The American Spectator : What Does It Mean?

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What Does It Mean?

After ten years of confusing cultural messages, we now have to remember one thing: who did this to us.

On April 30, 2011, while on a visit to New York City, my father and I made a point of going to Ground Zero. It was a Saturday afternoon that was supposed to be warm but the wind was heavy and my sweater wasn’t equal to the task. The chilliness was accompanied by a feeling of emptiness. Although progress was being made on 1 World Trade Center there was still a large gaping hole where the WTC once stood. It is well worth remembering that the Empire State Building was built in a little over a year ahead of schedule and under budget in the midst of The Great Depression. Sadly, the rebuilding of the WTC has become an unfortunate testament to our “can’t do” bureaucratic spirit which has the effect of making us look weak and small to our allies and enemies alike. Nor does it honor those who perished that Tuesday morning.

The crowd at Ground Zero was scattered and sparse. Certainly nothing like it was when I was there in June 2003 with my parents and my older brother Ezra. But with the passage of time comes the inevitable fade of memory. The events simply aren’t as immediate and people move on to other things. Fewer come by to take note of what happened.

Yet 36 hours after my father and I had been there, Ground Zero was once again teeming with people. This time it was full of elation and euphoria when it was learned that Osama bin Laden had been killed by a team of Navy SEALS. Unfortunately, this collective catharsis was quickly chastised by the chattering classes who said we shouldn’t be celebrating the death of another human being like we had just won the Super Bowl.

Well, by that logic, the famous kiss between the sailor and the nurse in Times Square on V-J Day would be considered an inappropriate public display of affection. After all, there would not have been a victory over Japan if American forces hadn’t dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Yet people back then had the common sense to understand that the sailor and the nurse were spontaneously celebrating the end of the war rather than celebrating the deaths of Japanese civilians. Of course back then patriotism wasn’t something to feel ashamed about.

The people at Ground Zero were celebrating justice having been served. This so-called human being the chattering classes wanted us to shed tears over had written, “We — with God’s help — call on every Muslim who believes in God and wishes to be rewarded to comply with God’s order to kill the Americans (italics mine) and plunder their money wherever and whenever they find it.” These same chattering classes have no objection to giving bin Laden a Sharia compliant burial at sea. But raise a cross in honor of the lives he took and you get a lawsuit. Nor do these chattering classes have a problem with building a mosque at Ground Zero but won’t say a word about rebuilding St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, which was destroyed when the South Tower collapsed.

Of course, the tone of this discourse is set by our Chatterer-in-Chief. Sure, President Obama gave the order to kill bin Laden. But we cannot confront Islamic fundamentalist terrorism if we are unable to speak of either Islamic fundamentalism or terrorism. To call the events of September 11, 2001 “a man caused disaster” and the 19 hijackers “violent extremists” doesn’t begin to describe what happened that day much less why it happened. America might not be at war with Islam but a critical mass of Muslims is most surely at war with America and will not cease to be at war with America simply because bin Laden is dead. For all of President Obama’s efforts to embark upon a “new beginning” with the Muslim world, it turns out that Muslims hold him in greater contempt than George W. Bush. It doesn’t matter if the President of the United States watches NASCAR or reads Niebuhr. Both are infidels just the same.

This means we can expect more attacks from Islamic fundamentalists — albeit perhaps not on the scale of what occurred on September 11, 2001. But then again how many lives would have been lost on a busy Saturday night if that Times Square t-shirt vendor hadn’t seen something and said something? So what does it say about us that a gunman carrying business cards with the phrase “Soldier of Allah” can shout “Allahu Akbar!!!” as he kills thirteen of his fellow servicemen and his religious motives merit no mention in the official report? What does it say about us as a people when two middle-aged liberal women are applauded for walking off their own show when a man of conservative inclinations says that “Muslims killed us on 9/11”? It says that we are easily spooked and those who are easily spooked are not inclined to stand up for themselves.

No sooner than Trey Parker and Matt Stone had their lives threatened by a fringe Muslim group in Brooklyn over a two part episode of South Park featuring the Prophet Muhammad, Comedy Central pulled the plug. Yet when Parker and Stone wrote The Book of Mormon, producers fell all over themselves to mount the musical and it became the toast of Broadway, winning nine Tony Awards. There were no Mormons with machine guns to worry about. It’s easy to satirize a religion whose followers turn the other cheek.

It doesn’t do us much good to remember those who died on September 11, 2001 unless we remember who was responsible for carrying out these acts of evil and the religious ideology which drove them to do it.

About the Author

Aaron Goldstein writes from Boston, Massachusetts.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (99) | Leave a comment Leave a comment

Michael Tomlinson| 9.9.11 @ 6:41AM

Didn't you know we're the villans according RINO neo-liberal Ron Paul -- defender of Muslim jihadists, terrorists and theocratic madmen. I wouldn't be surprised if Israel didn't have something to do with the attack. I'm sure Clint, Jack Wi, Sean, et. al. could tell us about it.

We definitely need to deal with the problems on our southern border, but the one group we need to keep out and/or kick out is Muslims (non-citizens of course).

loulou| 9.9.11 @ 10:31AM

Unfortunately, Muslims (there is no such thing as a "moderate" Muslim) cheered the attacks on the US. They might all need to leave if they can't behave like Americans--and that means not going around in disguise and not knocking your head on the ground with your butt in the air multiple times a day.

ENOUGH ROPE| 9.11.11 @ 11:02PM

Boycott the liberal media, end public school K-12 in every state, and boycott liberal higher education. The left dominates those institutions. We in the center and right can end those institutions simply by not consuming their products.

The progressives/liberals hate God, religion, Judeo-Christian morality, America, freedom, capitalism, families, the rule of law, the U.S. Constitution, private property, American Exceptionalism, and America''s superpowerful military.

There are more of us centrists and conservatives than there are progressives/liberals. Boycott their organizations and repeal public schools. Then they will be far less powerful to destroy us, which is their goal. Do you have any doubts that if they gained fascist or Marxist type power that they would put us in concentration camps? Doubtful? Google the topic about the FBI undercover agent who infiltrated Bill Ayers' Weathermen group. The agent asked Ayers how many people would have to be killed to lessen dissent. The answer, then, was 25 million people.

Clint| 9.9.11 @ 1:29PM

"Rick Perry's dangerous Muslim compromise

Right out of the chute, of cause for deep concern is an apparently close relationship Perry has fostered over the years with a Muslim leader know as "His Highness" Prince Shah Karim Al-Husayni, the Aga Khan IV.

According to the Austin American-Statesman, Perry met Al-Husayni while vacationing with his family in Paris in 2000.

In 2002, at a dinner in Houston hosted by Al-Husayni, Perry spoke glowingly of his new friend. Since this time, Perry has continued to attend various Nizari Ismaili Muslim events and by several accounts has become a close friend of Al-Husayni and the Nizari Muslim community.

According to Kate Shellnut, a blogger for the Houston Chronicle, "Perry even laid the first brick at the groundbreaking ceremony for an Ismaili worship center in Plano in 2005."

Clint| 9.9.11 @ 1:32PM

Little Rino Ricky Perry's Buddy Al-Husayni.

