We need another 9/11

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9/11: "we need another"

[edit] Overview

It has been suggested at least twice, by supposed conservatives, that we need another 9/11 to unify the United States politically against terrorism. The basic premise of these arguments seems to be that the threat represented by terrorism is far worse than the loss of a few thousand lives. In the most recent instance, the argument was presented in at least two mainstream media outlets including favorable coverage on Fox News.

[edit] Conclusions

  1. They've got to be kidding.
  2. It doesn't look like they are.
  3. Although it can be argued that "another 9/11" would politically unify the country, it would also be evidence that Bush's anti-terrorism policies had failed
  4. Unfortunately, this important point would probably be lost in the chaos and demogoguery which would inevitably follow
  5. The frenzy into which the United States would probably be whipped would certainly compare to the frenzy whipped up by the original 9/11, and we would probably end up going along with some idea just as bad as the US invasion of Iraq, possibly worse.
  6. The potential US invasion of Iran seems like a strong candidate for this "bad idea"
  7. "Another 9/11" would, under the current administration or a subsequent administration with similar attitudes, inevitably lead to further reduction of civil liberties and expansion of unconstitutional activities
  8. If no significant number of Bush-supporters promptly jump forward to condemn this idea, it lends considerable credibility to the theory that 9/11 could have been allowed to happen, encouraged, or even engineered by a group of Americans believing themselves to be acting in the best interests of America.
  9. It seems likely that this sort of attitude is intended to distract attention away from the administration's anti-democratic efforts to further consolidate its power and squash dissent.

[edit] Questions

If Bush himself does not condemn this idea, at least in passing, what does that tell us about Bush's attitude towards 9/11?

[edit] Links

[edit] Filed Links

  • 2008-05-29 /S/D/ Gingrich quips Bush should have allowed some 'reminder' attacks “"This is ... one of the great tragedies of the Bush administration," Gingrich continued. "The more successful they've been at intercepting and stopping bad guys, the less proof there is that we're in danger. And therefore, the better they've done at making sure there isn't an attack, the easier it is to say, 'Well, there never was going to be an attack anyway.' And it's almost like they should every once in a while have allowed an attack to get through just to remind us."” (1) Hypocrisy: the success at interception has been through regular police methods, not through Bush's elevation of presidential powers. (2) Whenever someone says something like this, it gives yet more credibility to the still-incredible-seeming idea that a US president might have deliberately engineered something like 9/11 in order to increase his personal power.
  • 2008-05-14 /S/D/ Rummy and the Generals for Hire Donald Rumsfeld on the Democratic victory in 2006: “This President's pretty much a victim of success. We haven't had an attack in five years. The perception of the threat is so low in this society that it's not surprising that the behavior pattern reflects a low threat assessment. The same thing's in Europe, there's a low threat perception. The correction for that, I suppose, is an attack.” (More here.) The threat assessment is high, Mr. Rumsfeld, but the threat is a domestic one: authoritarian assholes like you who think the country needs more death and destruction in order to "save" it.
  • 2007-06-03 /S/D/ Arkansas GOP head: We need more 'attacks on American soil' so people appreciate Bush “"At the end of the day, I believe fully the president is doing the right thing, and I think all we need is some attacks on American soil like we had on [Sept. 11, 2001]," [chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party Dennis] Milligan said to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, "and the naysayers will come around very quickly to appreciate not only the commitment for President Bush, but the sacrifice that has been made by men and women to protect this country."” Right, let's have more disasters so there's more sacrifice to be appreciated, and then everyone will be more appreciative. Can you say "authoritarian asshole", boys and girls?

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