makes it much easier to question authority. When you think of all those in power as corruptible or corrupt, you will begin to discover personal freedom.
You will be free to think for yourself, free to look at and evaluate all evidence and free to understand that the official story of 9/11 is simply impossible. You will be honoring the great American Patriot Thomas Jefferson, who said that “dissent is the highest form of patriotism”.
The cover-up of 9/11 and the stifling of open and honest questioning about 9/11 have added insult to injury to the American psyche. The events should be viewed as an unsolved crime, not an external attack. The perpetrators remain at large and may wield more power than ever.
Could those in power in this country ever be corrupt enough to commit murder of their own citizens and treason? Of course not. After all, this is America.
Greer Thomas, Bend
This article appears in Aug 28 – Sep 3, 2008.
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There is no acceptable response to the ‘truthers.’ Critical Thinking–no, just a delusional acceptance of bad science, far-fetched claims and assertions, and the denial of the obvious. This is like the so-called controversy over evolution–declaring it exists, regardless of the passion and conviction of the declaration, does not mean it exists. This is another example of the sometimes out of control, irrational power of the internet. People review each other’s tenuous evidence or outright fabrications and soon they are accepted as fact.
‘Many persons in the 9/11 truth movement have studied the events for four years, longer than they attended high school.’ And obviously learning no more than they did in high school.
HBM–how about an in depth article about the Flying Spaghetti Monster. It would be no less absurd or fanciful–and just as well reasoned and supported by fact.
“Many persons in the 9/11 truth (?) movement studied the events for four years, longer than they attended high school.”
No mention here that these mindless fruitcakes actually didn’t graduate in those four years….or the next four… or even if they knew where the high school was…or could find it again if they did.
Thomas’ assertion that for ‘critical thinkers’ to realize that all those in power are likely corrupt holds no more intellectual value or merit than saying every gal that wears a green dress is a slut or that everyone who eats pork chops is a Nazi. These kinds of baseless assinine assertions is how these nut jobs make their enormous non-cognizant monkey leaps and arrive at conclusions that don’t involve critical elements like actually thinking or wisdom. No wise person would make such a stupid statement.
The first “bullshit detector” test that these pathetic folks fail is: “How likely is that?”
That can only be answered if one is rational. These folks aren’t.
“HBM–how about an in depth article about the Flying Spaghetti Monster. It would be no less absurd or fanciful–and just as well reasoned and supported by fact.”
Why the hell are you picking on me? I didn’t write this letter, I didn’t pick it for Letter of the Week … and I don’t agree with the “9/11 Truthers,” especially their claim that the WTC towers fell as the result of controlled demolition. Somebody would have had to plant literally tons of explosives and string miles of cable in the buildings without being detected. Not bloody likely.
What DOES arouse my suspicion is that the Bush/Cheney administration chose to ignore numerous credible warnings from American and foreign intelligence sources that a major terrorist attack on US soil was imminent.
HBM
Wow–a little less sensitive, please! I know you didn’t write it–I know you don’t subscribe to their BS, based on your past responses. But, if you’re going to publish flights of fancy on the opinion page written by the delusional, might as well give some time to good old FSM!
As for ignoring warnings by the B/C administration, I chalk that up to Western arrogance. None of the administrations of the last thirty years have had any respect for the Middle Eastern Terrorists and their capacity to plan and fund the three attacks on the WTC, the Cole bombing, the Embassy attacks, the Marine barracks bombings–the list can go on. That same arrogance seems to be at the core of the “Truther’s” flawed arguments. They cannot conceive or accept that the Middle Eastern cultures, nations or peoples could spawn such sophistication and planning–it has to be the gang that couldn’t shoot straight in Washington.
Chill, bro…I did read that this was ‘this week’s LOW’ published not based on merit but persistence. I still consider it a waste of newsprint and anything but news worthy.
