Angie
9th June 2002, 13:18
June 4, 2002
Dear Members of Congress,
Today marks the beginning of your closed-door investigation of 9-11. This inquiry, which is being held in secured, soundproofed rooms deep inside the Capitol, will be protected from public scrutiny until June 25 of this year. This totalitarian secrecy is justified, you tell us, because certain sensitive "national security" issues will be discussed. I suppose you have good reason to be worried about security, because although dozens of your three-letter agencies had documented foreknowledge of the attacks, no one did a thing to prevent them. In fact, your own FBI director Robert Mueller was hell-bent on ensuring their success, obstructing investigations into known terrorists and preventing their apprehension! Who does he really work for, anyway?
You know, it's funny--not a single high-level CEO was killed in the attacks on New York. I mean, here we have the World Trade Center, the center of American imperialism and capitalist dominance--and not one Forbesian happens to be around! Nor were any high ranking military personnel killed when the Pentagon took a hit--even though it's the center of military command. Really, it looks like you and yours came out okay on September 11. True, several thousand people were killed or injured, American landmarks were destroyed or damaged, and many of us citizens now live in constant fear. But hey--your three-letter agencies got more money, Bush's approval ratings went up, and overnight America needed you more than ever.
You had the potential to actually become useful! You could have insisted on an immediate independent investigation, curtailed the president's rape of our civil liberties and constitutional protections, and eventually taken responsibility for your own bureaucratic incompetence.
Instead, you hopped on the flag-waving bandwagon and became parrots for the arrogant "with us or against us" drivel that has characterized the Bush administration since its November coup d'etat. (By the way, you Democrats sure did mess that one up! If I didn't know better, I'd think you all actually wanted the Bush gang to illegally occupy the White House!) You have remained silent while our unelected, unintelligible, and virtually illiterate Chief Executive destroys any chance at peace that we might have. You signed into law the USA PATRIOT Act, which you later admitted you didn't even read before you signed it! What are we paying you for, anyway? In your time-honored tradition of rewarding general ineptitude and criminal negligence, you have allocated billions more dollars for the various agencies that should have been protecting us from terror.
And now, you are holding a secret, closed-door investigation into your own failings. Man, it would be great if we taxpaying peons could be the judge, jury, and prosecution in our own criminal proceedings! But wait--these aren't criminal proceedings. No one wants to play the "blame game" in Washington (unless it's politically convenient). After all, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, you insist that "no one could have known." You guys are so lucky--not only are you completely unaccountable for your lack of moral fortitude and integrity; you are actually rewarded for it. Hell, you'll probably rake in a lot of pork for this ridiculous "war" in Afghanistan (and anywhere else Big Oil covets) from arms dealers and petroleum companies. September 11 was the best thing that could have happened to this country!
With the notable exception of brave Rep. Cynthia McKinney (you were great at A-20, lady!), not a single one of you has expressed interest in pursuing justice for the unlucky Americans slaughtered in New York and in Washington--until now, when the fact that you've been complicit has begun to surface. If you were ignorant of the myriad warnings your agencies received before 9-11, you have been criminally negligent. If you were aware of the warnings and ignored them so as not to rock the Bushian boat, you have committed crimes against humanity. When this is all over and the Bush administration is indicted for war crimes at the Hague, you will be remembered as rubes at best--amoral monsters, more likely.
In short, you are a cowardly, criminal bunch of parasites, and the American people will gladly accept your resignations. Heads should be rolling for the tragedy of September 11, but knowing Congress, Americans will be subjected to another insulting Warren Commission-type report worth less than the paper on which it is printed (we all know the really juicy documents will be sent right to the shredder). You have proven to us that government can do nothing well but take our money and property, lock us up in cages, cheapen human life, and most importantly, expand itself.
I wouldn't trust a single one of you with caring for my cat, let alone the security of a nation.
