In this regard, the attacks of 9/11 were spectacularly successful. We've gone bankrupt, given up numerous freedoms, allowed the extreme concentration of wealth, let our infrastructure rot, our education system wither, our government is barraged by hateful and greedy louts, or, conversely, run and driven into the ground by Republicans. OBL stated he wanted to do economic damage to the USA and thus the entire "Western World". Look at the world's economy today and it's clear to see he was in part successful - he didn't cause the banks to fail, or the housing bubble, or Enron et al - but the attacks of 9/11 became the blank check the banaly evil Bush Administration cashed again and again. A terrible situation, since they blundered into every trap set, fucked up every action they took. It was a running disaster and this was the consequence of 9/11 - the empowering of the Republican party to wreak untold damage to America, which they continue to pursue. Witness:
We've changed as a country since 9/11, and I don't think in many good ways. Darker, more depraved and bloodthirsty, the forces of hate and fear let loose and running wild. Recall the "Torture Debate", and that we now have to have a debate about torture at all.
Along these lines, I encourage you again to read or re-read "1984" by George Orwell. It's scarily prescient and quite a good story too. Here's a quote from Smith's diary (an illegal act):
April 4th, 1984. Last night to the flicks. All war films. One very good one of a ship full of refugees being bombed somewhere in the Mediterranean. Audience much amused by shots of a great huge fat man trying to swim away with a helicopter after him, first you saw him wallowing along in the water like a porpoise, then you saw him through the helicopters gunsights, then he was full of holes and the sea round him turned pink and he sank as suddenly as though the holes had let in the water, audience shouting with laughter when he sank. then you saw a lifeboat full of children with a helicopter hovering over it. there was a middle-aged woman might have been a jewess sitting up in the bow with a little boy about three years old in her arms. little boy screaming with fright and hiding his head between her breasts as if he was trying to burrow right into her and the woman putting her arms round him and comforting him although she was blue with fright herself, all the time covering him up as much as possible as if she thought her arms could keep the bullets off him. then the helicopter planted a 20 kilo bomb in among them terrific flash and the boat went all to matchwood. then there was a wonderful shot of a child's arm going up up up right up into the air a helicopter with a camera in its nose must have followed it up and there was a lot of applause from the party seats but a woman down in the prole part of the house suddenly started kicking up a fuss and shouting they didnt oughter of showed it not in front of kids they didnt it aint right not in front of kids it aint until the police turned her turned her out i dont suppose anything happened to her nobody cares what the proles say typical prole reaction they never --
There's a whole genre on the internet of "funny" TAZER videos. Cuz people getting shocked is funny, right? And how about this? Good old Florida has allowed all mug shots to be publically accessible. And thus websites exist of everyone who gets a mugshot in Florida - guilty or not. Though of course if you're on the internet in a mug shot, you're guilty. It's depressingly addictive. A sample:
I await the day when an execution is televised - you know it's just a matter of time. On Fox!
Seriously though, 9/11 sucked, but let's move on.
