Even harsh critics of the 9/11 truth movement should admit that it's gaining lately.by John Kusumi
(centrist)
Friday, March 12, 2010
An ancient Chinese curse says, "May you live in interesting times." In their college years, Baby Boomers reacted to the Vietnam war. The Civil Rights movement; high profile political assassinations; and Watergate also made a big impression. In my GenX college years, we reacted to President Reagan; Tiananmen Square; watched the Cold War end; and noted the first Gulf War as the U.S. military kicked the forces of Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait.
Some number of people in Generation Y (the Millenials, who are now 28 and younger) can say, "I went to college, and what I learned was that 9/11 was an inside job." Several influences are contending for the attention of that generation: the 9/11 Truth movement; the pro-Constitution and end-the-Fed movements (call it the Ron Paul movement); and the Tea Party movement. And, GenY is making its own movement against budget cuts to higher education.
Most of the matters above are outside the scope of this article, but when the 9/11 Truth movement holds sway, there is need to correct the national narrative. That national narrative has been hijacked by the faces of "Old Media," rendering stories that are bought, paid for, and/or dictated by those who hold undue sway in the public discourse.
Brass tacks about 9/11
The 9/11 truth movement, if not conclusive, is at least persuasive. Most readers should be aware that they are out there, with evidence that "9/11 was an inside job," or as I prefer to phrase it, 9/11 had inside help.
For evidence, they make cases out of (A.) things that did happen on 9/11 (improper behavior of solidly-constructed buildings; anchormen fingering Bin Laden by lunchtime; and even anchormen reporting that Building 7 fell before the fact of the occurrence of the fall of Building 7) --and-- (B.) things that did not happen in relation to 9/11 (interception by NORAD of diverted airplanes, defense of the Pentagon, and the fact that authorities did not release passenger lists, black box recordings, nor a picture of a plane hitting the Pentagon).
For a short article, I cannot go into all of the ins and outs of each suspicious thing. But, I've compiled a list of 11 unanswered questions -- matters about which authorities are silent. I believe that any layman can understand these 11 questions, and that we lack a national narrative to adequately account for these points raised.
(a) Where were the interceptors of NORAD? Why was there no response from America's air defenses? (b) Who gets to hit the Pentagon, of all places? Of all places to be undefended, where were Pentagon defenses? (c) How did those buildings fall so quickly? Why was the scene "too Hollywood," such an exactly fatal blow on such a pristine clear day? (d) Why did the anchormen know that it was Osama Bin Laden by lunchtime? (e) Why did the FBI have mug shots of these dead hijackers already on file, like a prepared slide? (f) Why did a third skyscraper, Building 7, that was not hit by an airplane fall? (g) Why were passenger lists not released? (h) Why were the black boxes not recovered, or not released? (i) Why was there no investigation by the NTSB? (j) Why did families have to push for a year before there was any investigation of any sort? (k) Why did no one lose their job?
Whether for their own convenience or for more sinister reasons, political pundits like to avoid tar babies, and this issue is definitely a tar baby. If one wades into the above thicket, there could be a lot of back-and-forth as one side or another asserts, proves, or defends each point. My own preferred tack goes to the physics involved in the buildings' destruction.
A group called Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth (ae911truth.org) has been collecting signatures on their petition for a new 9/11 investigation. I signed on in the "supporters" section, since I am not an architect nor engineer, except with software. I am a software developer and "1984 independent Presidential candidate," as it identifies me there. I am no more nor less than that, but I added my view into the "Personal 9/11 Statement" field that accompanies signatures at that web site. I said,
"Buildings do not spontaneously pulverize from fires, otherwise we would never need demolition experts to carefully bring down buildings -- Why should that profession exist if a simple match will do the job to bring down steel framed skyscrapers? That's a tongue-in-cheek question, but it highlights a serious point: Those buildings had assistance to fall on 9/11. We should all demand an inquiry to uncover the details, culprits, and to initiate prosecution for those criminal culprits who must be brought to justice."
There is "reductio ad absurdum" at work in this situation. Wikipedia notes that "in formal logic, 'absurdity' applies only to impossible self-contradiction."
Once more around this block
It's not the first time these matters have been discussed, but some Americans are casual observers and would not have taken this in yet. For their benefit I will restate the following.
The official cover story about 9/11 introduces a new brand of physics by claiming that the impact of jetliners, and resulting fires, weakened the structures and brought down those buildings in a "pancake collapse."
