Was 9/11 an inside job?

[Individual]

Right now, I'm watching a 2-hour documentary on this, on National Geographic, with a friend. He believes 9/11 conspiracy theories. I don't.

The documentary pretends to be neutral, but the fact is that the evidence opposes the conspiracy theory unless you reject all official sources of information and engage in wild speculation about anecdotal or non-official sources of information.

Because most Buddhists are left wing, statistically at least one person here likely believes in this sort of stuff... What do you all think?

[Ngawang Drolma.]

Right now, I'm watching a 2-hour documentary on this, on National Geographic, with a friend. He believes 9/11 conspiracy theories. I don't.

The documentary pretends to be neutral, but the fact is that the evidence opposes the conspiracy theory unless you reject all official sources of information and engage in wild speculation about anecdotal or non-official sources of information.

Because most Buddhists are left wing, statistically at least one person here likely believes in this sort of stuff... What do you all think?

I DVRed the same show, will comment after I watch it

[tiltbillings]

Sometimes a guy just needs a tinfiol hat to get by in this world.

[Aloka]

deleted by me.

[Guy]

Hello All,

Unfortunately, whatever the truth is and whatever the evidence really points to, if you believe in any "conspiracy theories" you tend to get ridiculed by the majority. Mainstream media especially indulges in and encourages this kind of ridicule. I don't want to be labeled a conspiracy theorist because of all the stigma that goes along with it. However, from what I have seen, there are lots of holes in the official story which politicians and the mainstream media have force fed the general public in the Western world.

I don't really want to get into a debate, there are plenty of people better informed than I am to do that, but I would warn against the suggestion that anyone who doesn't want to go along with the official story is wearing a tinfoil hat.

With Metta,

Guy

[tiltbillings]

This a decent look at the conspiracy theory idea:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_theory

And here is a listing, albeit partial of conspiracy theories:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_co ... y_theories

[Ben]

Its interesting.
Last night on '4 Corners' (the most respected current affairs program in Aus) was a special report on the London '7/7' bombings from a few years ago in particular the distribution and authorship of an underground DVD 'documentary' challenging the official account. It was particularly interesting as it explored the conspiracy claims made by the author of "7/7 ripple effect'.

http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/ ... 668927.htm

Its a very interesting documentary for a number of different reasons, but for me, it was an interesting to delve into the phenomenon of the conspiracy theory.
Check it out if you can. Originally produced and broadcast by the BBC.

Trailer:
http://video.aol.co.uk/video-detail/con ... 2811417407

[christopher:::]

I'm doubtful most of the time when theories suggest an "inside job" but do think that throughout history there have been times when leaders looked the other way or arranged for those in defensive positions to "stand down." Why did Lincoln's guard walk away right before his assassin arrived? Why weren't all the windows and roofs in Dallas checked and guarded as JFK drove by, and why was he allowed to ride with the top down, etc..?

I wouldn't be surprised in some folks somewhere, in positions of power, knew something about the plans of Al Qaida and looked the other way... but I would doubt that the 9/11 was "engineered" by anyone, on the inside....

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

Slightly off-topic...

It looks like it's nearly the 8 year anniversary. It's good to see that collectively, the U.S.A. seems to be healing.

Today's episode of Simpsons was the episode where Homer and family go to New York to retrieve his car... rather surreal seeing the Twin Towers play a prominent role in the episode.

Metta,
Retro.

[tiltbillings]

Greetings,

Slightly off-topic...

It looks like it's nearly the 8 year anniversary. It's good to see that collectively, the U.S.A. seems to be healing.

Maybe not so much. There is a sizable segment that seems to be having a serious problem with having a black man as president - a good hunk of the Republican Party. They want him to fail. Then there are the "birthers" - those racist clowns who think Obama was was born in Kenya, which is a way of saying - as said about blacks in general - he is not one of us. And so it goes.

[retrofuturist]

Greetings Tilt,

Sure, but they'd be doing this regardless of 9/11 wouldn't they? Wouldn't a more plausible explanation be because he's (half) black, and the racists can't bear to have a black president?

My healing comment was specific to 9/11...

Metta,
Retro.

[genkaku]

I dislike conspiracy theories, but I also dislike shutting out well-argued possibilities that use evidence as a foundation.

Here is a pretty good documentary (it's in three parts) on the 9/11 tragedy.

http://www.911weknow.com/911-mysteries-english

[Ben]

THanks Adam
I'll be sure to check that one out.

Ben

[Ben]

Today's episode of Simpsons was the episode where Homer and family go to New York to retrieve his car... rather surreal seeing the Twin Towers play a prominent role in the episode.

I was watching that one too with my kids earlier this evening.
Everytime Homer did something stupid, my kids would call out..that's you dad!
And sometimes, quietly to myself, I was agreeing with them!
Cheers

Ben

[imagemarie]

some folks somewhere, in positions of power, knew something about the plans of Al Qaida and looked the other way

Isn't this the modus of many politicians, and why they can be so very frightening, and so unloveable? They really don't seem to give a toss sometimes.
Witness Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib ..dodgy dossiers to justify war, "extraordinary rendition".. you don't really need to look for "conspiracy theories".

The bottom line is.. "Who's interests are being served here?"

[Mawkish1983]

I LOVE conspiracy theories! I won't say which I dismiss and which I feel may have some merit because you never know who is watching...............

[Tex]

The magazine Popular Mechanics debunked many of the common myths quite easily a few years ago.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technol ... tml?page=1

I have yet to see any conspiracy theory regarding 9/11 that even made me raise an eyebrow.

I'm more disturbed by the number of people that seem to want the United States to have been behind it than any of the crackpot stories they've cooked up.

[Peter]

What do you all think?

I think it is a disrespectful topic for idle chatter.
Then again, I'm from New York City.

[Guy]

Hi Peter,

Whatever you want to believe, that's your choice. I agree with you that such topics are not conducive towards the goal of Liberation. There will always be the possibility for things such as mass murder and destruction in Samsara regardless of who is orchestrating these activities. Let's work instead on the greed, hatred and delusion in our own minds which are the same poisons in other people's minds which lead them to commit such terrible acts.

With Metta,

Guy

[Lazy_eye]

I don't think simply having news reporters and politicians saying "terrorists did it" and showing some passport photos (which supposedly were recovered from the wreckage unscathed) should be taken as unquestionable truth.

Well, yes, but terrorists also said that terrorists did it. They were pretty eager to take the "credit".