HBM: One of the things that really piss people off about you is that you turn every conceivable far fetched opportunity into an attack on sitting Republicans while you let lame ass Democrats slide. That tendency highlights how incredibly dishonest you are. You don’t talk about truth, you talk slanted biased bullshit. If your concern is about not responding to credible threats as you say Bush/Cheney didn’t, why aren’t you even more offended about Clinton ignoring the original attack on the WTC on Feb.26 1993? Why don’t you spout off about Clinton’s lack of response to a bunch of our dead Marines killed June 25 1996 in Dhahran? Why don’t you huff and puff about Clinton’s lack of response on Aug. 7 1998 when truck bombs blew up our embassy in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam? Why don’t you get your partisan hack knickers in a knot about Clinton’s lack of response over the Oct 12 2000 bombing of the USS Cole at Aden, Yemen?
Two cruise missiles fired into an ant hill in the middle of nowhere is not credible response. The CIA told Clinton on five separate occasions over the course of several years where Bin Laden was, and gutless Clinton did nothing…which is why we ended up having 9/11. So, don’t bullshit people that 9/11 was about a lax Republican administration, when you know damn well 9/11 was the result of 8 years of a criminally lax Democratic administration.
Clinton was too busy being Lewinskied to care about credible terrorist threats to the U.S.
C.T. Belza: One of the things that really piss people off about you is that you turn every conceivable far fetched opportunity into an attack on any Democrat while you let lame ass Republicans slide. That tendency highlights how incredibly dishonest you are. You don’t talk about truth, you talk slanted biased bullshit.
I’m a truther. I admit it. I want truth. Apparently that leaves the rest of you wanting something else. I hope you get it and it makes you happy.
I want truth because “911” is the most important event in the lives of just about everyone on this planet (whether they know it or not).
I want truth because WE CANNOT AFFORD TO BE WRONG.
Truth may be painful, but don’t make it into a bad thing. Don’t denigrate those who seek it. Don’t run from it.
Answer some of the questions you yourselves have opened. How many tons of explosives would be required to take down the towers and how many man hours does that represent given a dolly and an elevator? How many miles of cable are required and can the detonators be radio controlled? Why did the administration block any investigation for over a year after the event? Why was no evidence ever provided to the Taliban implicating bin Laden? Why does the flight recorder recovered from the pentagon crash show the “plane” missing the pentagon by 300 feet? How does a fire based collapse attain the speed recorded by the videos? Why do the reports of fire in building 7 precede the collapse of the towers? Why was so much testimony ignored by the 911 commission? Why was bush not whisked to safety the second the 2nd plane hit?
I don’t know what happened on 9-11-01. I am not satisfied with the NIST, FEMA, or Commission reports. And I HAVE read them. Even if I were satisfied, there are still unanswered questions. I want answers. Is that a bad thing? I want an independent investigation. I want it public and I want the questions posed by the public to be addressed. I want the truth, why don’t you? More importantly why do you want to prevent those who want it from getting it? And why do you have to call us names?
vkittila: You don’t want truth. You want your “feelings” vindicated by whatever means available. First, you have feelings. Next, you search high and low for any “information or facts,” no matter how ridiculous or far fetched, that validates what you already feel. That is called “the irrational approach.” The rational don’t have any opinion about a subject until they educate themselves on the subject, then they form an opinion about it based on what they have learned. Subsequently, what the truth is, because you lack a logical approach, you wouldn’t recognise if it took a week to chew your left tit off, because your mind is only open to validation of your preconceived opinion; closed, in other words. Further, you are not promulgating a search for truth, your kind are actively promoting a lie, while calling yourselves “truthers.” Ordinary people have difficulty remaining civil when they deal with outrageously irrational fruitcakes. Therein lies the cause for the names. It is because you deserve them, that you get them. It’s called karma or cause-effect. Get used to it. It will keep happening as long as you remain irrational.
PS: No matter who investigates this issue for whatever length of time or money spent, no matter the conclusion drawn, you will always believe exactly as you do now, because of your own personal need for it to be how you feel. Conspiracy theorists don’t want truth, they want their conspiracy theories and you will hold very tightly to yours. So, your ilk become your own circular self fulfilling prophecy…