The following is absolutely true, no matter who is the source that relays it to you: From the late 1960s up to 9/11/2001, it was public knowledge that the World Trade Center towers were designed to withstand the impact of an airliner. This was common wisdom, because it was part of the design from the architects in this high-profile construction project.
Jet fuel is essentially kerosene. There is a particular temperature at which it burns, and that temperature is lower than the melting point of steel. In your house, you may have a kerosene heater or cooking stove, which means that you yourself may burn kerosene -- but the equipment does not melt down! The melting point of steel is far higher than that temperature.
So, what brought down those buildings? Airliner impact? No, that's discounted from the above information and the fact that the buildings continued to stand during the first hour after they were hit.
What brought down those buildings? Fires from jet fuel? No, that's discounted from the above information.
By process of elimination, we are left to surmise that extra energy, such as explosive demolition, must have caused the destruction as witnessed on 9/11. In fact, Building 7 was a third skyscraper which collapsed on that day, and it was not hit by an airplane. Hence, even those who think that airliner impact and jet fuel are plausible ways to explain the first two skyscraper collapses are left to scratch their heads, because airliner impact and concerns about jet fuel do not apply to the THIRD skyscraper which collapsed in New York at Ground Zero.
They can't explain Building 7. The authorities who told us that "jetliners, and resulting fires, weakend the structures and brought down those buildings in a pancake collapse" are very quiet authorities when it comes time to explain about Building 7. THEY DON'T HAVE AN EXPLANATION! Their cover story has unraveled as attention and awareness has come to the foregoing matters.
Adding nails in the coffin
At this point, it is safe to pile on against the government's cover story. And that is what the 9/11 Truth movement has done -- all these years, and even moreso recently. In 2007, I published in favor of 9/11 Truth, and Charlie Sheen and Rosie O'Donnell were early celebrity voices in favor of same. But, we also watched Rosie O'Donnell lose her job as a panelist on The View. For a time, we expected that Loose Change, Final Cut would be released in movie theaters; but the powerful were able to nix that appearance.
However, the issue has not gone away and the movement's reach only grows across time. Entertainers such as Sean Hannity, Bill Maher, and Dennis Miller have disparaged the "truther" movement, but they have broken no new ground, with no new arguments against the truthers. It is predictable that they will either change their stories, or they will repeat themselves until blue in the face. Are they paragons of upright, respectable political correctness, or are they paragons of moral cowardice and group think, if not establishment collusion?
Meanwhile, there has been a change of presidential administration and political climate in the United States, as reflected in this article's second paragraph. Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura was given a series on TruTV, in which he addressed 9/11 and other suspicious behavior by the U.S. Government (USG). He then came out with a book, American Conspiracies. On March 10, 2010, Venutra was the guest on ABC's The View, plugging away on the book tour for American Conspiracies.
And on March 6, 2010, Geraldo Rivera on Fox News had as his guest Alex Jones, who is an alternative broadcaster and frequent voice for the 9/11 Truth movement.
The 9/11 Truth movement has long had a presence on foreign news channels. It is notable that Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Russia have allowed robust debate about 9/11 Truth to be aired on their publicly-owned broadcasting stations. But these recent events mean that 9/11 Truth has become visible on American channels -- TruTV, ABC, and Fox. Hopefully soon, more channels will be added to the list.
On February 19, 2010, Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth (ae911truth.org) held a simultaneous, 31 city press conference (in six countries), calling attention to their petition for a new investigation, and the fact that over 1,000 licensed, professional architects and engineers are now co-signers.
The ae911truth action drew coverage from the Washington Times, but not the Washington Post.
On March 4, 2010, Russia Today reported about New England towns that are having ballot initiatives, allowing voters to call for a new 9/11 investigation. They said,
At 81 years old, Gerhard Bedding devotes nearly all his time to the Vote for Answers campaign. Though the movement for a new 9/11 investigation began in the Big Apple, it's seeing more success in New Hampshire.
"This is so central to the future of this country. There is no future, as far as I'm concerned, if we do not get to the bottom of this, because we steep in lies upon lies, and soon we do not know what is what anymore," Bedding said. "I do believe truth matters."
Apparently, so do thousands of others. Twelve towns are making a new 9/11 inquiry a ballot box issue this spring. Voters heading to the polls will vote on a non-binding resolution that supporters hope eventually sparks momentum and legislative power nationwide.