Sincerely,
A. E. Summar
(Source (http://appallingsilence.gossimer.net/))
Dear Members of Congress,
Today marks the beginning of your closed-door investigation of 9-11. This inquiry, which is being held in secured, soundproofed rooms deep inside the Capitol, will be protected from public scrutiny until June 25 of this year. This totalitarian secrecy is justified, you tell us, because certain sensitive "national security" issues will be discussed. I suppose you have good reason to be worried about security, because although dozens of your three-letter agencies had documented foreknowledge of the attacks, no one did a thing to prevent them. In fact, your own FBI director Robert Mueller was hell-bent on ensuring their success, obstructing investigations into known terrorists and preventing their apprehension! Who does he really work for, anyway?
You know, it's funny--not a single high-level CEO was killed in the attacks on New York. I mean, here we have the World Trade Center, the center of American imperialism and capitalist dominance--and not one Forbesian happens to be around! Nor were any high ranking military personnel killed when the Pentagon took a hit--even though it's the center of military command. Really, it looks like you and yours came out okay on September 11. True, several thousand people were killed or injured, American landmarks were destroyed or damaged, and many of us citizens now live in constant fear. But hey--your three-letter agencies got more money, Bush's approval ratings went up, and overnight America needed you more than ever.
You had the potential to actually become useful! You could have insisted on an immediate independent investigation, curtailed the president's rape of our civil liberties and constitutional protections, and eventually taken responsibility for your own bureaucratic incompetence.
Instead, you hopped on the flag-waving bandwagon and became parrots for the arrogant "with us or against us" drivel that has characterized the Bush administration since its November coup d'etat. (By the way, you Democrats sure did mess that one up! If I didn't know better, I'd think you all actually wanted the Bush gang to illegally occupy the White House!) You have remained silent while our unelected, unintelligible, and virtually illiterate Chief Executive destroys any chance at peace that we might have. You signed into law the USA PATRIOT Act, which you later admitted you didn't even read before you signed it! What are we paying you for, anyway? In your time-honored tradition of rewarding general ineptitude and criminal negligence, you have allocated billions more dollars for the various agencies that should have been protecting us from terror.
And now, you are holding a secret, closed-door investigation into your own failings. Man, it would be great if we taxpaying peons could be the judge, jury, and prosecution in our own criminal proceedings! But wait--these aren't criminal proceedings. No one wants to play the "blame game" in Washington (unless it's politically convenient). After all, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, you insist that "no one could have known." You guys are so lucky--not only are you completely unaccountable for your lack of moral fortitude and integrity; you are actually rewarded for it. Hell, you'll probably rake in a lot of pork for this ridiculous "war" in Afghanistan (and anywhere else Big Oil covets) from arms dealers and petroleum companies. September 11 was the best thing that could have happened to this country!
With the notable exception of brave Rep. Cynthia McKinney (you were great at A-20, lady!), not a single one of you has expressed interest in pursuing justice for the unlucky Americans slaughtered in New York and in Washington--until now, when the fact that you've been complicit has begun to surface. If you were ignorant of the myriad warnings your agencies received before 9-11, you have been criminally negligent. If you were aware of the warnings and ignored them so as not to rock the Bushian boat, you have committed crimes against humanity. When this is all over and the Bush administration is indicted for war crimes at the Hague, you will be remembered as rubes at best--amoral monsters, more likely.
In short, you are a cowardly, criminal bunch of parasites, and the American people will gladly accept your resignations. Heads should be rolling for the tragedy of September 11, but knowing Congress, Americans will be subjected to another insulting Warren Commission-type report worth less than the paper on which it is printed (we all know the really juicy documents will be sent right to the shredder). You have proven to us that government can do nothing well but take our money and property, lock us up in cages, cheapen human life, and most importantly, expand itself.
I wouldn't trust a single one of you with caring for my cat, let alone the security of a nation.
Sincerely,
A. E. Summar
(Source (http://appallingsilence.gossimer.net/))