"A noun, a verb, and 9/11"

[BlueCheese]

In 2007, Joe Biden mocked Rudy Giuliani and Republicans more generally for their constant fear-mongering, saying that their sentences consisted of "a noun, a verb, and 9/11". It was a great line that captured how empty their rhetoric was.

Fast forward to 2014, and now it's become a bipartisan pastime. President Obama's speech on the NSA today mentioned 9/11 no fewer than nine times, even though the president's own review panel and other sources show that the bulk phone metadata program has yielded negligible results in preventing any kind of terrorist attacks.

How have we come to this?

[PowerToThePeople]

1. Because we were hornswoggled in '08

Last edited Sat Jan 18, 2014, 03:16 PM - Edit history (1)

We did not get what we voted for.

[Egalitarian Thug]

2. You can find several answers to that question right here, pg. 1:GD

We are in fact, just that stupid. I don't think we always were, and I can't say exactly when we passed the tipping point, but ignorance and delusion have surpassed personal experience and common sense in determining most American's perception of reality.

I'd post the example threads & comments, but self-censorship is required to keep playing.

[RC]

6. +10

[Spitfire of ATJ]

3. In a few years the first time voters will have been born AFTER 9/11/01....

They grew up thinking the whole thing was overblown for political reasons.

BTW: Did the NYFD ever get new radios?

[lob1]

4. Faulty radios were replaced just before 9/11 and the replacements were faulty, too.

I googled and this came up. I couldn't find that Rudy replaced them again.


"The 9/11 Commission noted in its report that lack of preparedness could have led to the deaths of first responders at the scene of the attacks. The Commission noted that the radios in use by the fire department were the same radios which had been criticized for their ineffectiveness following the 1993 World Trade Center bombings. Giuliani testified to the Commission, where some family members of responders who had died in the attacks appeared to protest his statements.[17] A 1994 mayoral office study of the radios indicated that they were faulty. Replacement radios were purchased in a no-bid contract. They were implemented in early 2001. However, in March 2001 the replacement radios were found to be faulty as well.[18]

Fire Department chiefs issued orders for the firefighters to evacuate. However, the order was issued over the radios that were not working in the towers, thus, the 343 firefighters inside the Twin Towers could not hear the evacuation order. They remained in the towers as the towers collapsed.[19][20] However, when Giuliani testified before the 9/11 Commission he said that the firefighters ignored the evacuation order out of an effort to save lives.[21][22]"

[Spitfire of ATJ]

5. Remember when Dubya tried to ride the hero coattails of firemen?

That was before Republicans decided they were not only union thugs but government slackers sitting around watching TV and retiring to fat pensions at taxpayer expense.

[solarhydrocan]

12. 911 Commission

It sure is reassuring that the heads of the 911 Commission are so confident in their "work"

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. 911 and Flags

You need more flags....
Don't forget Flags





President Obama, outlining NSA reforms at the Justice Department on Jan. 17, 2014,

[KG]

9. oy.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. At least we were spared grim looking generals in fatigues as props.

[Ichingcarpenter]

11. Later on in the speech

and finally




from Slate
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/01/17/obama_nsa_speech_the_unretouched_photos.html

[KG]

8. oop

[Fumesucker]

13. They are spending a ton of money for something that has been shown not to work

Or at least it has been shown not to work for the stated purposes.

Which would lead the curious person to wonder if some unstated purpose is perhaps the actual point of the activities in question.

[woo me with science]

14. Good observation.

Creating a corporate state and using "Terra!" to justify it.