9/11 Was a Conspiracy
While you here do snoring lie
Open-eyed conspiracy
His time doth take.
~ William Shakespeare, The Tempest
by Butler Shaffer
I have lost my sense of humor to indulge those who reflexively deny the role of conspiracies in human affairs. In the months following 9/11 – and most strenuously in the days leading up to the fifth anniversary of this event – conventional thinking has dictated that commentaries on that atrocity carry the disclaimer “I am not suggesting a conspiracy.” It seems to be understood that entrance to the temples of respectable journalism, academic scholarship, or polite society would be denied anyone who transgressed this canon.
It is not that a speaker must refrain from expressing any particular conspiracy theory to explain troublesome occurrences: one must avoid the implication that any form of human behavior might be directed or influenced by conspiratorial forces. To even consider the possibility that a given event might have been produced by a conspiracy, is to run the risk of being labeled a “paranoid” or a “wacko.” As we have no desire to appear foolish in the eyes of others, we give in to such intimidation and preface our opinions with the aforesaid mantra.
How easily most of us sell out our intellectual integrity, and at distress-sale prices. Even men and women with excellent minds who should know better have collapsed in the face of such a charge. Do we have such a fear of our own minds that we can no longer stand up to the epistemological inquiry that is at the base of our character and intelligence: how do we know what we know? Upon what basis do we form our opinions about the world: the consensus of our neighbors, or our independent judgments?
Any intellectually respectable opinion must be well-grounded in empirical fact and rational analysis. I have no use for those who spin conspiratorial theories out of little more than fantasy, wishful thinking, or the failure to distinguish a temporal relationship from a causal one. The assumption that because event “X” occurred, and was followed by event “Y,” a causal connection has been established, is among the shabbiest forms of reasoning. One might just as well argue for the proposition that wet sidewalks cause rain. In fact, I have no use for conspiracy theories at all, preferring – as my late friend, Chris Tame, so well stated it – to focus attention on the facts of conspiracies! As annoying as those are who offer lazy, simple-minded explanations for complex events, I am far more aggravated by those otherwise intelligent souls who help to man the barricades of ignorance against honest and empirically-based inquiries into topics they have been told are beyond rightful questioning.
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Message to MSM
"Me think thou dost protest too much."
-Wiliam Shakespeare
9/11 conspiracy theories
Posted on Wed, Sep. 20, 2006
TOM PURCELL: SYNDICATED COLUMNIST
Conspiracy theories
By Tom Purcell
SYNDICATED COLUMNIST
"I think Howard Dean did it."
"Pardon me?"
"Howard Dean was the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks."
"Have you lost your mind? Nineteen religious fanatics attacked us on 9/11. They did so under the direction of Osama bin Laden, who hopes a Taliban-style government will rule the world. That's all there is to it."
"Then why, according to a Scripps-Howard poll, do 36 percent of Americans think our government either allowed 9/11 to happen or did it themselves?"
"Do you really believe our government would massacre more than 3,000 innocent people -- AND be able to conceal it from the world?"
"Absolutely! Time Magazine outlines common conspiracy scenarios. The first is that the World Trade Center towers weren't brought down by a couple of planes, but by strategically placed bombs."
"Un-huh."
"The Pentagon wasn't really hit by a commercial jet but by a cruise missile."
"Really?"
"And United Flight 93 didn't crash because allegedly brave passengers kicked in the cockpit door. It was shot down by the Air Force."
"And people in our government committed these heinous acts why?"
"For money! Bush needed an excuse to go to war in the Middle East. He wanted to get his mitts on Iraqi oil. And he wanted to enrich his pals at Halliburton."
"I see you've got it all worked out. But did you know that Popular Mechanics has investigated many conspiracy theories and found every one of them to be false?"
"Popular Mechanics is a CIA front!"
"Then explain this: Bush's poll numbers have been in the tank for months because of Iraq. If he was the mastermind of 9/11, as you allege, and he wanted to invade Iraq to expand his power, his plan is backfiring."
"That's because Bush isn't really the mastermind behind the conspiracy. Howard Dean is."
"This has got to be good. Go on."
"Dean was the only one who could have done it. See, Dean knew Bush would use 9/11 to invade the Middle East, and that the resulting anti-war sentiment could propel him through the Democratic primaries to the White House -- it would have worked, too, had he not made that odd scream."