Al-Husayni is the spiritual leader of the Shiite sect of Nizari Ismaili Muslims. Nizaris, a group with roughly 18 million adherents, believe that Al-Husayni is both the physical and spiritual descendant of Islam's prophet, Muhammad. Nizaris refer to Al-Husayni with such grandiose titles as the Imām-I-Zaman (Imam of the Age) and "the Face of Allah."

Nizaris are one of the more esoteric and mystical sects of Islam. Nizaris refer to Allah by unique and odd terms such as "the black light" and "the luminous night." Though Nizaris believe that Allah is utterly unknowable, they believe that through mystical meditation, shadows of what is to come can be glimpsed. Nizaris are also known for being deeply committed to Islamic causes of social justice.

Besides being the spiritual leader of the millions of Nizari Muslims, Al-Husayni is also wildly rich. One report has placed his personal value at roughly $800 million, but he also controls a vast network of businesses, organizations and schools, including the Aga Khan Development Network, or AKDN, one of the largest "private development networks" in the world. The AKDN and its network of Islamic organizations and charities distribute well over half-a-billion dollars each year."

Oldefarte| 9.10.11 @ 11:42AM

Clintorius, read the below posted editorial by Michelle Malkin and learn the possible truth that your boy may, in abandoning US foreign policy that he's also abandoning the US as well!!!!!!

ENOUGH ROPE| 9.11.11 @ 11:12PM

Herman Cain is the only other candidate with high level business experience who has not supported anything like RomneyCare or Perry's support for Islam. Cain is Obama's worst nightmare.

Michael Tomlinson| 9.10.11 @ 12:00AM

RINO neo-liberal Ron "Neville Chamberlain" Paul has said Iran should be allowed to have a nuclear bomb. An apologist for the theocratic dictatorship of Iran RINO Paul whined, “One can understand why they might want to become nuclear capable, if only to defend themselves and to be treated more respectfully.”

Constantly, on guard to defend Muslim imperialism neo-liberal Paul looks for every opportunity to blame the US for Islam's aggressive warfare against the West. In a twisted "logic" and distortion of historical reality Paul went on the attack against the US in Iowa.

At a campaign stop in Winterset, IA one man asked Paul how terrorist groups would react if the U.S. removed its military presence in Middle Eastern nations, a move the candidate advocates.

“Which enemy are you worried that will attack our national security?” Paul asked.

“If you’re looking for specifics, I’m talking about Islam. Radical Islam,” the man answered.

“I don’t see Islam as our enemy,” Paul said. “I see that motivation is occupation and those who hate us and would like to kill us, they are motivated by our invasion of their land, the support of their dictators that they hate.”

Regarding 9/11, Paul said that attacks against the U.S. from Middle Eastern groups at home and abroad can be traced to the foreign presence of U.S. troops, as well as America’s relationships with dictator regimes.

Paul referred to a military base in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, as a key motivator in the Sept. 11th attacks. Osama bin Laden viewed it as an American desecration of holy land.

“After 9/11, (people said) ‘Oh yeah, it’s those very bad people who hate us,’ but 15 of (the hijackers) came from Saudi Arabia,” said Paul. “One of the reasons they attacked us, is we propped up this Sharia government and the fundamentalists hated us for it.”

RINO neo-liberal Ron Paul is fast becoming a caricature of himself with the support of a small, but fanatical base of cultist who call him their Leader reminiscent of the mindlessness that swept 1930's Europe.

Clint | 9.10.11 @ 5:20AM

Dr.Ron Paul's Foreign Policy Advisor Michael Scheuer, former CIA Chief of The bin Laden Unit,

"On Iran, President Obama should:

1.) Explain to the American people that Iran is no threat to the United States unless we or Israel attack it first, and then it would be a serious threat to U.S. access to energy and would likely stage terrorist operations in the continental United States. [The last thanks to 30-years of federal immigration policies that leave us without knowledge of who is in the country or what they are capable of doing.]

2.) Publicly state that there will be no U.S. surprise attack on Iran, and no U.S. attack at all on Iran unless the president asks for a formal declaration of war and the Congress votes its approval in a constitutional manner.

3.) Call in Israel's ambassador to the United States and tell him that we understand that Israel believes Iran is a threat to its survival, and that we agree that Israel has every right to defend itself. If Israel believes it must go to war with Iran, then so be it. But also tell the ambassador that if Israel attacks Iran, the U.S. administration will declare U.S. neutrality in the war and immediately cut off military and financial support to all combatants in the war.

4.) Speak to the American people and tell them to expect to be brutally propagandized by U.S. citizen Israel-Firsters through AIPAC, their ubiquitous media shills, and the men and women they own in the U.S. Congress and federal bureaucracy. Urge Americans to ignore this effort by U.S. Israel-Firsters to get them to send their soldier-children to fight in a religious war in which the U.S. has no genuine national interest at stake, and in which U.S. participation would further bankrupt the country, require the reintroduction of conscription, and put America at war with all of the Muslim world -- Shia and Sunni -- for the foreseeable future."

Occam's Tool| 9.10.11 @ 2:44PM

So Perry is wrong for being friends with Muslims, but Paul is right for isolating opponents of radical Islam. Solid logic, as usual, Clint.

My approach is much more simple, and has been historically shown to win: The Moros war in the Phillipines, 1902-1913:

"Damn, damn, damn the Moros!
Cut throat khaki ladrones!
Underneath the starry flag,
Civilize them with a Krag,
And return us to our beloved home."

Occam's Tool| 9.10.11 @ 2:45PM

After the beatdown, the Moros were given over to a more gentle civilian government. As Sir Charles Napier said (paraphrased)---"first you thrash them, THEN be Magnanimous." The first step is necessary so that the second is successful.

Oldefarte| 9.12.11 @ 11:57AM

MT & OT: Good stuff! I'd suggest that any moron out here that truly believes this supposedly Libertarianism crap simply google the visual Muslim terrorists' beheadings and then attempt t convince anyone of their sole homeland defensive intentions!!!!!!!

Alan Brooks| 9.10.11 @ 11:37AM

"there is no such thing as a 'moderate' Muslim"

This is from paranoia. It's akin to writing 70 years ago that all Japanese and Germans were immoderate.

Oldefarte| 9.10.11 @ 11:43AM

Read Mechell Malkin's editorial below, dumbars!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alan Brooks| 9.10.11 @ 11:54AM

Age is affecting your judgment, you see bogeymen under every bed.

Alej| 9.10.11 @ 9:23PM

Ever read the basic tenets of Islam, Yo-yo ?

If one is a Muslim, one is a total Muslim.

Oldefarte| 9.12.11 @ 12:04PM

Moron, the inhabitants of the Twin Towers saw the bogeymen's fanatical eyeballs enraged with hatred as they flew the incoming jet airliners into the office building, filled to capacity with lethal/inflammatory jet fuel that burned alive 3000+ innocents on 11/4/08, you GD stupid as&hole;!!!!!!!!!!

Oldefarte| 9.12.11 @ 12:00PM

AB: Japanese and Germans did fly planes as komakazies etc, but their targets were military members of their perceived enemies, not GD innocent civilians who were only working within office buildings, attempting to financially support themselves and their loved ones. What a GD idiot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alan Brooks| 9.11.11 @ 2:56PM

In a way Carter caused 9/11.
Without him the Russkies might not have invaded Afghanistan, and ... who knows?

