Yes, the idea that there was government foreknowledge ('Bush knew') is not necessarily the same as saying 'the government fucked up'. That the government knew is almost beyond dispute now - see http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0332/mondo4.php. The question before us (or at least before me) is: Did they know about an impending attack but were nevertheless unable to foil it - or did they know about an impending attack - but opportunistically 'let it happen', in a scenario similar to that described by Stinnet re Pearl Harbor.
So far we know that they have lied about not knowing about the impending attack, they also lied about having 'no idea' anyone would launch such an attack, and there has not been any sacrificial head rolling, instead everyone was promoted - except some FBI agent Colleen Rowley whose efforts to arrest Moussaui for example were inexplicably scuttled by her superiors. There are many indications of wilful negligence and that much has been strongly insinuated by Sen. Richard Shelby when he stated: "They don't have any excuse because the information was in their lap, and they didn't do anything to prevent it." A conservative interpretation of that is: 'you fucked up'. Another interpretation would be 'what the fuck were you thinking?!' He didn't say 'they *failed* to prevent it' he said 'they didn't do anything to prevent it'. i.e.: wilful negligence.
It's like the story of the scorpion and the frog - what did the frog expect?
I don't understand why people on the left are reluctant to take a tougher view of the Bush administration role re 9-11, especially given the malevolence and mendacity they have generously displayed and given the way they have cynically exploited the event. If they were sincerely in shock about the attacks, I suspect they would be have more protective of the values that were ostensibly under attack - i.e. 'our way of life' instead they have proceeded to destroy it.
At any rate, I think the next year should bring forth more revelations about 9-11. As Thomas Kean said on Nightline last night, 'information will come forth that will change the way Americans think about 9-11'.
Joe W.
>From: Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com>
>Reply-To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
>To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
>Subject: RE: [lbo-talk] RE: They simply 'failed'
>Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2003 14:04:12 -0500
>
>Joseph Wanzala wrote:
>
>>Most of the progressive left have spent the last two years running
>>interference for the Bush administration giving Bush & Co. lots of time to
>>get their story straight about their 'failure' to prevent the attacks. The
>>notion that 'Bush Knew' was either ignored and when it was addressed it
>>was only to attack and ridicule those who raised the issue as
>>'conspiracists'.
>
>"Bush knew" isn't the same as "the U.S. government fucked up bigtime."
>
>Doug
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