“Whether [Islamic terrorists] were involved or not nobody knows. It really doesn’t matter much.” (“An Evening with Noam Chomsky: The War on Terror.” MIT 10/18/2001)
“The evidence (against al-Qaida) is surprisingly thin.” (Noam Chomsky, 9/11)
“Even if (inside job) were true, which is extremely unlikely, who cares? I mean, it doesn’t have any significance.”
(Noam Chomsky on 911 conspiracy part 2, YouTube.)

Does it matter whether 9/11 was an inside job? Chomsky says no. Is his position in any way defensible or excusable? E.M. writes:

"Using Chomsky's logic, where my father does not have to accept a 'conspiracy theory' he admitted that the US is acting like an 'empire' and the war is 'probably criminal.'

"Chomsky is doing good and accomplishing the same ends as the 9/11 camp, but with those whose brains will NEVER add a new folder called 'traitors of the state.' Even though, he does say emphatically 'there is NO evidence to prove OBL did it.' I've read that in three of his works. And he says the same thing about Dick, et. al. 'there isn't enough evidence to prove Dick did it.' There is enough evidence to show who did NOT do it...the hijackers, to be certain. As I said, I've sat in Stephen Jones' office and held the Thermate balls in my hands. I have first hand knowledge.... But that does NOT prove who did do it. Only who did not."

My answer:

Dear E.M.,

Thanks for the eloquent letter!

I think writing off people who "will never accept 9/11 truth" and hoping that Chomsky and Goodman will help them accept something less is a terrible mistake. If you've sat in Steve Jones' office, maybe you're a physicist. So think in terms of the relative sizes of two applied forces. One force is weak but easy to apply. Another is stronger by orders of magnitude but will take time and work to apply. The question is, which force should we use?

The scope and mythic-emotional impact of 9/11 makes it a political force that is orders of magnitude beyond any other event in human history, with the possible exception of the crucifixion. 9/11 WILL steer history, one way or another, and all of the work done by millions of people on all other issues will amount to absolutely nothing in world-historical terms. They are being washed downstream in a flood, trying to throw the water back upstream with their hands.

A friend of mine who grew up on a ranch had another metaphor. He said that when a herd of thousands of cattle are running in a particular direction, it is sometimes possible to scare the key part of the herd with a gunshot and turn the whole herd in a different direction. That gunshot was 9/11--and 9/11 truth is a second gunshot that will turn the herd in exactly the opposite direction 9/11 did. Chomsky, when he explains imperialism to the masses, is running alongside the herd of cows trying to intellectually demonstrate to them why they should turn. He's also saying "don't bother with gunshots. That's just a conspiracy theory. Gunshots don't matter." By blinding people to the need to take the only effective action, he is bringing on disaster. If he convinces even one person to do something other than work for 9/11 truth, he may as well have personally murdered all 6 billion people on earth.

Kevin

Dr. Kevin Barrett

Coordinator, MUJCA-NET: http://mujca.com
Muslim-Jewish-Christian Alliance for 9/11 Truth

Author,
Truth Jihad: My Epic Struggle Against the 9/11 Big Lie

Editor,
9/11 & American Empire: Christians, Jews, and Muslims Speak Out

Radio host:
Dynamic Duo on GCN, http://gcnlive.com M-F 4-6 pm CT Network 4
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