9/11: Burning in our Memories
Here we are, six years later. Now you all know me, I'm not one to subscribe to nationalistic fervor, warmongering, or what is referred to as "Patriotism", however I feel the need to post my thoughts, on this, the anniversary of what I call the establishment of terrorism in our country.
First full disclosure: I am Liberal, but not a bleeding heart.
I'm pro-choice as well as anti capital punishment, I think the last thing our government should determine is when someone lives or dies, be they baby or scumbag.
I believe in gun control, but to me that means the people who are allowed to have guns must be in control of themselves, as long as unhinged psychopaths can whip out a hogs-leg and start waxing co-eds I don't mind some waiting periods. But I am in no way interested in living in a world without the 2nd amendment, I enjoy both Michael Moore (at times) AND Clint Eastwood, both members of the NRA.
I believe in security for America's interests so long as those interests are not to the benefit of the upper 10% at the expense of the rest of us.
I believe that corporations have a place in the world, but I do not support ALL of their efforts. To do so would fly in the face of self-preservation.
I have friends that are posey-sniffing hippies, and friends that are battle-hardened soldiers thinking about taking another tour.
In the spirit of everything I just mentioned, I present my thesis on Terrorism and WAR.
1st off, Americans will NEVER be safe from Terrorism. When I say terrorism I don't just mean some dude with a turban and a swarthy complexion blowing up the world trade center. Terrorism is not just Radical Islam, it can be Tim McVeigh the Oklahoma City Bomber, or the kooky asian dude at the University of Virginia, or that guy you rode the bus with. Terrorism has been in this country since it's inception, any civil-rights volunteer from the 50's and 60's can attest that some very-white people used terrorism as a way of preventing black folks from enfranchisment.
Israel which is a country that beset on all sides by terror factions, they have erected a wall of soldiers on every border, yet nightclubs and buses get bombed there all the time. Mossad the Israeli intelligence force is authorized to torture terror suspects when necessary, but for every terrorist exposed there are still hundreds to replace them.
America could never be any different, torture who you want, kill folks, bomb countries, level cites, but like Israel, some attacks will always make it through.
The national conversation is now dominated by the Iraq war, but many of you know, Iraq had very little to do with 9/11. In fact most of the perpetrators of 9/11 came from Saudi Arabia, but instead of bombing the shit out of the Saudis, we went after Bin Laden in Afganistan and failed. We gave money to the Saudi government then and continue to do so today.
If anyone really wants to know why we are in Iraq, follow the money.
Hundreds of Billions of dollars, removed from our economy and funneled into the coffers of American Military Contractors. How do you pull this wool over the eyes of the American Taxpayer? You blow something up on American soil. Create fear in the hearts of the populace, so they will support you no matter how illogical your actions might seem.
Now I'm not saying our government blew up the buildings (which IS possible). But our government has been involved in all manners of foreign hanky-panky for decades, (destabilizing and overthrowing other governments) and naturally, because of our free-wheeling black-ops actions all over the world, there are groups of people who want to commit terrorism on our soil. They want to do this because they view OUR (and by 'our' I mean 'our governments') actions as terrorism. Thus we have 'evildoers' plotting against us.
Our government probably didn't 'do' 9/11 but they sure as hell allowed it to happen. Thus setting the stage for those hundreds-of-billions of dollars that were being used to feed our kids school lunches, keep the dangerous people locked up, and maintain good relations with other countries to be used instead to bomb Iraqis.
This happens because, sadly our government is partially owned by major corporations, particularly big oil and it's identical counterpart the military-industrial complex.
Which brings me to our troops, who must, by my measure have our complete support. It is their lives on the line out there. So I have to ask, why, since 2003 did Dick Cheney (our vice-president and former CEO of Halliburton our largest military contractor) watch his Halliburton Stock gain $14,000,000 worth of value, while the soldiers on the ground aren't even issued proper body armor.
Which isn't even counting the literal billions of dollars that have 'disappeered' in Iraq, through 'mismanagement' and corruption within the ranks of our provisional government and the self same military contractors who are there to support the troops and their efforts.
There is a grave travesty occuring right now, and it is mis-directed action in Iraq, which as you all know has become identical to our other historical misadventures, that led Al Qaeda to 'hate' us in the first place.
Our children will pay for the mistake of Iraq with blood someday, but unless we learn the lesson now, those attacks will simply be blamed on another third-world country who we will then bomb and occupy.
So as Americans we are dupes, patsies, and fall-guys for the wealthy elite, both within the military-industrial complex and without. Because if we had been successful in Iraq, McDonalds and Wal-Mart would be setting up in a heartbeat.
So next time someone starts beating the wardrum, and they will, probably for Iran, take a step back and before committing our precious warriors (and I say that with no sarcasm) to their demise, watch where the money goes.
Which brings me full circle to 9/11, we are not safe, nor will we ever be, regardless of who is tortured or bombed. We can merely be fed the illusion of safety, and in eating that tripe we enable the crooks running this country to bend us over the proverbial "wino's shopping cart" for a little financial "dry humping"
Remember this next time you pay taxes, and pay a little more attention.
By the way, I was and continue to be all for the Afganistan thing, I think they should legalize the opium there though, and use the proceeds to flush out Osama. Then after they jam a bayonet up his keister, use the rest of the money to rebuild that poor place, so my friend Aziz (who had to come here when the Russians invaded and we were supporting Osama bin Laden) can go back and finish his damn master's degree instead of toiling in the bakery.