A lot of hullaballoo is happening because of the ABC documentary, “The Path to 9-11,” scheduled to air shortly. It’s apparently an extemely poor rendition of the events, replete with an emphasis on Bill Clinton’s misdeeds with Monica Lewinsky as one of the root causes of the tragedy.
I seem to be suffering from outrage burnout, along with a serious case of feeling overdosed on media attention to the upcoming elections. I’ve actually turned back toward my original interest in life, literature, which has been wonderfully refreshing. Hence, I am recommending this interview with John Updike wherein, coincidentally, he discusses the tragedy of 9-11 as portrayed in his latest novel, Terrorist, set in the post 9-11 world and focusing on a young Arab-American living in New Jersey. He also talks about a wide variety of other things, renewing my appreciation for literary figures and their more comprehensive and contemplative understanding of things.
And if you’re not suffering from outrage burnout like me, you might want to head over to Moveon.org and sign their petition regarding the bogus ABC docu-propaganda being served up.
September 8, 2006 at 2:13 pm
Also at The Bat Segundo site is an interview with Carl Sheeler. Topics discussed include: Running an unorthodox senatorial campaign, Howard Dean, the similarities and differences between Whitehouse and Sheeler’s platforms, problems with Sheldon Whitehouse, on Sheeler styling himself as “the next Ned Lamont,� more problems with Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island’s status as a blue state, efforts to determine Sheeler’s positions, even more problems with Sheldon Whitehouse, universal health care, negotiating the mechanisms of the Senate, on impeaching Bush and the Democratic silence, the monies available for universal health care, the baby boomer generation, generic drugs, the economics of expired patents, placing ceilings on oil and gas, speculation on whether Our Young, Roving Correspondent is a Republican, U.S. energy policy, the Manhattan Project, the U.S. energy infrastructure, hybrid cars, James Howard Kunstler’s The Long Emergency, alternative energy in China, the emerging middle class in India, the trucking industry, the expense of overhauling the energy infrastructure and the possible burden on the working class, Los Angeles, and the transportation grid.
http://www.edrants.com/segundo/?p=80
September 8, 2006 at 7:44 pm
thank you for writing on that. do you remember how just before the 2004 presidential election clear channel tv ran a ‘documentary’ by the swift boat guys about John Kerry? so now, coincidentally we have this just before the congressional races.
September 8, 2006 at 10:36 pm
“Outrage Burnout” is a syndrome affecting all people who believe in the pursuance of social justice, an end to the public acceptance of (a)lying by our politicians and (b)the manner in which outrages, such as killing thousands of Iraqi citizens to impose our so superior “democracy” on a nation that has been kicked about by my country of birth (UK) and adopted country (Australia).
Kiersten, you and your team provide a glimmer of light in an otherwise depressing world picture. Press on, don’t despair!!
September 9, 2006 at 10:47 am
Thanks, Don. I appreciate your support.
September 10, 2006 at 3:25 pm
PRESIDENT IS AN IDIOT AND MORON HE HASN’T GOT THE SENSE GOD GAVE A GRAPE. HE GOT US INTO THIS WAR AND IT IS A QUAGMIRE WORSE THAN VIETNAM BECAUSE HE USED WHAT HE WANTED TO AND LIED ABOUT THE INFORMATION HE RECEIVED FROM HIS INTELLIGENCE PEOPLE. THE PRESIDENT DID NOT DO THE RIGHT THING AFTER 9-11 AND THAT WAS TO SEND ALL THE TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN TO ARREST AND CAPTURE OSAMA BIN LADEN INSTEAD HE SENT A TOKEN FORCE AFTER OSAMA BIN LADEN AND GOT READY TO INVADE IRAQ AND SAID THE SADDAM HUSSEIN WAS THE CAUSE OF THE 9-11 INCIDENT. SADDAM DID NOT HAVE ANY CONNECTION WHAT SO EVER AND WAS NO THREAT TO THE WORLD AT ALL BECAUSE