Saturday, September 10, 2011

9.11.01

The 10th anniversary of 9/11, and what have we learned?

Did we learn that violence and war beget more violence and war?  Or did we learn that peace and constructive assistance create more of the same.

Did we learn that our dependence on foreign oil creates dangerous partnerships?  Or did we challenge ourselves to pursue energy independence.

Did we learn that the extremely wealthy and powerful Americans are in bed with the Saudi royal family?  Or did we turn our backs on that inconvenient truth.

Did we learn not to swallow the "official" version of events hook, line, and sinker?  Or did we ask the tough questions and demand answers.

Did we realize we have just suffered what others countries have been dealing with for decades?  Or did we wallow in our grief to the point of jingoism.

Did we learn the lessons of shared community?  Or did we phone in death threats to anyone with an Arab name or wearing a Sikh head covering.

Did we learn that America is only one small nation on this giant planet?  Or did we continue with our "We're No.1!" chants.

What have we learned?

5 comments:

joe said...

I learned that I'd rather be an Independant than a Republican so I switched my voter registration.

I also learned I actually like ketchup with my fries. Not that the latter has anything to do with the former, but in 10 years change comes in all forms..

Anonymous said...

Being a cynic, I'd have to say that as a nation we haven't learned one damn thing.

Kireliols said...

I'd say I learned that I don't want to watch it all replay over and over and over while ads run to sell products and remind us to shop. I'd also say that the one time I had the tv on today and heard Condi Rice talk about how they had no idea - I learned that she makes me sick. I also learned to turn the tv off.

Churlita said...

Sadly, it doesn't seem like we've learned all that much from it. How come we never see how many Iraqis died in the aftermath?

John Hancock said...

The following are reasons why Rick Perry would be a really, really bad president….

#1 Rick Perry is a “big government” politician. When Rick Perry became the governor of Texas in 2000, the total spending by the Texas state government was approximately $49 billion. Ten years later it was approximately $90 billion. That is not exactly reducing the size of government.

#2 The debt of the state of Texas is out of control. According to usdebtclock.org, the debt to GDP ratio in Texas is 22.9% and the debt per citizen is $10,645. In California (a total financial basket case), the debt to GDP ratio is just 18.7% and the debt per citizen is only $9932. If Rick Perry runs for president these are numbers he will want to keep well hidden.

#3 The total debt of the Texas government has more than doubled since Rick Perry became governor. So what would the U.S. national debt look like after four (or eight) years of Rick Perry?

#4 Rick Perry has spearheaded the effort to lease roads in Texas to foreign companies, to turn roads that are already free to drive on into toll roads, and to develop the Trans-Texas Corridor which would be part of the planned NAFTA superhighway system. If you really do deep research on this whole Trans-Texas Corridor nonsense you will see why no American should ever cast a single vote for Rick Perry.

#5 Rick Perry claims that he has a “track record” of not raising taxes. That is a false claim. Rick Perry has repeatedly raised taxes and fees while he has been governor. Today, Texans are faced with significantly higher taxes and fees than they were before Rick Perry was elected.

#6 Even with the oil boom in Texas, 23 states have a lower unemployment rate than Texas does.

Stock up with Fresh Food that lasts with eFoodsDirect (Ad)

A d v e r t i s e m e n t
FREE Shipping on all orders!

#7 Back in 1988, Rick Perry supported Al Gore for president. In fact, Rick Perry actually served as Al Gore’s campaign chairman in the state of Texas that year.

#8 Between December 2007 and April 2011, weekly wages in the U.S. increased by about 5 percent. In the state of Texas they increased by just 0.6% over that same time period.

#9 Texas now has one of the worst education systems in the nation. The following is from an opinion piece that was actually authored by Barbara Bush earlier this year….

•  We rank 36th in the nation in high school graduation rates. An estimated 3.8 million Texans do not have a high school diploma.

•  We rank 49th in verbal SAT scores, 47th in literacy and 46th in average math SAT scores.

•  We rank 33rd in the nation on teacher salaries.

#10 Rick Perry attended the Bilderberg Group meetings in 2007. Associating himself with that organization should be a red flag for all American voters.