Paul Krugman: The memory of 9/11 has been irrevocably poisoned; it's become an occasion for shame

[Better Believe It]

The Years of Shame
By Paul Krugman
September 11, 2011

What happened after 9/11 — and I think even people on the right know this, whether they admit it or not — was deeply shameful. Te atrocity should have been a unifying event, but instead it became a wedge issue. Fake heroes like Bernie Kerik, Rudy Giuliani, and, yes, George W. Bush raced to cash in on the horror. And then the attack was used to justify an unrelated war the neocons wanted to fight, for all the wrong reasons.

A lot of other people behaved badly. How many of our professional pundits — people who should have understood very well what was happening — took the easy way out, turning a blind eye to the corruption and lending their support to the hijacking of the atrocity?

The memory of 9/11 has been irrevocably poisoned; it has become an occasion for shame. And in its heart, the nation knows it.

Read the full blog at:

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/the-years-of-shame/

[Somawas]

1. It should be an occasion for shame. We had a chucklehead in charge who let it happen.

[Jakes Progress]

3. But even on DU we had people denigrating

people who tried to call bush out for his atrocities. Cindy Sheehan catches all kinds of shit here.

Krugman is right. This country let the chucklehead do this. republicans and Democrats should have stopped it. Protests like Cindy's in Texas should have been going on in every state.

[Danascot]

12. The chuckleheads are still calling the shots

and are determined to drive the country over the cliff. The American people should be calling bullshit and putting a stop to it but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. It started with 9/11 but it's getting worse every day. I don't get it.

[QC]

2. KICK

[ooglymoogly]

4. Kr for the truth.

I cannot watch it anymore...I get physically ill with so much disgust I can no longer handle it. As the ultimate puke provoking, propaganda machine, TV has completely lost its cachet.

[ibegurpard]

5. holy shit that's pretty hard-hitting

I agree with him

[Solly Mack]

6. Those that died that day were used and they are still being used.

And they have no means to defend against it. They're dead.

[Hart2008]

7. False heroes indeed, while the man who predicted it gets ignored.

See related thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1918231

[joshcryer]

8. "Is it just me, or are the 9/11 commemorations oddly subdued?"

...was the bit interestingly left out of the quote...

[Safetykitten]

9. Smartest man in the room

[lib2DaBone]

10. k/r We now have a "Terrorist Industrial Complex"....

Billions are being made of the new cottage industry.. terrorism.

For instance, Michael Chertoff, former head of Homeland Security, makes millions selling the new body scanners to the TSA.

Blackwater changes name to XE and gets billion in no-bid contracts.

We now give arms and money to both sides in the war.. money to rebels in Pakistan and arms to "freedom FIghters" (AL Queida) in Lybia.

Hundreds of surface to air missiles are being given to Al Queida in Lybia... you know these missiles are going to show up at some American Airport... and everyone will be SHOCKED.. shocked I tell you...

[6000eliot]

11. How better to pay tribute than another fake terra scare?

[Rex]

13. Well, unlike GWB it was one of the worst days in American history.

GWB said the day ended on a funny note! Ha ha I am so laughing on the inside. :mad: