The Conservative Cave
Current Events => The DUmpster => Topic started by: Revolution on September 10, 2011, 02:43:20 PM
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MarianJack (1000+ posts) Fri Sep-09-11 08:01 PM
Original message
Exactly How United WERE We After 9/11?
Edited on Fri Sep-09-11 08:23 PM by MarianJack
I can't help but compare 9/11 with other tragedies that I and members of my family experienced in our lives.
I am the son and nephew of World War II veterans and "Rosie the Riveters". I am fully aware of how the memories of people can be somewhat romanticized over time. However, there is a lot that my family members told me that I believe and that we know from historical documentation.
The day after Pearl Harbor, my mom's 3 brothers got up early so they could be at the enlistment office before the crowd. They arrived to find a line going around the block. On the way to the end of the line they met my grandfather, who was well into his 40s (ancient by World War II standards) in the line. he'd come there from his overnight part time job. The other men were happy to let my uncles join him in front of them. When the recruiting Sergeant saw my grandfather he told him to go home. Only one of my uncles was able to serve. From my extended family, my father and 5 uncles served, my mom worked in a meat packing plant with some of my aunts. There were paper, metal and food drives, rationing and "Meatless Tuesdays". Some (many) people cheated, but there was so much sacrifice done for "the war effort".
When I was 8, President Kennedy was assassinated. The entire country (with the exception of some rightist dipsticks) was consumed with grief and for 4 days. There was an unfortunately correct sense among the adults in my family that this was the end of American Innocence and an ushering in of a national sense of despair that lasted for years.
On the morning of 9/11, I was teaching 8th grade in a small Catholic school in South West Philadelphia. My wife was the 6th grade teacher and we were a very close team with the 7th grade teacher. Our Principal told us that she wanted our students, the older students in the school, to be aware of what was going on. I watched the buildings come down with my students thinking of how I was going to explain the deaths of, what I thought at the time, 25 to 30 thousand people. At the same time I'd received a call from my mom who remembered Pearl harbor ALL TOO WELL and was on the verge of hysterics.
Afterwords, we, like all Americans in a time of national crisis and emergency, supported the president. My wife and I never considered george w bush to be anything other than an unelected fraud and a moron, but he was (ugh) the president and we believed that politics stopped at the border. American PEOPLE were for the most part remarkably patient with each other, ie. not as much road rage and things like that.
American "LEADERSHIP" however, aided by a very willing and compliant news media, was a horse of a different, and very grim and ugly, color. I remember the under-reported stories, such as how karen hughes used her 9/12 meeting with george w bush to give him a list of political opportunities the tragedy availed him. Remember "Who'd know that I'd hit the trifecta"? Remember the lies about how there was a plane that was supposed to hit either/or the white house or air force one? I certainly remember Rep. McDermott's statement in "Fahrenheit 911" of how republican members of congress were speaking of how they had the chance to do some of the things they always wanted to do. I remember President Clinton's observation that the bi-partisanship was entirely one way and how, if Al gore were in the white house on 9/11 the republicans would probably have moved to impeach him. I also remember how ann coulter used her first article after 9/11 to attack the Clintons. I also remember how the republicans and their media accomplices used 9/11 as a tool to suppress domestic opposition and opinion.
Most of all I remember how, when george w bush had his 92% "popularity/approval" in the days after 9/11, media members allowed NO challenges to or critical questions of the bush administration. The example of this that I recall most clearly as an illustration of this was when we watched a local Philadelphia media cypher named wally kennedy telling people who called his Sunday TV broadcast they'd better be careful of criticizing bush because of his approval ratings.
Basically what I'm saying is that while the media is in the midst of it's all 9/11 all the time frenzy for the next few days; while we get the glorification of george w bush from certain circles; while we see them give the credit to the government "leadership" that should go to the majority of the citizenry, maybe we should also remember that "United We Stand" frequently meant "Knuckle under to this administration or else".
Just my 2 cents.