Also in mid-February, Elizabeth Woodworth, writing for GlobalResearch.ca, titled her article 'The Media Response to the Growing Influence of the 9/11 Truth Movement.' She notes that, "Increasingly, the issue is treated as a scientific controversy worthy of debate, rather than as a "conspiracy theory" ignoring science and common sense."
The above is a capsule summary, merely some but not all of the recent new nails in the coffin for the old version of the 9/11 story.
Correcting the national narrative
In the fullness of time, the truth comes out. There could be a bumper sticker, "Pearl Harbor: FDR Knew." Perhaps 50 years ago, it would have been controversial, but by now historians and pundits agree that yes, the U.S. President (FDR) knew in advance about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, that precipitated the U.S. entry into World War II. Similarly, there is now agreement that the Gulf of Tonkin attack, which precipitated heavy U.S. involvement in the Vietnam war, was phony.
One can also Google "Operation Northwoods," and come to know that, yes, the USG is not above staging false flag attacks to start wars. When newbies first consider the prospect of the USG being behind something as atrocious as 9/11, there is always an incredulous question: "Why would they do that?" However, the answer is already above -- "to start wars." Wars are very profitable to the defense contractors who supply the weaponry, the material, and the contractors for war -- and to bankers, who finance all of the foregoing military spending.
9/11 was the crime of the century, and led to devastation for three countries: America, Afghanistan, and Iraq. What is also devastated is the stature, standing, and credibility of the U.S. MSM, or "lamestream media." And as far as I'm concerned, they can't go out of business fast enough to suit me! But, I will say that this issue calls for presidential leadership at the top, because that is probably the only thing that can save the credibility of the USG.
I believe that the MSM and the USG should not merely be "the corrupt, flacking for the corrupt." Someone in the establishment should aspire to having better national circumstances than this. When the 9/11 attacks occurred, not many people lost their jobs in government. But, the news business shows the scars of carnage. How many voices of reason -- dissidents -- went away? Off the cuff, I can name Ron Insana, Phil Donahue, Rosie O'Donnell, Dan Froomkin, and Lou Dobbs. Even more could be named by those who are inside the news business.
In a nation founded on political freedom and free speech, all this banishment of dissidents makes me wonder of newsroom managers -- what country were they raised in? The silencing of dissent is positively un-American! In fact, both the MSM and the USG are (ostensibly) supposed to be "on our side," standing with the American people. So what's their excuse? In this new "era of globalization," is allegiance to America and its principles quaint, passe, and an anachronism? If so, I believe that only applies on their side of the fence.
There certainly is an other side of the fence here. Above I noted that recent 9/11 Truth activities were covered by the Washington Times, but not the Washington Post. Is Fred Hiatt reading my article, here? (He is the Post's censor-in-chief.) What we see is a bifurcation or a divergence in the public discourse. Response to the 9/11 Truth movement now runs hot-and-cold. Some people have researched, reflected, and reasoned it out. Others are still being like the antagonist in the movie Avatar -- corporate pricks with kneejerk sophistry that represents the company's politically-correct (i.e., profitable) policy to run everything over with a bulldozer.
At some point, "we the American people" are going to look at each other and allow that we are sick of being bulldozed!
It should be the job of the U.S. President to wield a national narrative that accounts for "reality, as best we know it." Right now, that function is abdicated by the White House, and the Internet / blogosphere is filling in and performing that role of questing for a healthier narrative. However, the MSM and the USG must step up and perform their roles. The alternative is permanent, intractable Balkanization of multiple narratives, as is reflected when one browses the Internet.(As they genuflect to the establishment, Huffington Post and Wikipedia both censor 9/11 Truth.) In the time since 9/11/2001, the establishment narrative has served merely as an excuse and pretext which serves as a cover story for mass murder.
As the old lies give way to wider truths, it is time to have investigations and prosecutions and to bring the mass murderers to justice. There are establishment figures who have been heedless of their own evils and acting as though there is no consequence to be feared since they are perceived as "powerful." I suggest: Let's perceive them as being in the dock at the International Criminal Court, or in some other fitting venue. That's where mass murderers belong. Yes, indeed, this was the crime of the century. MSM and USG should act commensurately, and take up the case.
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Posted By: Jahfre Fire Eater
Date: 2010-03-12 09:24:26
Hi John,
So What? What next? What is the goal after the evangelical phase of the 911 truth "movement" whatever that is?