Oh what a tangled web Carter did weave
when first he rolled up his presidential sleeve

Oldefarte| 9.12.11 @ 12:09PM

No moron, you're one slimball Democrat too early. It was Wild Bill who was so busy porking Monika and smoking cigars that he failed in his constitutional duty to defend the people of this country against foreign enemies such as Muslim terrorists [who bombed our embassies, the WTC previously, and the USS Cole before reaching their success on 9/11/01]!!!!!!!!

Brian Mc| 9.9.11 @ 6:57AM

The Koran tells the faithfull to lay low, lie when necessary, go along so as not to show their cards and be patient for the submission to begin (at a later date) while their compatriots, whom they refuse to condemn, scream "Alluah, Akbahr"...or some such as this.
Islam is the embodiment of evil and the devil giggles with glee with every strike from this snake wallowing in the grass of order and civility.

irish19| 9.10.11 @ 10:02PM

Well said! And exactly right. For those who don't get it, look up taquiya and hudna(h).

Lawler Nicoteri| 9.9.11 @ 7:49AM

Despite what our "leaders" urge I will state to any who may ask that 9/11 was the work of Muslims. In the name of Islam 3,000 humans were destroyed. This massacre was carried out by Muslims, not Quakers, Mormons, Mennonites, or Christian Scientists. Islam is to blame and all who pander to this savage pseudo-religion are conplicit in the resultant butchery of our civilization.

nister| 9.9.11 @ 8:22AM

I remember who's responsible, too. Bush Sr. has the blood of the 3,000 on his hands, by what he did while in office. His simpleton son has blood on his hands, by what he didn't do.

Melvin| 9.9.11 @ 8:25AM

Then why didn't the Democratically controlled Congress stop GW? How many Liberal Democrats gave him the authority to do what he did?

nister| 9.9.11 @ 9:24AM

What? How could Congress make him pay attention to a mortal threat only he, Cheney and Rice were advised about?

canuckistani| 9.9.11 @ 10:45AM

AR now stands for American Revisionism.

After 10 years we still lack the gray matter to realize the attack was a spectacular military success that no US unit could EVER hope to replicate: 75% on target air assault. Budget: near zero. Casualty ratio: 3,000 to 19.
Tactics: hide in plain site, exploit security failings, rely on "sleeping at the switch" lethargy and nacent incompetent leadership, employ educated, emotionally controlled operatives.

Strategy: commit audacious attack on enemy's land with the intent purpose of rousing an enormous reaction ultimately bankrupting the finances and reputation of said superpower and reducing their hegemonic intrusions in the attackers lands. Result: almost succeeded.

I remember the drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket telling his men that Lee Harvey Oswald, although a murderer and traitor, was a crack shot and executed his plan with precision and should be studied and commended for his skill.

We forget the total ineptitude with which we handled the attacks. The recent recordings prove we had an ass-whipping coming and our laziness cost us enormously. Watching Junior attempt again to explain his mental fade-out when reading My Pet Goat would have be amusing if it wasn't so sad.

The enemy is low-tech, possesses a non-traditional heirarchy, and we chose to attack an established military state that had zero to do with it. Like Vietnam, our malice was misplaced, and has cost us blood and treasure that will take decades to fully enumerate.

10 years on, we finally have the hole being rebuilt. Perhaps the holes in our collective memory have been filled as well.

canuckistani| 9.9.11 @ 10:48AM

What, cut and run?
No, only RR did that in the last 30 years.

RCV| 9.9.11 @ 1:48PM

Lebanon was indeed a fatal mistake that cost many lives in the future.

John Navratil| 9.9.11 @ 7:06PM

RCV,

It is the history of the West to take repeated provocation, then react strongly (some say disproportionately). It happened after the Battle of Tours, the Siege of Vienna, it happened with the Indian skirmishes with settlers and it has happened here.

In retrospect, Reagan should have acted more forcefully after the Beirut bombing. The price is still to be paid. I'm afraid there will not be peace until there are a lot more dead people. As George Will once remarked, wars end when one side gets tired. No one is tired yet. Three generations of Palestinians, and rising anti-Semitism portends a great conflagration to come.

Occam's Tool| 9.10.11 @ 11:54AM

Our problem in Lebanon was that we were intervening to save the Palestinians from the conseqiuences of their folly, and holding back our allies who were trying to destroy our mutual enemies. Ronnie fogot his own knowledge that the PLO were all terrorists.

Incidentally, if you want to know how to win a land war with Muslims at a minimal price in casualties, you should realize that America knows how to do it, and has done it in the past. An interesting new book out---The Moro War by Arnold James, Jr. 20,000 Muslim casualties, 500 Americans.

The difference is that we pounded the crap out of them BEFORE we nation built. I do agree with Melvin, John N, and RCV on this issue. But I note that the American general in this successful conflict followed exactly the prescription laid down by General Napier in India---Thrash well, then be magnanimous in victory.

Occam's Tool| 9.10.11 @ 2:48PM

"consequences," "forgot." I do suck as a typist.

Alej| 9.10.11 @ 9:29PM

When enough of us get hurt, killed, or watch beloved relatives and friends die, we will revert to the basics that have always driven humans to survive, despite our modern hopes that all will be moonlight and magnolias.

Payback will be a m*****f****r, and Muslims will never be heard from again.

irish19| 9.10.11 @ 10:07PM

On track. The way to win a war is to: 1) identify the enemy; 2) start killing them; and 3) keep killing them until the survivors sue for peace to make the killing stop. We aren't at #2 yet, but it's coming.
Never forget! Never forgive! Deus vult!

loulou| 9.9.11 @ 10:32AM

What are you talking about?

Melvin| 9.9.11 @ 8:22AM

I look at memorializing a little different than most. I tend to lean towards the mentality of winning the war first, then mourning the fallen after.
Many Americans in their impatience don't really understand or want to understand the aspect of war and all that war encompasses.
If we look back at history, we as a Nation was born out of armed conflict, and since that time each conflict that we entertained was fought radially different than the previous one.
Back 70 years ago, when this Nation declared war, the vast majority of Americans knew exactly what was being declared and prepared mentality to go the distance and do whatever it takes to win in the field.
We were told who the enemy was, and how we were going to defeat him. We hated our enemy with every fiber of our American beings, and we were prepared to engage in total war to defeat him. And prepared to defeat him at a great human cost.
Nowadays, we know of whom the enemy is, but those that are responsible for declaring war, cannot bring themselves to do so. The responsible governmental bodies that are responsible to inform the American public of whom the enemy is and how we as a Nation are going to defeat the enemy no longer do so in a clear and concise message.
The message is muddled, full of deception, political spin, and instead of defeating this enemy, we have to get to know him and appreciate the enemies reasoning in why they is trying to kill Americans.
Our government and it supporters invite this enemy into our Country, and praise him, and we are told that we must embrace him and call him, "Brother," and we are informed by our government that we should no longer call him, "Our Enemy."
Our government also allows our enemy to build schools, places of worship, and in some instances able to practice is own rule of religious law.
Our government also gives our enemy a title of protected status, that if we speak out against this enemy, we are the ones to be persecuted in a public forum.
But this Country continues to send our Sons and Daughters into our enemies lands and with a convoluted reasoning, try to half haphazardly destroy him, and then we have to pay him monetarily for trying to destroy him, and then help him rebuild.
We or I should say some have been fighting this undeclared war for ten years. This Country doesn't even care anymore. It's too busy watching Kim Kardashian's backside on MTV. The horrors of war are experienced through devices called Playstation and Xbox, to be turned off when one gets tired.
This is what has happened to this Country in this undeclared war the majority have simply turned the real war off. A large percentage of our sons and daughters go to the real war because there is no work in this Country, and the real war has become more of a job, than fighting for duty, honor, and Country.
For those who think otherwise, please don't patronize about defending this Country against the enemy, with patriotic reasoning. We have an enemy that we cannot call the enemy. We have an enemy that we allow to come into our Country and raise War funds to fund his war against us.
Hmm. Maybe former President Eisenhower was right after all.

