Dear Paul Krugman

I only have one thing to say in regards to your NYT blog post today:

Fuck you.

The 9/10 mindset: Of Knaves and Fools

Some folks view 9/11 as though it isn't a big issue, or that it was "a while ago", and act as though it should be a historical relic. Writers like E.J. Dionne, who's a well known liberal writer for the Washington Post, wants us to leave 9/11 behind. But, as the Wall Street Journal points out, he goes too far in his comments:

"After we honor the 10th anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, we need to leave the day behind," Dionne writes. "Al-Qaeda is a dangerous enemy. But our country and the world were never threatened by the caliphate of its mad fantasies." (emphasis mine)

So let me get this straight, Mr. Dionne. The attempt by Al Qaeda to kill more than 3,000 Americans on 9/11 and attempt a decapitation strike on our political and military leadership (which was largely forestalled by the heroic work of first responders) wasn't an indication of it's capabilities? Sure, they were mad. Sure, they had fantastical views of the endgame result for themselves. But that doesn't mean they wouldn't try to attempt it, or that hundreds of thousands of lives wouldn't have been lost in the process.

Why I hate Big Union

Ok, to start off with, I'm not against unions in theory. For basic wage earning, workplace safety, and legal representation, I think union representation is a good thing.

But I think that it's an inherently bad thing when unions try to wring every little concession out of their employers; that leads the way towards racketeering, blackmail, and undue political influence. As a political instrument, unions are A Very Bad Thing Indeed.

And now we've got the new "message" from the AFL-CIO on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11.They support the memory of the fallen and the heroic efforts of first responders. That's good, but what follows isn't.

"But other doors opened, too—doors to hate, suspicion of “others” and self-centered greed. Our fear was twisted into something much more dangerous.....The extremist small government posse has turned them into public enemy No. 1, as though teachers and firefighters, EMTs and nurses and union construction workers ruined America’s economy....Wealthy CEOs, anti-government extremist front groups and frothing talk show hosts—from the Rush Limbaughs and Glenn Becks to the Koch brothers, Karl Rove’s American Crossroads group, Americans for Prosperity, the Club for Growth, FreedomWorks and the American Legislative Exchange Council—also pushed open the door to hate." (emphasis mine)

9/11 Conspiracy Theorists

Having lived in New York for most of my life (I only moved out of the state in 2005), 9/11 has special meaning for me. Some might say I have "survivor's guilt", in the sense that I had family not far from Ground Zero, but I didn't lose anyone, thankfully. But many did, and hence, why I feel a bit guilty.

Anyways, it always bugs me when conspiracy theorists try to peddle their viewpoints that 9/11 was perpetrated by the U.S. Government. Popular Mechanics does a great job of disassembling their viewpoints, and pointing out the logical fallacies that are inherent in their arguments. I do have a few points I would like to add, though, after the jump.