Questioning 9/11 Myths June 17, 2008
Posted by Stewart in All posts.Tags: 9/11 Truth, labels, name-calling, ridicule
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“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” - Mahatma Gandi
Those who have the audacity to question the truth of a well-accepted public myth are quite often the subject of ridicule and accusations of blasphemy. Similarly, those who have the audacity to question the official conspiracy theory of 9/11 and call others to critically examine their own perceptions of this complex and deeply mysterious tragedy, are also either ignored, laughed at, or ridiculed as lunatic ‘tin-foil hatters’, moonbats and unpatriotic, anti-American conspiracy nuts – blasphemous traitors even. What crime have they committed to merit such an accusation of heresy? Simply questioning the orthodoxy of the widely-held faith. David Ray Griffin perhaps puts it best when he writes, “If some people have the bad taste to raise the question of the truth of the sacred story, the keepers of the faith do not enter into debate with them. They ignore them, or denounce them as blasphemers.”
Contemplate, however, the numerous other apparent ‘blasphemers’ and ‘heretics’, who while proposing ideas that ran counter to popular and widely-held beliefs, turned out to be true. They too were at first ignored, then laughed at and ridiculed, even publicly shamed for questioning the established order and status quo. Numerous individuals throughout history have stood for ideas that have challenged popular public myths, and these individuals have endured ridicule for their skepticism and inquiry. What we must learn, however, as difficult as it may seem, is to persist in inquiry enduring whatever ridicule may come.
Galileo Galilee, a Tuscan physicist, mathematican, astronomer and philosopher, advocated the theory of heliocentrism, contending that the Earth revolved around the sun. Heliocentrism, which Galileo supported, ran contrary to the popular and widely held geocentric theory, which contended that the Earth was the center of the Universe and that all celestial objects orbited the Earth. Galileo was ridiculed by many for advocating such a belief, even called to stand trial under suspicion of heresy. Several centuries later, evidence appears to suggest that the vastly unpopular theory which Galileo supported, is true. Despite the ridicule Galileo received, the theory which he supported is the factually accurate one.
Martin Luther King, Jr advocated rigorously for an end to segregation and racial discrimination. The ideas that Dr. King vividly supported ran contrary to the popular beliefs held in society at that time. For challenging popular myths and social attitudes, King was ridiculed by many. No doubt that at the time many thought of him as a traitor as well denounced him as a heretic for his opposition to the inequalities of the established order. Despite this ridicule, King continued his non-violent course in advocating for civil rights, even unto his death.
English naturalist Charles Darwin, who publicized the theory of evolution via natural selection in The Origin of the Species, is still criticized to this very day for having supported evolutionary theory. If Darwin had advocated such a theory in the medieval era, one could assume that he surely would have been denounced as a heretic by the Inquisition.
Another victim of accusations of apparent heresy is Joan of Arc who was convicted and burnt at the stake in Rouen as a result of a politically motivated trial, despite there having been no guilt found as a later review would attest.
Reason is superior to ridicule, for ridicule is quite often baseless or a poor reflection of reality. It is, furthermore, weak as a persuasive device, for when ridicule is employed one can safely believe that the individual engaging in the ridicule does not possess enough insight into the facts in order to construct an appropriate argument along the lines of rationality.
The Wikipedia entry for Name-calling notes that:
“Propagandists use the name-calling technique to incite fears and arouse prejudices in their hearers in the intent that an invoked bad name will cause hearers to construct a negative opinion about a person, group, or set of beliefs or ideas that the propagandist would wish hearers to denounce. The method is intended to provoke conclusions and actions about a matter apart from an impartial examinations of the facts of the matter. When employed, name-calling is thus a substitute for rational, fact-based arguments against an idea or belief, based upon its own merits.”
Labeling someone as a ‘heretic’ or a ‘traitor’ or denouncing them as a blasphemer is a strategy of ridicule employed to incite an emotional response from an audience in order to catalyze the formulation of a negative opinion of a certain party or their views. Name-calling, such as labels, appeals to stereotypes, accusations of heresy and ridicule function only to incite fear or arouse prejudices; they offer no substance and serve as a diversion from rational analysis and informed inquiry.
Despite whatever ridicule may come, inquiry must persist.
9/11 Truth December 23, 2007
Posted by Stewart in All posts.Tags: 9/11 Truth
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There are some who claim that the 9/11 Truth momentum is a fringe social phenomenum, having little or no practical knowledge base, nor even the insight to have a credible stance on the issue.
However, this proves to be drastically incorrect as Prof. David Ray Griffin outlines in his literary work, Debunking 9/11 Debunking, in which he states that individuals insinuating that those who oppose the popular notion of truth found in the official narrative of 9/11 are ‘nut-cases’ with little insight on the issue would have to contend with the combined insights of,
“… economist Michel Chossudovsky, former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, British Minister of Parliament Michael Meacher, former Assistant Treasury Secretary Paul Craig Roberts, former Assistant Secretary of Housing Catherine Austin Fitts, journalists Wayne Madsen and Barrie Azwicker, Institute for Policy Studies co-founded Marcus Raskin, former diplomat Peter Dale Scott, international law professors Richard Falk and Burns Weston, social philosopher John McMurty, theologians John B. Ruether, ethicists Joseph C. Hough and Douglas Strum, writer A.L. Kennedy, media critic and professor of culture Mark Crispin Miller, attorney Gerry Spence, historians Richard Horsley and Howard Zinn, and the late Rev. Williams Sloane Coffin, who after a stint in the CIA, became one of the country’s leading preachers and civil rights, anti-war and anti-nuclear activists.