Brian Mc| 9.9.11 @ 9:06AM

Dark, Melvin. The remark about our sons and daughters on the frontlines against tyranny because they need work is a bit offending and demeaning, don't you think? Otherwise, an excellent post.

Melvin| 9.9.11 @ 2:25PM

Brian, I am a retired Marine and live just outside Camp Lejeune, NC. I go to the base pool daily and talk to these kids. I would say roughly about 75% first termer's came in because of no job prospects.

Skippy| 9.9.11 @ 6:13PM

Melvin,
And when, since the 70's, has that not been the case?
The millions that enlisted in '42; weren't they mostly unemployed men with no bright future ahead?
Hadn't they been chronically underemployed since they came of age?
Are not the Armed Forces where folks with enthusiasm, but little means, go to develop themselves and their job skills?
How about the other 25%?
Weren't they professionals and successful workers moved by patriotism to act rather than watch?
You may have served with many draftees. Are the 9/11 enlistees better Marines than the draftees were?(Did we draft Marines for Vietnam? We did in WW2.)
Kudos for your service, but aren't you setting the bar pretty high for the kids that took your place in the trenches?
BTW, my daughter enlisted 95 days after 9/11, at age 17.
She serves today as a SFC, with one combat tour.
Her great uncle enlisted out of HS in '43; fought the Japs on Attu and the Krauts in Italy.
He rests in the Florence-American cemetery.
She rests on my couch when she's home.
Child is truly father to the man.

Appleby| 9.9.11 @ 9:56PM

My Daddy and 6 of his brothers enlisted in the Armed Services for World II and for the first time in their lives had their own beds and enough food and no more work than they had been doing for their autocratic father. Because of this they all lived to grow up and produce 25 children and untold numbers of grand and great-grandkids to liven up the world. Nothing wrong with the military as a career. (Although a lot of brats seem to make their way to Canukistan because they were shocked to find out the military actually goes to war.)

Louis Jenkins| 9.9.11 @ 9:32AM

This am the news stated that only 40% of the US population has mistrust towards Mulsims.
That is an astoundingly low number considering the carnage they performed. While I no longer agree with the wars being fought by our soldiers in the mid-east (it should have been finished by now) the percentage should have been higher. One cannot trust them, considering the various ways they can deceive 'non-believers' into a false sense of security. A "Religion of Peace!" That's BS!! Well, 60% are deceived, but 40% are not.

nister| 9.9.11 @ 10:19AM

Why should any Persian, Arab or South American trust any Christian, given the carnage they've performed, often in Jesus' name?

Al Adab| 9.9.11 @ 10:31AM

Anytime you care to hear an explanation Nister, I will be happy to oblige. Christianity is the central institution of Western Civilization and only Western Civilization recognizes the worth and rights of the individual against the demands of the collective or the community.

Evil exists and bad men do bad things as history shows yet, as we do not condemn Islam for the evil perpetrated in its name, neither should we condemn Christianity for the evil done in its name.

Occam's Tool| 9.10.11 @ 11:55AM

Al, you are a lovely person. G-d Bless.

Al Adab| 9.10.11 @ 6:46PM

Interesting to see the conversation continue today. I do wonder if some of these writers actually believe and understand what they write or whether they just hold such an opposing political view as to prevent them from comprehending the nature of the world. Yes we wish it better but we must start from where we find it.

Like you Occam I sometimes am betrayed by my fingers when I write. As alwauys thank you for the kind words. I cannot say for myself what kind of person I am, but I try to be a thoughtful, studious believer.

Harry the Horrible| 9.9.11 @ 10:32AM

Why should any Christian pay attention to a Moslem given that lying (taquia) is enshrined in their religion, not to mention their FAR BLOODIER history of religous violence?

Bless your heart.

loulou| 9.9.11 @ 10:34AM

OK, don't trust us. LEAVE.

nister| 9.9.11 @ 12:24PM

NO.

the permanent newbie| 9.9.11 @ 11:26AM

Nister, your self-given name means "hidden." Please stay hidden. Thank you.

nister| 9.9.11 @ 12:29PM

Such nice manners. It's nister, has nothing to do with "hidden", and I'll continue thanks all the same.

the permanent newbie| 9.9.11 @ 6:31PM

Nister, I'm surprised at you. Here you just learned something new - and kinda cool, at that: that your online handle means "hidden" or "concealed" in Yiddish, and was also used by the great novelist Pinhas Kahanovich ("Der Nister" to his readers). I thought you were honoring Der Nister by using it. Guess I was wrong.

Al Adab| 9.9.11 @ 1:40PM

Newbie:
nister is a simple "bomb thrower' in that he posts outrageous comments but refuses to engage in any debate of their validity. He has much to learn. Best strategy is simply to ignore his rants.

canuckistani| 9.9.11 @ 11:37AM

Critical reasoning is in short supply on this site.

We made and are making deals with Muslims all of the time. The Saudi King has had a red phone into the Oval office for about 80 years.

Let's expand: Hitler was Catholic, learned his anti-semitism from the church and local culture. Hirohito was a god according to the Shinto religion.

Queen Lizzy is the head of the state Church of England that "civilized" the empire in her family's and Jesus' name.

The Vatican has been whored by Kings and emperors for 2000 years as justifications for war and annexation.

Women, especially married women, barely existed legally in this country less than a CENTURY ago. Couldn't vote, couldn't drive, couldn't sign contracts, couldn't divorce - even in abuse situations, could not claim property rights, could not go to prestigious colleges.

Sound familiar?

That is a nanosecond in the evolution of the human race and it took activist legislators and judges to make it happen. We whine a groan about activism on this site and pine for the "good ole days". Which ones?

There is one possibility that the Arab Spring could be the spark for such activism today - if we let it happen.

Clint| 9.9.11 @ 3:21PM

" Conclusion: While I disagree with Kershaw that the caftan episode was 'probably contrived,' I do agree that it was not the perception-altering event Hitler claimed it to be. That some such incident took place at some time during Hitler's early stay in Vienna is likely, but he no doubt upgraded its effect retroactively while dictating Mein Kampf. Either way, the full weight of the evidence tends to confirm the view that Hitler did not become virulently anti-Semitic until after the war. Indeed, the very first bit of documented evidence of Hitler's anti-Semitism is The Gemlich Letter, which he composed while in the post-war German army. He wrote it at the order of his superior officer on September 16, 1919. Before then, there is not one shred of documented evidence of Hitler's anti-Semitism. And evidence is, as always, absolutely essential."