PEACE!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1910243
Story or not, the reason I put a microscope under this thread is for the other's comments. They TRULY are an island of misfit **** ups, and that's never going to change. Loneliness, and seclusion because of one's skewed belief structure must be a heavy burden to bear, but they must always remember: It falls soley on them. Bastards!
maxsolomon (1000+ posts) Fri Sep-09-11 08:08 PM
Response to Original message
1. I wasn't "united" and i'm still not.
We had a smart choice and a stupid choice after 9/11:
1. drop the Love Bomb - shower the muslim world with tangible improvements in their lives - like clean water, sewage treatment, and no more support for their dictators. if they didn't want it, provide it where muslims DID want it - nigeria, mali, anywhere.
2. drop real bombs - kill the guilty and the innocent alike.
We made the stupid choice.
Jamastiene (1000+ posts) Sat Sep-10-11 01:04 PM
Response to Reply #29
38. Yep.
The whole "patriotism" meme started awfully damn soon after 9/11 on MSM. No one was actually respecting the flag either. It's not supposed to be put on cars then left in the streets when it falls off. It's not supposed to be worn as clothes. I have a family member who was a WAC. That stuff bothered her. Even not being able to walk without a cane, she insisted we pull over and pick up the flags off the road when we saw them.
That whole "patriotism" thing was beyond creepy, not because it was bad to be patriotic, but because it was so contrived.
Wal Mart couldn't get their shelves stocked with flags on everything imaginable fast enough. They just HAD to make money off the tragedy...it was disaster capitalism at it's most blatant and transparent. It was beyond sickening.
You stupid prick! Patriotism is not a "meme" for you to chuckle at, or wrinkle your nose in disgust at. In fact, I could give you a definition, and you would still respond with hate. I reiterate the "skewed views." Patriotism "creepy?" Go kiss an F-150 at high velocity.
Oh, and as the truly predictable Demorat you are, you just HAD to throw Wal-Mart in there, didn't you? They are a business. People want to buy something, the business provides. What have you provided for this country besides hate, rage, anger, and maybe even violence (wouldn't surprise me) in copious amounts???
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On a scale of 1 to 5 bongs that DUmmie's rant gets a zero. :loser:
NO BONGS FOR YOU !!!!!!!
The DUmp has become so lackluster and just plain boring lately. Whatsamatter DUmmies, nothing but uninspiring schwag weed going around these days?
I wish they would snap out of this funk they're in, the seething hatred thing is just so meh.
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Too common for kicks. It's like one of us getting a drink of water. Still, there are some good moments. The other thread I started in here is heating up quite nicely. :-)
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Afterwords, we, like all Americans in a time of national crisis and emergency, supported the president. My wife and I never considered george w bush to be anything other than an unelected fraud and a moron, but he was (ugh) the president and we believed that politics stopped at the border. American PEOPLE were for the most part remarkably patient with each other, ie. not as much road rage and things like that.
IMHO, here is the intended message the DUmmy wanted to get out.
"Stop your racist mudslinging and get down on your knees and worship the anointed illegal immigrant, barrack hussein obama."
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Someone made a fantastic comment here in the Cave the other day, I wish I could recall who that was because it was one of those simple little comments but a real standout.
"I don't hate 0bama because he's black, I hate him because he's red."
Destined to become a classic. :clap:
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It's a ****ing lie that those terrorist SOBs committed those actions due to being destitute and having no where else to turn. This was financed by a very rich individual and carried out by fairly well-off fanatics. The stupid response, as it usually is, is to throw money at the problem.
The heroes of flight 93 did not go up to the cockpit door and politely ask the terrorists what caused them to become angry and disenfranchised. They rammed the door in an attempt to take over the plane.
You do not negotiate with evil. You do not compromise with it. You do not coexist with people who would use violence to achieve a political end. You defeat evil. You kill evil people and those who support them.
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Someone made a fantastic comment here in the Cave the other day, I wish I could recall who that was because it was one of those simple little comments but a real standout.
"I don't hate 0bama because he's black, I hate him because he's red."
Destined to become a classic. :clap:
It had to have been, Chris_. :-)
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It had to have been, Chris_. :-)
I see a -135 in you future.
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It had to have been, Chris_. :-)
LMAO.
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I see a -135 in you future.
:lmao:
You are too generous, I am thinking more along the lines of -10000000. :-)