Furthermore, if everyone who believes the alternative conspiracy theory, rather than the official conspiracy theory, is by definition a nut, then Cockburn would have to sling that label at Philip J. Berg, a former deputy attorney general of Pennsylvania; Colonel Robert Bowman, who flew over 100 combat missions in Vietnam and earned a Ph.D in aeronautics and nuclear engineering before becoming head of the “Star Wars program …; Andreas von Bulow, formerly state secretary in the German Federal Minisity of Defense, minister of research and technology, and member of parliament, where he served on the intelligence committee; Giulietto Chiesa, an Italian member of the European parliament; Bill Christison, formerly a national intelligence officer in the CIA and the director of its Office of Religion and Political Analysis; A.K. Dewdney, emeritus professor of mathematics and computer science and long-time columnists for Scientific American; General Leonid Ivashov, formerly chief of staff of the Russian armed forces; Lt. Col. Shelton F. Lankford, former US Marine Corps fighter pilot; Captain Eric H. May, formerly an airplane accident investigation expert in the US Air Force; Colonel Ronald D. Ray, a highly decorated Vietnam veteran who became deputy assistant secretary of defense during the Reagan administration; Morgan Reynolds, former director of the Criminal Justice Center at the National Center for Policy Analysis and former chief economist at the Department of Labor; Robert David Steele, who had a 25-year career in intelligence, serving both as a CIA clandestine services case officer and as a US Marine Corps intelligence officer; Captain Russ Wittenberg, a former Air Force fighter pilot with over 100 combat missions, after which he was a commercial airlines pilot for 35 years; Captain Gregory M. Zeigler, former intelligence officer in the US Army; all the member of Scholars for 9/11 Truth, Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Justice, Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth, Veterans for 9/11 Truth, and Pilots for 9/11 Truth; and most of the college and university professors lists under “Professors Question 9/11″ on the Patriots Question 9/11 website.
Would Cockburn really want to suggest that these people are “nuts” with “no conception of evidence,” no awareness of “military history,” and no grasp of “common sense” and “the real world”?” – Prof. David Ray Griffin. Debunking 9/11 Debunking.
Let us not also forget families impacted by the deaths of loved ones on 9/11 and survivors such William Rodrigues who openly question the official conspiracy theory and demand a new fully independent and transparent investigation…. http://www.newswithviews.com/Devvy/kidd317.htm
“The 9/11 Commission is probably the worst representation of the 9/11 Families or for that matter all the American public because it’s a sham. It really is…. We had tons of different questions that we asked them to ask. They wouldn’t do it. And the continuing cover-up is just beyond belief… There’s just such a continuing coverup. And why don’t we just let the information about 9/11 be known? And then maybe this conspiracy type of thing would go away, but it’s never going to go away or I don’t think it can go away because they were complicit…” – Bob Doyle. Head of the Coalition of 9/11 Families.
Michelle Little, sister of Firefighter David M. Weiss, FDNY, Rescue Company 1, Midtown Manhattan, lost his life trying to rescue others from the World Trade Center the day of the attacks. Press Conference, National Press Club 9/12/06:
“I am here today to call for the facts of September 11, 2001 to be released to the American public. … The time is now to call upon all the Americans to lobby local media to cover this story and to pressure members of Congress to support legislation by reopening this investigation. We must hold those involved accountable for this atrocious tragedy. My brother, David, and ten brothers from his unit were murdered on 9/11. For them and for all of our mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles that died that day, it is imperative for their lives to know the truth.”
Barry Zelman, brother of Kenneth Zelman, Oracle Corp., on assignment at Marsh & McLennan, WTC North Tower, 99th floor. Speech given at The Citizens’ Commission on 9-11, 9/9/04: “
“I just embrace people that understand that four airplanes an hour and half between the first impact and the second impact with zero military response in the United States. It didn’t happen that way. It couldn’t have happened that way. You’re talking about the most intelligent agencies that we have on the face of the earth. State of the art agencies … And there was zero military response? …It’s very transparent that our own president did not want to investigate this tragedy. And I’m standing before you today for one reason. The only thing that I can give my brother is the truth. That’s it.”
Daniel Wallace (1984 – 2007), son of Lt. Robert Wallace, Engine 205, Ladder 118, FDNY. Speech 12/3/06:
“Ever since that day, I believed the official story for all about 2 minutes. I always had my questions. My family had their questions. The government sent us the 9/11 Commission or I should say omissions, really. They sent us that. I read the whole thing. As I’m reading the whole thing; it was just incredible; the lies in this book… It hurt me to read this book….”