Clint| 9.9.11 @ 3:48PM

You're An Asshole, Phoney Canuck.

Hitler was raised loosely, as a Catholic. Attended Monastery School, a year or two, attended public schools, left for Vienna at 18 & never practiced or believed in Catholicism after that.

He used Religion,after that as a political tool & had contempt for The Catholic Church & killed Millions of Catholics in Nazi Death Camps.

Oldefarte| 9.10.11 @ 11:55AM

I did not realize that 'Monastery School', 'Religion', 'Millions', 'Nazi Death Camps' were all PROPER NOUNS and required CAPITALIZATION???????? Shazam!!!!!!!

irish19| 9.10.11 @ 10:23PM

Methinks his Shift key is possessed.

irish19| 9.10.11 @ 10:15PM

AAARRRRrrggghh! Will you please put in a link. That was a very interesting quote. Thought maybe "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich," but can't remember reading it there.

Margie| 9.10.11 @ 10:26PM

Mien Kampf is now online for your reading pleasure (sarcasm).

He hated anyone that refused to bow to him, and wanted to put him to death. Much like any other fraudulent false God. Hitler in fact, shared that trait with the Papists who also despised Christians (Bible believing ones) and Jews alike, and tortured and killed them for about 600 years.

There are an awful lot of false Gods with the blood of saints and Martyrs on their hands.
Thankfully, there is a thing called Judgement Day.

http://www.crusader.net/texts/mk/

irish19| 9.10.11 @ 10:40PM

It was still an interesting quote, and I'd like to know its origin.
When the boy does good, he should be encouraged.

Oldefarte| 9.12.11 @ 12:13PM

Marg, tyrants feed on the weaknesses of the masses successfully who substitute their desire to worship the Almighty for instead some human manipulator. The current occupant of the WH is no exception to this obviously!!!!!!

Purple Lips| 9.9.11 @ 4:15PM

"Let's expand: Hitler was Catholic, learned his anti-semitism from the church and local culture."

Heck, if I wanted to find anti-semitism circa 1900 I could go no further than the good ol' USA. Not one Ivy League college allowed Jews; and from Indiana to Georgia, Jews were treated about as bad as blacks. In the Hapsburg Empire as well as the Second Reich, Jews could vote, attend any public school, and run for office. In Austria, Jews were treated much better than thier brethren in New York City or Birmingham Alabhama.

And while anti-semitism was supported mostly by secular radicals all over Central Europe, it was by no means something someone learned in the Catholic Catechisim. Protestant hillbillies in West Virginia or Arkansas were much more likely to string up a Jew than an Austrian or German. The KKK had it in for not only blacks, but also Jews and Catholics. Hillbillies are hillbillies.

Margie| 9.10.11 @ 10:16PM

nister,

The answer to your question is that the ones who commit such crimes against humanity were not Christians, they were and are frauds.

As to trust, it has to be in God. If it isn't~ no one will be able to have the discernment with regards to who they are able to trust or not.

Petronius| 9.9.11 @ 10:19AM

Most people born in this country are too infantile to survive anything more painful than an insult. The muslim attacks are more an expression of impatience than contempt. Ignorance, indolence, and incompetence are just too slow for them. All they have to do is wait. With 3 generations now lost to liberalism, it's too late and next to impossible to restore the defense posture which was pro forma until Viet Nam. When the only thing most people will fight for is a hand out at their neighbor's expense, the nation is finished.

canuckistani| 9.9.11 @ 11:11AM

More revisionist crap.
Junior's daddy spoke of a peace dividend and a new world order after the reds closed up shop, which meant party time and slick Willy.

Junior, instead of suggesting sacrifice, wanted us to go shopping and put the whole war effort on the galactic credit card.

RR cut and ran from Lebanon, did not finish off Ghaddafi when he had the chance and openly dealt with Saddam and any despot willing to take a bribe - including Iran.

America was late to WW1 and WW2, and despite being warned by Patton et al, permitted the red advance into western europe without one shot being fired and led my dad to have "duck and cover" exercises in geometry class in the 50's.

America underwrote the zionist annexation of Palestine against the warnings of weary imperialist regimes, and FDR got into bed with the King Bastard Bin Phat of Saudi Arabia ahead of everybody. Look how those dividends paid off.

Now, you explain how today's children are worse off than folks were in the last century? You can't.
The post-war period was frought with debt, mistrust and a general numbness in the land.

It took the GI Bill, government mega-projects, a red menace and another war to get the country going. These were all government stimulus programs - not the unchained tiger of American commercial ingenuity.

The American work ethic and people have evolved in great ways over the last century. We are freer, smarter, healthier, more equal and possess a material wealth unsurpassed by any people in history.
What we need is leadership, and not more cynical leadership a la Junior and his ancestors that plays on fear and faux nostalgia that this site dines on continually.

Al Adab| 9.9.11 @ 1:35PM

Interesting hodgepodge of thoughts. Not exactly sure what your point is (if there is one) except to cast dispersions on past errors.

The United States' response to the suprise attack of 9-11 was quite restrained. Arguably it was wrongly so restrained. When one considers the celebrations which took place in many major cities throughout the Islamic world that day, one might rightly ask why those cities do not today resemble "ground zero" or even green glass. Certainly an end to any "foreign aid" and confiscation of national assets belonging to the countries where the celebrations took place would also have been in order.

While obviously no fan of Israel your term "annexation of palestine" is highly innaccurate. Palestine, a British mandate, was partitioned by U N action upon which the designated Israeli area was invaded by several neighboring nations. They lost the war as well as the following war in 1967. Both those events involved exchanges of territory. That is the risk attackers take. It should also be remembered that in 1967 when the Israeli army captured the "temple mount" containing the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa mosque, it was the Israeli commander on the scene who prevented their destruction. Al Quds remains a vital active city with room for the faithful of all religions.

Do not allow yourself to be blinded by your prejudices.

nister| 9.9.11 @ 11:15AM

Defense posture? America is in constant attack mode; when blowback succeeds America calls it terror.

canuckistani| 9.9.11 @ 11:43AM

The power base knows this very well. they get it, but they don't trust the American people to get it, so they wrap their rhetoric in bigotry and the flag.

The toadies on here lap it up like mother's milk.

Margie| 9.10.11 @ 10:28PM

You have revealed yourself to be just one more to add to the list of Blame America Firsters.

Ken (Old Texican)| 9.9.11 @ 10:48AM

Hey guys,
get a grip!

Hey, our war for independence was won by only 20% of the population.

You guys just got to check out the reviews on my book. www.americaalonesaidno.com

canuckistani| 9.9.11 @ 11:18AM

Ken, I agree with you on that one.

It is always the few that make it better for the many.

PolishKnight| 9.9.11 @ 1:28PM

We should have simply rebuilt the twin towers, with modern improvements of course, and just gone on with our lives.

The point of terrorism is to inflict terror or at least inconvenience. It's not if we stop flying, the terrorists have won but rather they win when we have to take off our shoes, get groped, and have infants go through body cavity searches.

NYC is nothing like it was in the 1930's through 1950's. It's now a bunch of money hungry hypocrites on wall street and ineffective bureaucrats who couldn't rebuild the twin towers and now are building a typical, anonymous skyscraper in it's place.

