Apr 27 2006
What happened on 9/11?
Two main failings I see with some of us on the left is a romantic attraction to revolutionaries while turning a blind eye to the flaws, such as human rights abuses (a la Chavez/Castro/Guevara) and a love for conspiracy theories, no matter how factually challenged and outlandish. I’m not talking about the JFK-grassy knoll type, I mean ideas like the Twin Towers were brought down by a controlled demolition (not by the planes, instead charges planted and detonated conveniently at the time of impact), or that a missile or a fighter plane crashed into the Pentagon. Things like this really give the more sensible of us on the left a bad name in the credibility department, kinda like those that can’t take a shit in the morning without consulting their horoscope first. I’ve always thought that most of the conspiracy theories don’t hold water, but neither does the official version.
Apparently, Ernest Partridge over at the Crisis Papers feels as as I do. I point you now to his essay, ‘The 9/11 Conspiracy: A Skeptic’s View’. Very thoughtfully, he takes some of the popular conspiracy theories, as well as the official version and using well-researched facts and logical analysis, catapults the bullshit. It is quite clear that we may never know the full story. Do I believe Bushco actually demolished the towers themselves? That’s giving them credit for way more intelligence that they repeatedly have shown they do not posses, not to mention the sheer stretch of the imagination it would involve to pull it off and keep it under wraps. Do I think they might have looked the other way or ‘misunderestimated’ the threat with the hopes of using it for political gain? Certainly. That is much more in line with the way these scumbags operate.
And lest some of you think Partridge is some kinda right-winger-Bush apologist, have a look around the Crisis Papers site. He is about as anti-Bush as he comes. He just knows how to use his brain.
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I’m also a reporter (for Rolling Stone) and I also wrote an online column recently blasting the 9/11 conspiracy theories. I was shocked at the response I got. An overwhelming majority of the people I used to think were my readers believe this stuff. It actually has my quite freaked out. Partridge can expect an avalanche of abuse.
–Matt Taibbi
i.e. “me freaked out” my bad.