On May 2, 2010, at 2:11 PM, Jordan Hayes wrote:
> Some good news for FOIA fans and 9/11 geeks alike.
>
>> The SEC just released their pre-9/11 trading review to
>> the National Security Archive, after eight years of
>> appeals and negotiations:
>>
>> http://nsarchive.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/document-friday-terrorist-insider-trading-the-secs-pre-september-11-2001-trading-review/
>
> The crux:
>
> "We have not developed any evidence that suggests
> that those who had advance knowledge of the attacks
> traded on the basis of that information. In every
> instance where we noticed unusual trading before the
> attack, we were able to determine, either through
> speaking directly with those responsible for the
> trading, or by reviewing trading records, that the
> trading was consistent with a legitimate trading strategy."
Of course, the SEC is part of the conspiracy. So why should a Truther believe this?
I'm getting emails denouncing me for my anti-Truther rant on the radio the other day. They're very annoyed with me.
<http://doughenwood.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/radio-commentary-april-30-2010/
>
Pacifica idiocy
And now, closer to home. A “member” of Pacifica, one Christopher Bayard Condon (like an assassin, he’s got three names), has proposed a resolution to the Pacifica National Board that would essentially require programmers to take 9/11 conspiracies seriously. It would increase airtime for Truthers, and deem those of us who don’t buy this paranoid nonsense in violation of the Pacifica mission. The KPFK local board has already passed such a resolution, but no one’s paid any attention to it, thank god. In fact, a KPFK producer told me that he wasn’t even aware of it. He, sensibly, has been broadcating critiques of this nuttery. All this Pacifica resolution needs is a board member to introduce it and it’s up for a vote.
First of all, it’s appalling that anyone would contemplate forcing Pacifica producers to embrace a party line. I’d sooner give this all up than obey such a thing. But it’s even worse that there are so many people who take this toxic waste seriously. Not only is it nonsensical in content, it destroys the mind. Obsessions about the melting point of steel and the shape of the nonexistent hole in the Pentagon take on a life of their own—as a commenter on my blog put it, this sort of reasoning becomes quite literally like a paranoid’s pathological mental processes.
We—the political left in general, and Pacifica specically—already have some serious credibility problems among the broad population The last thing we need is further marginalization, especially of the self- imposed kind. As damaging as this sort of nonsense is, it’s also politically destructive.
Don’t take my word for it. Connoisseurs of conspiracy might want to check out a 1998 report on Defense Department declassification procedures, prepared by the consulting firm Booz Allen & Hamilton, posted to the Federation of American Scientists website. They recommend that “[t]he use of the Internet could reduce the unrestrained public appetite for ‘secrets’ by providing good faith distraction material.” As an example of such material, they suggest “Diversion: List of interesting declassified material—i.e. Kennedy assassination data.”
So, consider this, conspiracy theorists: instead of analyzing all the rich material about capitalism and empire on the public record, you’re doing the Pentagon’s work for it by pursuing “distractions.” You’d almost think it’s a conspiracy.