Occam's Tool| 9.10.11 @ 12:03PM

No, PK, what we should have done is nuked a Saudi city, and then informed the Muslim world that we would not be upgrading our security system, that their lives were dependent on their self policing of their own maniacs, and that further nukes were to come with each terror attack.

Then we should have gone into AfPak doing a "Number 6," as they would say in Blazing saddles.

In short, the Moro war approach. We won that one, easily. To sum up: As Bill Murray put it---"we're Americans. We're the best. We're 10 and 1."

At some point we will be re-implementing the Moro approach. Good to review it. I am, on my vacation.

(The 10 at the Time of Stripes--Revolution, Barbary Pirates, 1812,Mexican, Civil War, Spanish American, Moro, WWI, WWII, Korean.)

irish19| 9.10.11 @ 10:22PM

Then they kind of had it wrong. It should have been 9-1-1. Korea ended (although it's still not officially over) in a tie. We should have won, and probably could have. I am open to opposing points of view on this.

Oldefarte| 9.12.11 @ 12:17PM

OT, your first sentence says it all [and I've said the same thing many times]. After 9/11/ we should have Nagasakied, not invaded!!!

John786| 9.9.11 @ 4:02PM

An article calling for racism and hate. 9/11 was a crime against humanity. but why did nineteen Saudis including their Saudi leader commit this crime. What have you guys done to the Saudis to really really piss off some of them. You must have done something. Any suggestions welcome. And why didnt you attack the magic kingdom. And by the way the great and only monotheistic faith on earth Al -Islam- was not responsible. Only a loony of the christain zinonazi creed would believe otherwise.

JP| 9.9.11 @ 4:07PM

As far as rants go, yours is about average. Your no Koz Kid, but your close. BTW, the last base to close in Saudi Arabia was in 1997. So, it had nothing to do with Saudi, per se. And Al Islam sure does have problems with its non-Muslim neighbors. Just take a look at Africa, Thailand, the Phillipines, India and you will know why many refer to Islam's Bloody Borders.

Now, you may return to case of Red Bull and box of Ding Dongs. I believe you left them in your mommy's basement.

Ken (Old Texican)| 9.9.11 @ 4:45PM

John Muhamed...sure hope to meet you some day, over open sights preferable.
www.americaalonesaidno.com

John786| 9.9.11 @ 7:13PM

Ken,
I'm glad you're still with us and not been raptured. Please dont get raptured ken. Pretty please. But I'm disappointed you're still trying to push that ridiculous book. You still haven't answered my question. You guys must have done something really really nasty to those Saudis. That really really pissed them off. Please think carefully let me know if anything comes to mind. Its been alleged that you 've supported a brutal dictatorship in order to secure oil. You've also used the country as a launch pad to attack it's neibours. Some Saudis regarded this as "crusader" occupation. They've taken revenge. But why haven't you attacked the magical kingdom . I believe in these questions lies one of the greatest conspiracies. May be the moral of the story is don't piss of people because sometimes unpredictable shit happens.

Ken (Old Texican)| 9.9.11 @ 8:45PM

Well hi back JohnMuhamed.
Yeah we pissed off the ayrabs. Before we got over there , they were squat in the dirt goat herders, wiping their asses with a bare left hand.

We introduced "tennis shoe toilets" sort of like French bidets...so they didn't smell like feces at the dinner table.
Oh...
We also developed their oil reserves from scratch, because herding goats did not qualify them to be oil-field workers....and they refused to learn.

Then we made a couple of thousand royals there unbelievably rich, and they hand out pittances to their people.
OH yeah, we were bad bad boys.

Yeah JohnMuhamed...we embarrased them, the pedophile SOBS.

irish19| 9.10.11 @ 10:26PM

We pissed them off just like we piss off any pissed-off muzzie. We exist. And by our existence we show them up for the seventh century savages they still are deep down inside. That answer your question Johnny?

Glenn| 9.9.11 @ 7:26PM

There is no such thing as "peaceful" or "moderate" Muslims - there are only "Apostates".

POST American| 9.9.11 @ 10:34PM

---------------------FINAL WORD-----------------------

Putting aside the FACT that First Responders
are being barred from the ceremony------whatever
the TRUTH on 9/11, there's absolutely NO DENYING,
it was designed to be used to take down the Constitution, further dissolve sovereignty, offer smokescreen cover for the
awesome Globalist RED China TREASON OP
-----and install a ubiquitous, full spectrum,
indeed, pornographic surveillance and control
grid on the good people of America and Britain.

ALLLL this as Globalist collapsed Mexico,
now with death tolls exceeding Vietnam,
lurches into de facto, franchise slum 'A--MAL--GAME--ation' ---with the ILLEGALLY
NAFTA-fied US and Canada.

---------------"Did you just hear me?
----------------------THIS IS TREASON."

---WHO said that?

D Roamer | 9.10.11 @ 12:45AM

Muslims want us to think that here in the USA, they are not followers of the Koran Shia law. You never hear of any outburst or condemning when there is a father murdering his daughter - which called an honor killing, then children with bombs strapped to them, etc. etc. Yes, of course there are those that condemn, but are silent. How do we extract the deadly among us?
Some of us are not old enough to remember that in WWII, FDR, had all the Japanese rounded up and placed into internment camps for the duration of the war. Just a thought.

