If Gore had taken his rightful place in the White House in 2001, and the

[gateley]

attacks occurred on 9/11, how do you think he would have responded. And where do you think we would be today?

I'm reading the BuzzFlash interview with Naomi Wolf on her latest book "The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot"
and it's chilling to see how our democracy is being dismantled. Bush is counting down the To Do checklist on how to achieve the perfect fascist state.

So I got to thinking, if it hadn't been Bush and his evil handmaidens at the helm when 9/11 occurred, how different would it be today?

It's a riveting interview, by the way -- thanks to the DUer who posted the link to it.


Edited because in my subject line I had the wrong guy (Kerry) and the wrong date (2004). And I KNOW 9/11 occurred in 2001. Sheesh. Thanks to on-the-ball DUers who pointed this out.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I'm pretty sure 9/11 wouldn't have happened at all.

Assuming it wasn't LIHOP/MIHOP, Kerry would have taken Richard Clarke seriously and would have actually read the Presidential Daily Briefings. And he wouldn't have an incompetent tool like Condi Rice as the National Security Adviser.

[Frances]

3. I agree with what you are saying, but actually Gore

should have been president in 2001. And he would have been if the Supreme Court had not intervened.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Oh, yeah. Duh. Was thinking Gore when I read Kerry.

[gateley]

6. Yeah, sorry - I was actually thinking Gore, too! I'm going to go back and

fix the OP. Thanks for catching that.

[Totally Committed]

19. I agree.

It's wouldn't have happened. The point is moot.

Naomi's book is both sad and chilling.

TC

[babylonsister]

2. So now it's your turn to post the link, and the world and the US

would be SO different if Senator Kerry was president. I mourn what's happened daily when I think of what could have been.

[gateley]

5. With every page I read - and this is a LONG (31 page) interview, I become more

and more horrified, frightened, overwhelmed, helpless.

I saved it in pdf format so I'll go hunt it up on BuzzFlash and it would be my honor to re-post it. It's important.

[gateley]

7. HERE'S LINK TO NAOMI WOLF INTERVIEW

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/interviews/077

[PDJane]

8. I've read the interview,

and the book. I'm quite sure that I've read most of what Wolf has read in her research, too. I've been getting that sinking feeling for some time.

It really is frightening. What's more frightening is that America is sleepwalking right down that road. I'm outside the US, so it's really kind of obvious. It's got the same feeling of inevitability as the heroine in a gothic novel...you know, that etrnal innocent who picks up the candle and goes where she has no business being? Disaster is sure to follow.......

[gateley]

15. I ordered the book last night. After I read it, I may be joining you "outside the US".

She did an outstanding job of explaining how it happens -- the citizens still do everything they're accustomed to, and since they have that "freedom" they don't realize anything is amiss. Then it begins to become apparent, piece by piece.

Just from the interview alone I really have a heavy sense of foreboding.

I've hooked up with the American Freedom Campaign - with over 5,000,000 voices and growing, that may be a vehicle that we can use to clamp down on this and bring to light what is happening to the US. I'm hopeful strength in numbers will be able to call attention to the situation and help awaken those who can be awakened.

I can imagine from your viewpoint that you can see what we cant, and as you said, we're sleepwalking right down that road.

Excellent analogy about the heroine!

Thank you for your post. It makes me feel less alone.

[ginnyinWI]

9. on Hardball today a guy said

that if Bill Clinton had put party before self, he would have resigned--then Gore would have become president, and have been re-elected, and everything would have been different. (This was in a discussion about Larry Craig putting himself before HIS party.)
As it was, Gore got somewhat tainted by the whole thing and it doubtless cost him votes. The GOP started it, of course, but Bill could have responded better--like at least told the truth. I wouldn't have expected him to resign in that case.

[adadem]

11. omg, never thought of that.

Every day I find myself thinking..what will this world be like in 10 years. I don't get a good feeling.

[AlGore-08.com]

10. I don't think it would have happened, but Gore has answered this question a few times

Gore has said any time he has been asked about it, that if he had been President when 9/11 happened, he would have used the national unity which resulted to tackle the major problems like global warming.

He has said he would NOT have invaded Iraq and he would have NEVER reduced our civil rights and NEVER condoned torture of any kind.

[gateley]

16. And I believe that 100%. My hatred for Bush grows. nt

[Didereaux]

12. What if Santa is real? What if the Tooth Fairy has a thing for the Easter Bunny?...

I know, I know, this is at the politest pure cumudgery, but still why waste the brain on supposing the past...instead how about supposing the future. Try this, How can we get Gore to help us now, not just with global warming, but ridding the nation of the vermin that are 'moled' into the bureacracy 3-4 levels deep(you should check where all those resigning lower level neo-cans are ending up top civil servant positions nearly untouchable). How about supposing just how the hell we are going to finally get rid of Pelosi and the other neo-con toadies we elected and relied upon to do what they promised.