The 911 truthers remind me of a person walking through a forest who sees a leaf fall then devotes their life to understanding exactly how that one particular leaf happened to fall. Ridiculous.
I don’t believe the truth is out there because I don’t believe there is one truth, ever. There are consequences of actions taken by individuals based on their perception of events in their present and in their past. The truth has very little to do with the decisions that create our reality. Investigation can sometimes distinguish between actual events and fabrications or embellishments but making that distinction doesn’t change the actions that were taken before or after and therefore such investigation cannot yield a different reality than the one we have.
For me, pursuit of the truth in history isn’t a constructive behavior. Whenever someone goes off about “proof” that this or that happened my response is always, “So what?” Meaning, how has their possession of that ‘proof’, ‘truth’ or ‘insight’ changed their behavior and what consequences are they intending to produce by that new, truth-influenced behavior? It appears that the only behavior such knowledge changes is that it turns those who possess it into annoying evangelists just like any other born again, faith-based evangelists.
I think the lesson found in history lies in the larger picture of motives, faith, action and consequence. The patterns and cycles of the interplay between these influences on future realities is what I find fascinating. The diversity of perspectives, the misunderstandings that fostered actions of great import, the realization that history doesn’t have at its core one “truth,” but rather, many divergent facts. Yet, through all that chaos of misunderstandings, manipulation and ambition, consistent patterns of human behavior are easily recognizable; patterns that humans repeat over and over century after century. I find it astounding and infinitely intriguing that humans repeat these cycles without improvement or advancement or enlightenment from cycle to cycle. The only thing that changes is the amount of resources expended during the collapse phase of the cycle...the one we are now in. I don’t see any sign that this is the last cycle. As long as mankind’s ability to extract energy from our environment continues to escalate, we’ll have ambitious empire builders and faith-based war mongers who are willing to put every bit of that available energy in to the next cycle of empire and collapse.
I prefer local control of education and diversity of communities through limits on central government power and authority. I think there should still be schools that teach about the War of Northern Aggression if that is the curriculum that is chosen by the local community. Trying to create that one “Truth” by control of the educational options available to parents for their children is the beginning of the erosion of innovation and advancement of knowledge. From that point on more and more energy is focused on improving the System than on advancing knowledge through the process of natural selection. Bad ideas die quickly unless they are greatly subsidized by the government. I believe the evolution of knowledge and understanding depends on ideas being subjected to the heat of intellectual friction where the bad ones are eventually consumed and forgotten
The mindset of the "fighter jets that are supposed to be constantly flying over nationally important places" is absurd. These truthers think that the military defense structure is the model for efficiency. I have never seen the US governement do perform any task with even half of the efficiency (and competence) that a 9/11 cover up would require. That is the interesting part of the conspiracy theory believers. They always dream up this massive scale operation that would have required a zero percent defection rate. How many thousand (maybe tens of thousands) people would this cover up have required? All which have to this day remained silent? Not one defection from the "true" story? Not one Air traffic controller, airline pilot, military member, ground crew member, Firefighter, Policeman, or EMT etc.? The more complicated these conspiracies become, the more unlikely that they are founded in any truth. The only "hollywood" aspect to 9/11 is your fabrication of a dramatic event which is ONLY fit for a stage in Hollywood.
One of the first lessons I learned in the construction business was that Steel has no structural fire rating, It doesn't burn ,but it doesn't have too to fail. That is why steel must be fire protected and insulated from heat.. Fire robs steel of its compressive and tensile strength.
An engineer just after 911 explained it on the news.
Years ago they would use a metal lath and stucco wrap of structural steel members to protect them from heat. The modern version of this was the use of asbestos, and one or both of the towers had some of this type of fire insulation. At some point they eliminated the asbestos and went to an asbestos free product while building the towers.
Well as the explanation went, the violence of the planes hitting the towers would have shattered this sprayed on coating, leaving the steel floor joist and beams exposed to the heat of the kerosene fire and any other flammables in the building. Believe me plastic in carpet and furniture as well as wood furniture will feed a fire providing all the heat necessary to cause a structural failure. Add to that the wind velocities at that altitude, well there you have it. The result of that failure would be exactly what you saw as the floors above fell on the lower floors creating loads hundreds of time s greater than they were designed to sustain. This is not rocket science.
Another question is for what purpose did the conspirators conspire?