Oldefarte| 9.10.11 @ 11:30AM

Rather long but essential, critical and brilliantly written truth: '......All the Wrong 9/11 Lessonsby Michelle Malkin (more by this author)Posted 09/09/2011 ETAre your kids learning the right lessons about 9/11? Ten years after Osama bin Laden's henchmen murdered thousands of innocents on American soil, too many children have been spoon-fed the thin gruel of progressive political correctness over the stiff antidote of truth."Know your enemy, name your enemy" is a 9/11 message that has gone unheeded. Our immigration and homeland security policies refuse to profile jihadi adherents at foreign consular offices and at our borders. Our military leaders refuse to expunge them from uniformed ranks until it's too late (see: Fort Hood massacre). The j-word is discouraged in Obama intelligence circles, and the term "Islamic extremism" was removed from the U.S. national security strategy document last year.Similarly, too many teachers refuse to show and tell who the perpetrators of 9/11 were and who their heirs are today. My own daughter was one year old when the Twin Towers collapsed, the Pentagon went up in flames and Shanksville, Pa., became hallowed ground for the brave passengers of United Flight 93. In second grade, her teachers read touchy-feely stories about peace and diversity to honor the 9/11 dead. They whitewashed Osama bin Laden, militant Islam and centuries-old jihad out of the curriculum. Apparently, the youngsters weren't ready to learn even the most basic information about the evil masterminds of Islamic terrorism.Mary Beth Hicks, author of the new book "Don't Let the Kids Drink the Kool-Aid," points to a recent review of 10 widely used textbooks in which the concepts of jihad and sharia were either watered down or absent. These childhood experts have determined that grade school is too early to delve into the specifics of the homicidal clash of Allah's sharia-avenging soldiers with the freedom-loving Western world.Yet, many of the same protectors of fragile elementary-school pupils can't wait to teach them all the ins and outs of condoms, cross-dressers and crack addictions.We pulled our daughter out of a cesspool of academic and moral relativism and found a reality-grounded, rigorous charter school where no-nonsense teachers refuse to sugarcoat inconvenient facts and history. Many of the students are children of soldiers and servicemen and women who -- inspired by the heroes of 9/11 -- have voluntarily deployed time and time again to kill the American Dream destroyers abroad before they kill us over here.There's no better way to hammer home the message that "freedom is not free" than to have your kids go to school with other kids whose dads and moms are gone for years at a time -- missing births and birthday parties, recitals and soccer practice, Christmas pageants and Independence Day fireworks.But instead of unfettered pride in our armed forces, social justice educators in high schools and colleges across the country indoctrinate American students into viewing our volunteer armed forces as victims, monsters and pawns in a leftist "social struggle."A decade after the 9/11 attacks, Blame America-ism still permeates classrooms and the culture. A special 9/11 curriculum distributed in New Jersey schools advises teachers to "avoid graphic details or dramatizing the destruction" wrought by the 9/11 hijackers, and instead focus elementary school students' attention on broadly defined "intolerance" and "hurtful words."No surprise: Jihadist utterances such as "Kill the Jews," "Allahu Akbar" and "Behead all those who insult Islam" are not among the "hurtful words" studied.Middle-schoolers are directed to "analyze diversity and prejudice in U.S. history." And high-school students are taught "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs" - pop-psychology claptrap used to excuse jihadists' behavior based on their purported low self-esteem and oppressed status caused by "European colonialism."It is no wonder that a new poll released this week showed that Americans today "are generally more willing to believe that U.S. policies in the Middle East might have motivated the 9/11 terror attacks on New York and the Pentagon," according to Reuters.To make matters worse, we have an appeaser-in-chief who wrote shortly after the jihadist attacks a decade ago that the "essence of this tragedy" derives "from a fundamental absence of empathy on the part of the attackers: an inability to imagine, or connect with, the humanity and suffering of others." A "climate of poverty and ignorance" caused the attacks, then-Illinois state Sen. Barack Obama preached. Never mind the Ivy League and Oxford educations, the oil wealth and the middle-class status of legions of al-Qaida plotters and operatives.9/11 was a deliberate, carefully planned evil act of the long-waged war on the West by Koran-inspired soldiers of Allah around the world. They hated us before George W. Bush was in office. They hated us before Israel existed. And the avengers of the religion of perpetual outrage will keep hating us no matter how much we try to appease them.The post-9/11 problem isn't whether we'll forget. The problem is: Will we ever learn?......'

Oldefarte| 9.10.11 @ 11:57AM

PS: Aaron's editorial is equally informative!!!!!

Simon Templar| 9.10.11 @ 12:32PM

There is something that I have been wanting to address and write about for years regarding 9-11 that needs to be said.

All of us have heard at one time or another just how America pulled together those days and we were one happy bunch of unified critters all pulling together and rallying around our troops and our nation.

Nice fairy tale. I am sure it makes some of you feel better.
Now, reality.

The country was sharply divided and had just finished a bitter contested election that I believe was the culmination of twenty years of intense political strife, the reemergence of conservativism and the decline of liberalism, and an emerging, very aggressive Left wing media and educational system.

Think back. What really happened was a burst of intense patriotism and personal evaluation for many on the center and right of the spectrum and for many Americans that, for the most part, still love their country and tend to shy away from blaming it first.

Then there was the other crowd. The media, the progressives, the liberals, and the Democratic party. The same bunch that is now in control of everything.

First, as I distinctly recall, was a look of complete shock like a deer in headlights and panic and worry. In the first week, the talking heads remained rather reserved while the nation reeled in pain and anger. Many of us rallied. Flew our flags, bought flags, and demanded action and justice.

If you were looking closely, you would have noticed the strong uneasiness in those reserved faces of the liberal elite. You could bet on what they were thinking....'we are toast.'

But something happened after that first 14 days and that appearance of unification soon blew away with the autumn leaves. A crisis should never go to waste. A new chance..the sixties all over again...a rebirth...on new terms and fresh propaganda and divisiveness.

I remember the exact night it was born when Lawrence O'Donnell went off like a roman candle with every explicative he could muster like a rabid dog attacking the patriotism and motivations of the other talk show guests.

From that day till today, they went on the march renewed. Quagmire! Hilter! Facsist! Murderers! Protests! Body counts! America to Blame! Haliburton! No WMD! He lied, people died! On and on until we arrived at man made oversea contingency operation. Eight years of propaganda, subterfuge, political manipulaton, and undermining every effort to protect and defend this nation.

The very crown of their achievment and efforts is now sitting in the white house like a raised middle finger to all of us that were fundamentally changed that day.... a radical with muslim background and family roots.

Strange. Now we are sitting on the edge of a precipice and potential collaspe as a nation. A lot has certainly changed since that day 0n 9-11-2001. So, as Franklin said to the woman who asked, 'what type of government did you make for us, Sir', "A Republic, if you can keep it!"

Let us go forward and save it, renewed and remembering! God bless, America!

Oldefarte| 9.12.11 @ 12:32PM

ST: Great/truthful comments, as usual! I'm senior enough to remember the evolution of which you speak, which possibly started with Kennedy/Johnson and snowballed into today. The national pride of WWII was pre my existence, but IMO the ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY started the ball rolling. It included a facanation with things Europeon [and naturally anti-American] even during the Vietnam War sadly while our twent year olds were dying in that jungle needlessly to the tears of many of us [the VW vets have never IMHO been thanked enough for their patriotism, courage and bravery]. The Nixon and Reagan years were just speed bumps in liberalism's speedway to indoctrinate America, and the epitome of success for them was their crowning glory on 11/4/08. If we are to achieve the total success that we partially achieved on 11/4/10, we have to finish the job in November of next year. There will be no middle ground at that time, since we will either perish or completely turn around this country and save it from destruction within the next four years!!!!!!

Ken (Old Texican)| 9.10.11 @ 1:22PM

Hi Aaron
I sit here on September 10th 2011, praying for our country.
I know very well that the Islamic terrorists have been spending the last several months, (years?), busting a gut to remind us how vulnerable we are as a free society.
I would not be a bit surprised if they chose the tenth anniversary of 9-11 to remind us.
Sir,
I spent a year writing a novel...a "future history" regarding these matters.
www.americaalonesaidno.com for reviews and chapter one.
The title of course is "America Alone Said NO!" (to Sharia law.)

Dick Cheny said it all; "it's not if, but when."

Right now, President Obama is doing their job for them, destroying the sinews of America. Perhaps they will sit back to allow him to be re-elected to finish their job for them.

Conversely, the "hot-heads" among them may be out of patience. Newt Gingrich co-authored "One Minute After"; a novel addressing the possibility of a nuclear strike on us.

I've written a better novel, with a lot wider scope.

To my knowledge, it is the only novel on the market with a money-back guarantee. (zillions sold now ...no money return requests.)

Sadly, our military has been castrated. When that jihadist US soldier shot a bunch of fellow soldiers on Fort Hood, it should have been the final wake-up call. Sadly it was not.
Yessir,

I am a world famous author. For THIS book I chose a new pen name. I am not quite ready to go quietly into witness protection. I am going to stay out "here" in the battle, with bayonet fixed.

(If you live where you can't own a pump shotgun and ammo legally............MOVE!!!!!!)