"Sir, what worries me is not that a handful of kooks embrace such nutty theories, but that one-third of Americans are doing so -- and that many of them vote!"
"But one of the more prominent conspiracy-theory groups believes there was no way two planes could have brought the towers down. That group, Scholars for 9/11 Truth, includes 75 highly educated academics!"
"That's even more worrisome -- goodness knows what other absurd mistruths our 'highly-educated' academics are selling us. Nonetheless, the Time article makes a good observation about why academics and others are suckers for conspiracy."
"Which is?"
"That humans have a basic need 'to have the magnitude of any given effect be balanced by the magnitude of the cause behind it.'"
"In other words, it's hard for some people to accept that 19 terrorists could inflict so much damage with so little effort."
"I don't follow."
"Too many people have trouble accepting that evil exists, that some are advancing it under the guise of their religion, that it seeks to kill innocent people to advance its agenda, and that we have no choice but to face it and defeat it."
"I still don't follow."
"It's easier for some to use the Internet to get all lathered up in nutty conspiracy theories than to embrace what we're really up against -- that the terrorists will succeed again, possibly soon. And if they ever get their hands on nukes, we can kiss New York and Washington, D.C., goodbye."
"Republicans are just saying that to scare people into voting for them!"
"How I wish that were true."
Purcell dreams up conspiracy theories in a Pittsburgh, Pa. coffeehouse. Contact him at TomPurcell@aol.com.
god have mercy if they ever
god have mercy if they ever get their hands on nukes,,,,,,oh i nearly forgot,,,,,America and Israel already have....we're doomed
If only more honest lawyers were journalists...
This a great article from the reputable fringe of the mainstream. Thankfully, not everyone has been discouraged from thinking for themselves. This gentleman makes some points that many people in the movement should seriouly consider. Specifically that evidence falls into many catagories of relevance for lawyers as well as scientists. Hypothesis is not theory.
I was also thinking recently that one of the movement's biggest hurdles is getting the public to be willing to question any mainstream assumption at all. That's one of the premises of TruthMove. If they are scared off by 9/11, maybe they will still want to approach the truth through another issue. Many people need to reclaim their skepticsm before they are able to take on the paradigm shift that 9/11 truth encourages. We should not neglect this demographic in our approach, nor should we neglect to make our case in the most convincing manner possible.
To that end, I highly recommend "Towers of Deception," by Barrie Zwicker. It comes with a copy of "The Great Conspiracy". His summary of 9/11 evidence in the book is priceless, an incredible resource. I plan to give copies to may parents, and other people I know who are still willing to ask questions. As the author of this article knows little about 9/11 truth, maybe someone should send him a copy too.
International Truth Movement
http://www.truthmove.org
I second Towers of Deception.
Brilliant book.
Towers of Deception is a great book...
Anyone who merely watches the free DVD that comes with the book should strongly suspect that the gov't was behind 9/11. (Barry Zwicker is one of the best truthers out there.)
hes the best in my opinion,
hes the best in my opinion, because 9/11 truth is all about understanding and fighting the media. hes a pro at that. his book is easily my favorite, even though it doesnt lay out the evidence as much as it focuses on the media, it would still cause anyone who read it to seriously question themselves. you should give that book to anyone who still clings to the official story.
Make sure to ask your librarian
I'm glad you all loved "Towers of Deception" as much as i did. I ask you also to do as I did, request your local library pick up a copy. I'm going down there soon to request they purchase David Ray Griffin's latest "Christians and 9/11" book. I think my parents will resonante w/ that one and perhaps my dad will get past his denial. My mom has, but doesn't let on!
Lets get a nation-wide libary campaign going on!
They do not have the capacity to understand the criminal mind...
"All this was inspired by the principle - which is quite true in itself - that in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying. These people know only too well how to use falsehood for the basest purposes."
Must read, Senior Military, Intelligence, and Government Critics
2
Must read, Senior Military, Intelligence, and Government Critics of 9/11 Commission Report
http://patriotsquestion911.com/
Senior Military, Intelligence, and Government Critics of 9/11 Commission Report
Seekers of the truth about 9/11 have been repeatedly ridiculed in the
mainstream media as crazy conspiracy theorists in an apparent effort to
discount any information that contradicts the "official" story.
