PCG Blaming 9/11 Conspiracy Theories for Democratic Party's Successes of 2006

Back on December 15, 2006, shortly after the Democratic Party gained control of Congress after the mid-term elections, PCG's Brad MacDonald wrote an article ("Conspiracy Theories Gain Acceptance") condemning 9/11 conspiracy theories which assert that the US government committed the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

January 2007 Issue

It is well established that Al Qaeda, headed by Osama bin Laden, committed those terrorist attacks. It is right and proper to condemn and refute misinformation which inaccurately claim otherwise. For anyone wishing to know what really happened leading up to the 9/11 terrorist attacks I suggest The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright (2007).

Let us see what Brad MacDonald have to say on this issue.

Conspiracy theories explaining the “real” events behind September 11, 2001, for example, have become especially popular. Explanations include: 9/11 was the workings of the Bush administration; 9/11 was an inside job; the World Trade towers were brought down by a “controlled demolition”; the Pentagon was hit by a missile, not a plane; and the list goes on.

It is indeed true that various persons have spread conspiracy theories insisting that the US government somehow committed the 9/11 terrorist attacks despite the well documented evidence that Al Qaeda was the criminal network that committed the terrorist attacks.

It was Al Qaeda that committed 9/11. MacDonald should tell people that that is what happened.

The facts about 9/11, many of which were revealed from the mouths of the true perpetrators, clearly show that the attacks were perpetrated by Islamic terrorists.

"Islamic terrorists"? How horribly vague. It was not just any "Islamic terrorists" who committed 9/11. It was Al Qaeda headed by Osama bin Laden. But merely saying that "Islamic terrorists" committed 9/11 fails to clearly state who did it. Such vagueness encourages the reader to view Muslims in a false, stereotypical manner as a unified, political force. One being much like another.

By refusing to say explicitly that Al Qaeda committed 9/11 MacDonald seems to be training the reader to inaccurately view Muslims collectively as a unified, political force. But in fact the Muslims are divided into very many national communities and political interests. While certain religious beliefs are common to most Muslims in practice that does not produce any kind of political unity. It is wrong to inaccurately portray Muslims as a unified, political force to obscure the vast variety that exists among Muslims and to leave open the false impression that many innocent Muslims are somehow "like" Al Qaeda.

Some of those who died on 9/11 were Muslims. Many of those Muslim individuals were restaurant workers of Bangladeshi heritage who were tragically murdered by Al Qaeda terrorists on that most dreadful day. How terrible it is to slur people like that with Al Qaeda. MacDonald should be specific about who committed 9/11. It was Al Qaeda.

While it is all well and good to condemn such misinformation as 9/11 conspiracy theories bizarrely enough it seems that something else compelled MacDonald to write this article.

Consider: If over one third of Americans suspect the government of playing a role in committing or allowing the 9/11 attacks, it is not unreasonable to assume that these sentiments measurably affected voting trends in the last congressional elections. Those elections, which are widely viewed as a public rebuke of the White House’s war policy, precipitated a dramatic change in the government and pointed toward a significantly altered foreign policy in the months and years ahead. How much of a role did lies, such as those circulating about the cause of 9/11, play? It would be easy to underestimate.

How petty, vindictive and nasty this condemnation is. What a nasty, immature way to vilify and demonize the many Americans who chose to vote for Democratic Party candidates in the mid-term election of 2006. This accusation is yet another piece of evidence that PCG is led by right wing leaning extremists. This bitter vitriol is yet further evidence that PCG leans to the right in regards to politics.

Furthermore the vast majority of American Jews (about 80%) consistently vote for the Democratic Party. Is MacDonald accusing them of believing in 9/11 conspiracy theories? This implication seems to escape MacDonald's imagination.

It is just disgusting for this most painful issue to be used for cheap, political ends. How dare PCG should do such a thing.