Cease being a helpless dweeb.

Your pen may be mightier than a sword...but it's damned sure not as mighty as a pump shotgun.
(I have resorted to both at need).

Actually, we have been unfair to the Jihadists here.
We have forgotten to remind them that a hundred MILLION Americans stand ready to blow their asses to kingdom come and let God sort them out.

Personally, I shall not be at ANY commemorative get-togethers tomorrow. I think I can be of more service surviving to carry on the fight.

Best regards
Ken (Old Texican)

Oldefarte| 9.12.11 @ 12:36PM

Ken, this nation's 'pump shotgun and ammo' has to become our nuclear arsenal and the guts/courage of our elected leaders to make proper use of same. We all are waiting/hoping/praying!!!!!!!!!

sirbourbon| 9.10.11 @ 6:06PM

No "remembrance" or thank you to FBI agent Coleen Rowley who detained and arrested the 20th 9-11 hijacker and saved American lives.

No medals or words of recognition for the men of the US Army's counter-intelligence team Able Danger that could have stopped the 9-11 plotters back in the Clinton administration. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7suTyXGybU

No mention at WTC ceremonies for FBI field agents Robert Wright and John Vincent who will have to live with it the rest of their lives- not being insubordinate and just gone ahead and arrested the al-Qaeda plotters they had tailed for months. http://abcnews.go.com/Primetim.....907&page=1

The record shows that at least one foreign government ( Philipine) warned our counter intelligence agencies to be on the look out for al-Qaeda in America and even gave the plotters' code name for the plot - Bojinka (big bang).

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure was lost on the bureaucracy.

The bungling(?) bureaucrats let the nation down by not allowing FBI agents (the exception was agent Coleen Rowley team. She ignored middle mangement and arrested the 20th hijacker) to arrest the suspects before they embarked on the planes.

FBI field agents (Robert Wright and John Vincent) even knew the names of one of the plotters behind 9-11. This Muslim named al-Kadi was familiar to them since al-Kadi had connections to the bombings of two US embassies in Africa.

Did the 9-11 commission ask Wright and Vincent to testify? Of course not! Their testimony would be too explosive and would open up a real congressional investigation!

The 9-11 commission suppressed their evidence as well as that of the Army intelligence team that had also been tailing the al-Qaeda plotters.

Big News media dismiss any government culpability and foreknowledge by ignoring the counter-intelligence agents' survelliance reports of the would be hijackers. The Media focus their attention on the "truther" theory ( a missle, drone planes and dynamite charges, etc.) The media has been suckering Americans for years on any number of things.

Politicians will give us their speech about how everything changed after 9-11. They will remind us that we must live with TSA goons, government snoops checking our emails and tracking our net surfing.

We are supposed to trust the same crack pot bunch of baffoons and bungling government bureaucratic idiots that couldn't stop a hijacking plot carried out by a handful of murderers carrying primatives weapons!

" We must accept it! We must accept the no win- never ending war and less liberty in our lives" theory!

Democrats and Republicans at parades and at Ground Zero ceremonies will remind us to be patriotic and never question the Patriotic Act; accept the gropings at the airport and at the train and bus depots as part of the new world order because, remember, the enemy hate us for our freedom.

Ken (Old Texican)| 9.10.11 @ 6:25PM

Sirbourbon,
You make a splendid Monday morning quarterback.
A LOT of fine people have been working very hard to break up these plots. (Most of them you will never hear about...thank God.)
...And yes, "they" hate us for what we call freedom and liberty.
They want us Islamed. (submitted to Sharia.)

JR| 9.10.11 @ 7:53PM

Remember, it was an act of war, not an awful tragedy! Good grief

sector7| 9.10.11 @ 11:59PM

If you believe the official 9-11 report you are naive and misled. The evidence against the official report is easily found online and ignored. John Farmer, who was the Senior Counsel for the 9/11 Commission stated...“at some level of the government, at some point in time…there was an agreement not to tell the truth about what happened"... Why would anyone discount that statement? We were lied to and misled into the war on terror. Our troops are dying in vain. The only way we can honor them is to bring them home, defend our borders, and learn how to make peace with the world. The only honorable way to promote war is to grab your gear, grab your weapon, and get to the front line. If you're not willing to do that, then you are a coward that should not speak on this matter again.

Ken (Old Texican)| 9.11.11 @ 8:08AM

Hey lookee lookee,
A "Truther" wandered in here. Anybody got a plumber's helper?

POST American| 9.11.11 @ 1:19AM

---------------------FINAL WORD-----------------------

Surely, with the boon to the 'security' industry,
the destruction of civil liberties, even the right
of privacy, and the brilliant, predictable
smokescreen for the tail end of the Globalist
RED China TREASON OP -----9/11 is NOW
indisputably an 'inside job' --for the insiders.

Meanwhile -------anyone paying attention
to the world DEPOP after effects of those
3/11 and 4/11 quakes and tsunami in Fukishima
Japan?

You know, the latest 'unprecedented' tsunami,
following just a few years after that other
'unprecedented' SE Asian tsunami on Dec 26th
---Mao Tse Tung's Birthday.

scythe| 9.11.11 @ 4:13PM

Have you heard this reported in the MSM: the Cherokee nation just voted to KICK OUT all their black members who were the descendants of the slaves once owed by ancestral members of the tribe. That's right. Those Native American red skins owned people with black skin. Of course they were forced into it by the white cracker but that's another story. Yeah. Right. Seems the Indians are concerned about bloodlines and don't want any phonies in their exclusive nation. When the predictable shrieks of racism were made they fell on deaf and stubborn ears. You see the Indians, get this one folks, believe because it is THEIR nation, they get to say who belongs. Remember when we were like that? Think the ACLU is going to take up the cudgel? Think again. The same principle held by "oppressed" minorities and "peoples of collor" doesn't apply to the white race. So as we contemplate the horror of 9/11 ten years ago it's way past time to plant our feet in the terra firma of sanity and self-preservation: NO MORE IMMIGRANTS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST. We don't want anyone coming here from antithetical, hostile, adversarial cultures with whom we have NOTHING in common and whose sold purpose in being here is suspect and possibly worse. Keep them the hell out. It is our country. And like the Indians, we get to say who comes here. And like the Indians, when the name calling begins, stand our ground and tell the immigration lobby and its cohorts to pound salt. Save America for Western Culture and its adherents. Not some mullah with his head scarved she warrior breeding a dozen jihadists to take on the infidel. By the way. That means us.

Bubba Shawn| 9.11.11 @ 4:51PM

From Jimmy Carter to G.W.Bush Palestinians, Iranians and other Arabs burned Old Glory yelling "Death to America". Gaza and West Bank mobs danced in the streets on the news of the Twin Tower attacks.

After G.W. Bush responding to Muslim attacks with American military forces, we don't see that anymore.

Muslim spokespeople are calling America's post 9-11 military response "revenge". Americans call our military response effective long-term 'behavior modification".

Marc Jeric| 9.12.11 @ 1:40PM

Islam is not a religion - it is a 1400-year old political program consusting of these 4 steps:
1) Conquest by force of arms or terror; then
2) Conversion; if resisted then
3) Slavery; if resisted then
4) Mass murder.
In the West we are still in Phase 1, albeit advanced.