MSM stories about criticism of the 9/11 Commission Report almost always
entirely focus on college professors, and virtually never mention any of
the many senior military, intelligence, and government officials who
have expressed similar views.
I launched a new website last week, http://patriotsquestion911.com/ that
contains statements severely critical of the 9/11 Commission Report made
by the 50 senior military, intelligence, and government officials listed
below. These are not people inclined to accept unfounded conspiracy
theories.
The cumulative impact of all these statements by senior level officials
is stunning.
I am hopeful this information, compiled in one place and made easily
accessible, will help refute the common claims that people who challenge
the 9/11 Commission Report are irresponsible, illogical, disloyal, or
crazy. And I hope it will stimulate rational discussion on this
tremendously important matter.
http://patriotsquestion911.com/
If you find this website useful, please place a link to it on your website.
Sincerely, Alan Miller
http://patriotsquestion911.com/
Berg, Philip J. - Deputy Attorney General, Pennsylvania
Bowman, Col. Robert - Director of Advanced Space Programs Development
under Presidents Ford and Carter
Burks, Fred - State Department Interpreter for Presidents George W. Bush
and Bill Clinton
Christison, William - Director of the CIA's Office of Regional and
Political Analysis
Cleland, Senator Max - Member of the 9/11 Commission. Former U.S.
Senator from Georgia
Cole, John M - Intelligence Operations Specialist, FBI
Conrad, David Mark - Agent in Charge, Internal Affairs, U.S. Customs
Costello, Edward J. - Special Agent, Counterterrorism, FBI
Dew, Rosemary N. - Supervisory Special Agent, Counterterrorism &
Counterintelligence, FBI
Dzakovic, Bogdan - Counterterrorism expert, FAA
Edmonds, Sibel - Language Translation Specialist, FBI
Elson, Steve - Special Agent, FAA
Fitts, Catherine Austin - Assistant Secretary of Housing under George
H.W. Bush
Freeh, Louis - Director of the FBI, 1993 - 2001
Goodman, Melvin - Division Chief and Senior Analyst of Soviet Affairs, CIA
Goulder, Morton - Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense under Presidents
Nixon, Ford, Carter
Graf, Mark - Security Supervisor, Department of Energy
Graham, Gilbert M. - Special Agent, Counterintelligence, FBI
Heikal, Mohamed Hassanein - Foreign Minister, Egypt
Hellyer, Paul - Minister of National Defense and Deputy Prime Minister,
Canada
Honegger, Barbara - White House Policy Analyst Under Ronald Reagan
Ivashov, Gen. Leonid - Chief of Staff of the Russian Armed Forces
Kleiman, Diane - Special Agent, U.S. Customs
Kwiatkowski, Lt. Col. Karen - Political Military Affairs Officer, Office
of the Secretary of Defense
Larkin, Lynne A. - Operation Officer, CIA
MacMichael, David - Senior Estimates Officer, CIA
McGovern, Raymond L. - Chairman, National Intelligence Estimates, CIA
Meacher, Michael - Undersecretary for Industry, Minister for the
Environment, UK
Nelson, Col. George - U.S. Air Force aircraft crash investigator
Pahle, Theodore J. - Senior Intelligence Officer, Defense Intelligence
Agency
Peck, Edward L. - Deputy Director of the White House Task Force on
Terrorism under Ronald Reagan
Ray, Col. Ronald D. - Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense under Ronald
Reagan
Reynolds, Morgan - Chief Economist, U.S. Department of Labor under
George W. Bush
Ritter, Maj. Scott - Marine Corps Intelligence Officer and Chief UN
Weapons Inspector in Iraq
Roberts, Paul Craig - Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury under
Ronald Reagan
Rokke, Maj. Douglas - Director U.S. Army Depleted Uranium Project
Sarshar, Behrooz - Language Translation Specialist, FBI
Shayler, David - Counterterrorism Agent, MI5 (UK)
Stubblebine, Maj. Gen. Albert - Commanding General, U.S. Army Intelligence
Sullivan, Brian F. - Special Agent and Risk Management Specialist, FAA
Tortorich, Larry J. - US Naval Officer and Dept. of Homeland Security
Turner, Jane A. - Special Agent, FBI
Vincent, John B. - Special Agent, Counterterrorism, FBI
von Buelow, Andreas - Minister of National Defense, West Germany
Weldon, Rep. Curt - Vice Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee
Whitehurst, Dr. Fred - Supervisory Special Agent, Forensic Examiner, FBI
Wittenberg, Capt. Russ - Air Force Fighter Pilot and Commercial Jet Pilot
Wright, Col. Ann - U.S. Army and Former Diplomat