Did Osama appeared out a genies cloud? Is it possible that the Pentagon plane slipped in between video frames at 400 miles per hr. A virtual blink of the eye.
What about # 7? All 3 buildings fell the same and 7 was never hit by a plane. What shattered the spray on coating in building # 7. All 3 buildings falling in their own footprints just seems impossible no matter how you look at it. John makes a good point. Why do we have demolition if you can just light a steel and concrete structure on fire and watch it cleanly fall into its own footprint?
Where is the wreckage from a plane hitting the pentagon? Show just one of the confiscated video tapes from surrounding gas stations and buildings and shut everyone up. The small hole in the side of the pentagon doesn't quite resemble the wreckage I would assume there would be.
I could go on and on. There a many simple questions that aren't being answered. If it is so unlikely that it could be some kind of cover up why isn't it just openly debated and debunked in the media?
"ae911truth.org " is a VERY interesting site. These people have no reason to risk their careers over wild speculation and they present very compelling evidence. The link to the first responders webpage is interesting as well.
I think if there is a cover up, it is more likely to cover up the absolute incompetence collectively of the Clinton military, Clinton administration, the FAA and the Congress, Congress was holding up Bush appointees at that time, the importance of which was never discussed in the drive by media, the misdirection taking place inside the FBI, CIA, NSA etc. The investigations were limited because the Clinton administration had limited communication between branches, Jamie Gorelick, Deputy Attorney General, Clinton justice department was in fact in charge of these activities. Gorelick was then appointed to the 911 commission to investigate her own activiies. This doesn't bother you? I'm not saying this had anything to do with 911. It did have something to do with the investigations concerning Bill Clinton.
What happened to 7 may be the very reason why simply starting a fire 3/4 of the way up a 100 story building while demolishing it , might not be the best way to maintain the neighborhood, .
The stesses upon the lower floors of the other buildings, Millions of tons of mass impacting the ground right next to as well as against them is not inconsequential.
I'm not saying that a coverup does not exist, I might suggest you are looking in the wrong place for the wrong reason.
If you are really concerned about a clear and present danger to this country and Our individual liberties a fine new example is:
S 3081 and the American Police State
and you only have to go to the Nolan Chart home page to find it.
I find it disheartening to see how people can dismiss questions with such ridicule and contempt. Facts are facts.
-BBC reported on tower 7 falling 20 minutes before it fell.
-There was no wing wreckage at the pentagon.
-6 of the 10 9/11 commisioners say they were railroaded and that there is obvious evidence of a cover up for Christ's Sake.
-Nano Thermite was found in the dust of all three WTC buildings.
None of this is mentioned nor talked about in the mainstream. Why not? Why does someone have to be a lunatic to ask these questions? Why the immediate ridicule in the main stream media of someone who questions the official story. Could it be that you have been programmed by MSM to quickly dismiss the likes of anyone questioning their government, I believe that to be a 1000 times more likely than a building that was not hit by a plane falling at near free fall speed and collapsing into its own footprint from a little fire, not to mention that no building ever in history has ever collapsed from fire like that. Again, not to mention that 3 building did this for the first time in history all on one day.
Maybe I am wrong for questioning my government. Maybe the 6 members of the 9/11 commision that question it as well were mentally retarded. Maybe I should believe everything I hear from the television and radio and never, I mean never have an original thought, nor question anything, ever again.All praise be to Glen Beck , Rush Limbaugh, Keith Olberman, Bill Maher, Chris Matthews, Diane Sawyer, and Sean Hanity.
You are absolutely right Savoy. It just doesn't make sense and I don't see the problem with discussing it. The MSM is worthless. It makes me even more suspicious that the MSM, Beck, Hannity, Maher and the rest of the crew try to stifle any real discussion.
Posted By: Joel S. Hirschhorn
Date: 2010-03-18 17:51:47
On the one it is refreshing to see someone bold enough to remind people of the insanity of the official 9/11 story. On the other hand, as someone with substantial credentials in the 9/11 truth movement, it depresses me that so many years have passed without an effective national demand for a new, credible investigation. Sometimes truth is just too painful for people to accept. Even now with so little public trust and respect for government it boggles my mind that so few people are willing to accept the indisputable and logical fact that our government allowed and probably assisted the 9/11 attacks. What also disturbs me is how self-serving so many 9/11 truth groups are; they essentially have created a cottage industry without, however, being effective in getting Congress to pass a law funding a new investigation.
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