by chiggerbit » Sun Sep 17, 2006 12:19 pm
Who is James Bennet? Is he the same as this one, who paints with a VERY broad brush when he convicts 9/11 doubters? He sure has a boner for people who don't accept the word of Jesus Bush. This person picks out a couple of the very weakest points of the conspiracy argument, then hangs his entire dismissal on those couple of weak points, without addressing one single FACT that would lead any rational person to ask what 9/11 was really all about.<br> <br><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>...Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone was assassinated by the Bush administration...</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--><br><br>I've got news for Mr. Bennet. There isn't one single Democrat I know in Minnesota, people who are NOT conspiracy-minded, who does not believe that Wellstone was assassinated. Not one. They don't go around pronouncing on their belief, but they'll tell you in private.<br><br>Who IS this person, anyway?<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/284271_anticonspire08.html">seattlepi.nwsource.com/op...ire08.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>Conspiracy theories sully memories of 9/11 victims<br><br>JAMES BENNETT<br>GUEST COLUMNIST<br><br>With the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks fast approaching, the media coverage of 9/11 conspiracy theories is intensifying. While once this was solely the subject of Web sites and Internet forums, the topic has recently been covered in diverse media outlets such as The New York Times, Fox News and the Seattle P-I. <br><br>Although the coverage may address some of the views held by the conspiracy theorists, and occasionally even delve into the forensic evidence, one thing they have rarely discussed is, "Who are these people, and how do they come up with conclusions that are completely opposite of those of most people?"<br><br>These are questions I have been addressing on my blog for several months now, and after reviewing dozens of hours of video and audio clips, and reading countless Web sites, forums and books, I have had some interesting discoveries. <br><br>Most striking of all is the connection that those theories have with others. While the people proposing them may vary greatly in age, politics and education, they almost invariably are conspiracy theorists by nature. In addition to believing the World Trade Centers were demolished by the "New World Order," they also push theories that man did not walk on the moon, Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone was assassinated by the Bush administration, the Srebrenica massacre and even the Holocaust never happened. <br><br>In fact, the overlap with anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial is quite unsettling. A frequent source for their claims is the American Free Press, a fringe newspaper founded by Willis Carto, a man called "one of the most influential American anti-Semitic propagandists" by the Anti-Defamation League, and considered a founder of the Holocaust denial movement. Even such notable figures as Professor Jim Fetzer, co-founder of the group "Scholars for 9/11 Truth," do not shy from citing it, as if it were as credible as The New York Times. <br><br>As to how they believe what they do, one of the first things you notice while following them is a fervent, almost religious level of belief. Through this zeal, and through a selective use of evidence, they are convinced as to the truth of their claims, no matter the evidence to the contrary. One good example of this is the repeated claim that the 9/11 hijackers appear on none of the flight manifests. That myth was started by looking at a list of victims of the attacks posted on CNN's Web site and noting the terrorists' absence. Terrorists who commit suicide attacks, however, are by definition not "victims" of their attack, so there is no reason to believe they would be listed. That fact has been pointed out to them by numerous people, on countless occasions, but yet they persist in their belief. It continues even though the 9/11 Commission report, the news media and, most recently, the evidence presented at the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui have all cited the hijackers on the flight manifests, even listing their seat numbers. <br><br>As the anniversary of these tragic events approaches, many will remember the victims, and many a tear will be shed for them. But a significant group of people wants to hijack their memories and falsify their history for their own motivations. It is the responsibility of this nation, its people and its media to insist that the truth be told, and their memories not be sullied.<br><br>James Bennett of Bellevue, an MBA student at the University of Washington, is a co-writer for screwloosechange.blogspot.com a blog that covers 9/11 conspiracy theories.<br> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=chiggerbit@rigorousintuition>chiggerbit</A> at: 9/17/06 10:47 am<br></i>