Zipoli, Matthew J. - Special Response Team Officer, Department of Energy
http://patriotsquestion911.com/
======
Scholars for 9/11 Truth
Exposing Falsehoods and Revealing Truths
http://www.scholarsfortruth911.org/
=====
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF 9-11 WEBSITES (GOOGLE IT) THAT PROVE THAT THE BUSH/PNAC
ADMINSTRATION PLANNED AND ORCHESTRATED 9-11...HERES A FEW OF THEM
http://www.scholarsfortruth911.org/
http://911blogger.com/
http://www.reopen911.org/
http://www.geocities.com/killtown/
http://www.standdown.net/
http://www.911truth.org/
http://thewebfairy.com/killtown/911links.html
http://www.tvnewslies.org
http://www.prisonplanet.com/911.html
http://stopthelie.com/home.html
http://www.911proof.com/
http://georgewashington.blogspot.com/
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com
http://911research.wtc7.net/
No planes were "intercepted" that day...
One of the first things that made me suspicious about 9/11 was that none of the "hijacked" planes were "intercepted" that day.
Furthermore, I think far too many people think "intercept" means "shoot-down." Not only were no planes shot down that day, but none were even "intercepted." By intercepted I mean--approached, or observed, or flown along side of, or menaced, etc. For example, Flight 77, which supposedly crashed into the Pentagon, flew "un-intercepted" all over the place for a very, very long time.
Your belief
Your belief is based on exactly what data and from whom?
Can I just say that : I dont
Can I just say that : I dont think 9/11 was an "inside job" per se.
I think, it was more like a change of "ownership". Corporate + Arisotcratic + PseudoPolitical -- whatever. All the Muslim junk was a cover story for this takeover. Still is in fact. A coup yes, but not in the sense similar to which is just un-folding in Thailand.
Britain played a big part, and still is, in covering the entire thing up. Why? Is it some latterday Imperial quest? Maybe Israel were deliberatley "painted in" as the patsies, fake trail, israelis filming etc, or maybe they were implicated also. Oh, and the ISI.
But how it all ties together, I don't know!
The Wizard behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz would be a good analogy -- or is it a metaphor?
Im starting to agree
I am starting to agree with those who say, it is not up to us to "theorize". It really is an excercise in futility. We do not have that kind of time.
no, it is our job...
to demand that our elected officials actually represent us and demand answers to the questions that are still lingering.
theorizing is nothing but a mental circle jerk.
"There's a shadow on the faces of the men who send the guns to the wars that are fought in places where their business interest runs."
If you wait for your elected officials to investigate
you may as well pack up the shop right now. The battle that you are faced with now is political. Philosophy class is going to get you nowhere. Much evidence has been presented and it seems to strongly to suggest controlled demolition. If the three towers were not blown up and the innocents not murdered in this way then this thing is going nowhere. Only the revelation of mass murder in this way can motivate a proper investigation for important reasons. The deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqis in the fake war doesn't mean a shit to the average American, in fact many celebrate this. Most americans dont care what hit the Pentagon and many wish more missile or planes would hit it. So stop jerking people around by trying to playing the questioning skeptic. The only issue that will motivate the right people to investigate is evidence of controlled demolition leading to the deaths of police and firemen(everybody else is expendable to the general rabble). If you dont get this stop wasting peoples time. Philosophy class is over.
Conspiracy
The evidence of conspiracy is overwhelming. Our media is under total control. Our congress,both sides have sold out. About all we can do is keep spreading the word. Constant pressure will take it's toll eventually. The whole mess is a pretty big pill to swallow for the general public, but I think awareness is starting to permeate the masses.
Very useful thread
I found this a very good thread. Very good points. Thanks.
"In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way." -- President Franklin D. Roosevelt>