So there are many much needed supposes that far more urgent than fantasy and fiction ones.

[gateley]

17. I'm absolutely of the same mind - we have to take what we have now, from

where we are and begin at this point to rectify the damage.

I think I just wanted to get lost in a few "what if" moments. :7

[Didereaux]

25. been known too....

...cavort with ogres, trolls, unicorns, and sylphs on occasion, me ownself!
(big grin)

[L. Coyote]

13. With Gore in the White House, 9/11 would not have happened. But if it had

the world would not have been thrown into chaos by Gore. We would still have gasoline under $2.00, a balanced budget, and a more prosperous work force. The minimum wage would have been raised in 2001, etc., etc.

[Bigmack]

14. The election of 2000...

.. was a Turning Point in History, like Caesar crossing the Rubicon, the storming of the Bastille, and the firing on Fort Sumter.

From those points onward, the countries involved would forever be different.

No matter who gets elected in 2008, they won't give back any of the presidential powers usurped by Dumbya. Looks like none of the (likely)candidates will just get out of Iraq, lower the military budget, raise taxes on the rich, or roll back Dumbya's corporatist takeover.

I thought the election of 1980 - Reagan - was the most disastrous for our country, but 2000 makes it pale in comparison.

[gateley]

18. Yes, you're so right - the turning point. I'm still hopeful that the next President

(Dem) will restore our rights and the constitution will once again be a guide instead of "just a piece of paper".

[YvonneCa]

20. Who we elect will send a message...

...to the world. When bush was inaugurated in 2001, just the name BUSH sent a message to the world that the US would be different...and it was. People of the world were awake to his plans. Same will be true in 2008...who we choose will go a long way to say to the world what kind of country we will be going forward. Think of the message if Gore was elected in 2008: We're serious about joining the world community on global climate change. Think of the message if we re-elect a Clinton: A stamp of approval on his 1992-2000 policies, and his open world view. Guilianai: We're still all about 9/11.

Each choice we make sends a message to the rest of the world. That's why it is SO important that we make the right choice.

[gateley]

21. I hadn't even thought of it from that viewpoint - excellent! And very well put! nt

[YvonneCa]

22. Thanks...

...gately. I cross-posted to GD-P to get some feedback.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3584237

[Droopy]

23. If Gore had taken his rightful place in the White House in 2001

we'd be contemplating President Lieberman right now. I guess it would have been putting off the inevitable.

[JMDEM]

24. Would have, could have, should have...

What is done is done, and the best we can do is learn from it.

What I have learned:

1. 2 major elections were stolen.
2. The truth about 9/11 is not known.
3. The Iraq war is a complete lie
4. Bush is doing everything possible to turn us into a dictatorship
5. The media is complicit every step of the way.

What Congress has learned.

1. Nothing

Bush could have been stopped at every point of the way in the last 6 years. The push to discover the truth behind the two stolen elections should have been a national outrage, involving millions of people. Very little happened. Granted, the MSM killed the story at every opportunity.

The truth behind 9/11 needed, and still needs to be determined. There is a substantial push for this, but it needs to be forced down the throats of the legistlators. Again, the MSM is complicit.

There is so much evidence that the lies behind the Iraq war are impeachable, it is unreal that impeachment proceedings have not started. They should have started the day Pelosi took over. To hell with whether they could have succeeded -- we need to have truths emerge, even if the final vote fails. And who says it would fail once the truths were known?

The Dems have been complicit in NOT rolling back the dictatorial moves by Bush. In fact, they have voted on FURTHER restrictions for our fundamental rights. We need to let them know this is just not acceptable.

And the MSM monopolies MUST BE BROKEN UP. The truth must come back to the media.

So you see, much could have been done after 2000. If it had been done correctly, Bush wouldn't have been President in 2004. Even after 2004, especially after 2006, much could have been done. But nothing has been done.

We can still do many things, even if the tide is against us. Hell, the Republicans realized this for many years and acted effectively, even though their underlying agenda was evil. The good guys can do it too, with an underlying agenda for good.

The problem today is no draft and too much TV. What really brought the protesters out in the 60's was the draft. Our butts were DIRECTLY on the line. I'm not saying bring back the draft -- I'm saying that this was the difference between the 60's and the 2000's. In addition, TV now has such an anesthesitizing effect on the population -- 200 channels per person, versus the 5 I had in my teens. It is staggering.

Well, enough ranting for one day.