HE WAS HELD IN CHECK BY OUR FORCES AND THE ALLIED FORCES AROUND IRAQ SINCE THE 1ST PERSIAN GULF WAR. THE PRESIDENT EVEN ALLOWED THE BIN LADEN FAMILY AND OTHER SAUDI’S GET OUT OF THE COUNTRY WHEN GTOUNDED ALL FLIGHTS RIGHT AFTER THE EVENTS OF 9-11. THIS PRESIDENT LET THE BIN LADEN FAMILY AND THE SAUDI’S GET OUT OF THE COUNTRY WHEN AMERICANS WERE GROUNDED AND AND COULDN’T DO ANYTHING BUT BE MAROONED IN AN AIRPORT. tHE FACT THAT BONAFIDE aMERICANS WERE TREATED LIKLE COMMON CRIMINALS AS IF THEY DID THE MISDEEDS OF A FEW IS OUTRAGEOUS. SINCE 9-11 THIS PRESIDENT HAS NOT MADE THIS COUNTRY SAFER BUT EXPOSED IT TO EVEN GREATER DANGERS BECAUSE OF THE WAR IN IRAQ AND THE CONTINUED SCAPE GOATING THAT SADDAM WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR 9-11 WHEN ALL OF AMERICAN KNOWS DIFFERENT. THE REPUBLICAN PARTY FOR YEARS HAS BLAMED THE VICTIMS AND THE OPPOSING PARTIES FOR ALL THE PROBLEMS IN AMERICA AND NOT ONCE TAKEN THERE OWN ACTIONS AS BING THE REPSONSIBLE ONES FOR AT LEAST SOME OF THE PROBLEMS. THE REPUB;LICANS HAVE SAIF FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS THE PROBLEM HERE IN AMERICA AS THEY DIDN’T BELIEVE THAT6 GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE IN THE REGULATION BUSINESS. sINCE 1980 WHEN RONALD REAGAN WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT HE STARTED DEREGULATION OF THE ENERGY INDUSTRIES, TRUCKING, UTILITIES, WAS ANTI-UNION ETC. LOOK AT THE NATIONAL DEBT SINCE THE REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN IN POER SINCE 1980 WE WENT FROM $900 BILLION DEBT TO NEARLY $10 TRILLION EXCEPT FOR WHEN THE DEMOCRATS WERE IN POWER UNDER BILL CLINTON WHICH NARROWED THE DEBT BY SERVERAL TRILLION. THE ONLY THING BILL CLINTON DID WRONG WHILE HE WAS IN OFFICE WAS HAVE SEX WITH AN INTERN, WE HAD THE BIGGEST GROWTH SINCE WORLD WAR II AND LESS CORRUPTION UNDER BILL CLINTON THAN THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS HAD. THE REPUBLICANS HAVE SAID THAT SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE IS BIG TROUBLE. THE ONLY REASON IT IS IS FINANCAIL TROUBLE IS BECAUSE THE REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN RAIDING IT SINCE 1950 TO PAY FOR ALL THE DEFENSE SPENDING IN WEAPONS SYSTEMS THAT DO NOT WORK AND LIKE THIS WAR ON TERROR THE REPUBLICANS ARE OVERSPENDING LIKE IT IS THERE NEST EGG AND NOT PAYING FOR THIS WAR AS IT GOES BY CUTTING THE TAXES FOR THE VERY RICH. tHIS ADMINISTRATION HAS NOT MET ITS OBLIGATIONS TO THOSE THAT ARE PHYSICALLY OR MENTALL WOUNDED BY WAR. tHIS QUOTE IS FROM THE FOUNDER OF THEIR PARTY ABRAHAM LINCOLN “TO CARE FOR HIM WHO SHALL BORN THE BATTLE AND FOR THE WIDOW AND HIS ORPHAN”. THE REPUBLICANS SINCE 1980 HAVE CONTINUED TO UNDER FUND THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFRAIRS AND EVERYTIME THEY MAKE A NEW PROGRAM MANDATORY THEY DO NOT FUND THAT PROGRAM ADEQUATELY AT ALL. i AM SURE THAT THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER IS WILLING TO PAY A FEW EXTRA DOLLARS TO TAKE CARE OF OUR MEN AND WOEMN THAT GO OFF TO WAR AFTER THE FIASCO OF VIETNAM AND WHAT IT DID TO OUR FIGHTING MEN THAT SERVED THERE. SO AMERICA WAKE UP AND SEE THE LIGHT THE REPUBLICANS ALL THEY CARE ABOUT IS THEMSELVES NOT ANY ONE ELSE, WHILE THE DEMOCRATS AT LEAST TRY AND TAKE CARE OF THE LITTLE GUY.
September 10, 2006 at 3:34 pm
Craig, With all due respect, please turn the caps lock off on your keyboard and consider using paragraph breaks. It is hard to read your writing the way you present it and you probably lose most readers because of this.
September 10, 2006 at 4:09 pm
craig has a point about our obligation to our veterans. in my work i met some vietnam, and even wwII vets who were living with serious health problems. it is my bitter take on this that the chicken hawk is cruising around town in his hummer while the vet is sitting at the bus stop. i’m not kidding about the bus part of it either, some disabled vets are living in public housing on tiny disablity checks.