# What this country needs is another 9/11! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 10, 2007, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115 "2007-08-10T07:41:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![I\_m\_Ron\_Burgundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9fc29f/32.png) [@I\_m\_Ron\_Burgundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_m_Ron_Burgundy)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/21 "2007-08-10T15:20:22Z")
I don’t see how conflating 9/11 and the Iraq war is going to help anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/22 "2007-08-10T15:27:42Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] That’s not exactly what he’s saying. He’s saying that another 9/11 would cause us to put aside partisan differences and bring us together as a country. [/QUOTE] What, so we could make another knee-jerk decision like they did in going to Iraq? ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/23 "2007-08-10T16:27:52Z")
Well, it would certainly kill the “we have to fight them over there…” meme. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/24 "2007-08-10T16:29:15Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] What, so we could make another knee-jerk decision like they did in going to Iraq? [/QUOTE] Well, exactly. With another 9/11 we could knee-jerk our way into Iran and maybe Syria, thus fulfilling the neocons’ wildest dreams. Oh how glorious _that_ would be, if we could just all unite behind a Middle Eastern apocalypse! ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/25 "2007-08-10T16:32:47Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] :rolleyes: You’re citing **that** as a **good** example, Stu? [/QUOTE] He seems to be. Clueless. NI could have been where it is now a long time ago. Instead hardliners played hardball thinking the the terrorists would just crumble and show themselves to be the cures they where. Instead people got angrier and more people joined up/supported them. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/26 "2007-08-10T16:34:57Z")
[QUOTE=I’m Ron Burgundy?] I don’t see how conflating 9/11 and the Iraq war is going to help anyone. [/QUOTE] It helps the neocons, silly! ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/27 "2007-08-10T17:05:30Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] …together in embracing his favored position, yes. [/QUOTE] He didn’t really present a position, other than that it’s stupid to be fighting each other over partisan bullshit when we have terrorists to fight. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/28 "2007-08-10T17:08:27Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] He didn’t really present a position, other than that it’s stupid to be fighting each other over partisan bullshit when we have terrorists to fight. [/QUOTE] His yearning for “righteous rage” among the American people gives us a pretty good idea what agenda he wants to pursue. This guy thinks we’re not kicking enough ass in the Muslim world. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/29 "2007-08-10T17:21:37Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] What, so we could make another knee-jerk decision like they did in going to Iraq? [/QUOTE] We didn’t go into Iraq until 2 years after 9/11, so no. This isn’t about policy. It’s about…remember how you felt, after 9/11? It was frightening, but we were all frightened together, and the Congress all stood on the steps of the Capitol and sang God Bless America? And then how people felt afterwards? That we were all Americanicans, suffering together, but proud together too. Political, racial, religious differences, we didn’t care about any of that. Maybe you guys didn’t feel that, or don’t remember feeling that, but I do, and it was a good feeling. Obviously, nobody really wants a disaster like that to happen again, but I wouldn’t mind the country feeling like that again rather than all this arguing and fighting about every single thing that goes on. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/30 "2007-08-10T17:39:31Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] We didn’t go into Iraq until 2 years after 9/11, so no. This isn’t about policy. It’s about…remember how you felt, after 9/11? It was frightening, but we were all frightened together, and the Congress all stood on the steps of the Capitol and sang God Bless America? And then how people felt afterwards? That we were all Americanicans, suffering together, but proud together too. Political, racial, religious differences, we didn’t care about any of that. Maybe you guys didn’t feel that, or don’t remember feeling that, but I do, and it was a good feeling. Obviously, nobody really wants a disaster like that to happen again, but I wouldn’t mind the country feeling like that again rather than all this arguing and fighting about every single thing that goes on. [/QUOTE] You are one fucking scary guy. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/31 "2007-08-10T17:43:57Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] We didn’t go into Iraq until 2 years after 9/11, so no. This isn’t about policy. It’s about…remember how you felt, after 9/11? It was frightening, but we were all frightened together, and the Congress all stood on the steps of the Capitol and sang God Bless America? And then how people felt afterwards? That we were all Americanicans, suffering together, but proud together too. Political, racial, religious differences, we didn’t care about any of that. [/QUOTE] No, Bykofsky isn’t talking about warm fuzzy feelings. He’s talking about kicking ass. From the article: > [@](#): > > We knew who the enemy was then. > > We knew who the enemy was shortly after 9/11. Bykofsky wants another 9/11 because he hopes it will generate the sort of fascistic atmosphere the neocons can utilize to pursue their agenda. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/32 "2007-08-10T17:45:14Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] We didn’t go into Iraq until 2 years after 9/11, so no. This isn’t about policy. It’s about…remember how you felt, after 9/11? It was frightening, but we were all frightened together, and the Congress all stood on the steps of the Capitol and sang God Bless America? And then how people felt afterwards? That we were all Americanicans, suffering together, but proud together too. Political, racial, religious differences, we didn’t care about any of that. Maybe you guys didn’t feel that, or don’t remember feeling that, but I do, and it was a good feeling. Obviously, nobody really wants a disaster like that to happen again, but I wouldn’t mind the country feeling like that again rather than all this arguing and fighting about every single thing that goes on. [/QUOTE] So tell me how many people dying are you comfortable with to have that feeling back? Nations aren’t about feeling all together and singing songs. They are about millions of individuals agreeing to a set group of rules and trying their best to make it work. There was a great sense of community and togetherness in the UK during WWII. Should they start wishing for the bombs to start falling again so they can recapture the blitz spirit. At times of crisis people come together, that is quite normal. When the pressure is off people revert back to form, that is also normal. [http://www.philly.com/dailynews/columnists/stu\_bykofsky/20070809\_Stu\_Bykofsky\_\_\_To\_save\_America\_\_we\_need\_another\_9\_11.html](http://www.philly.com/dailynews/columnists/stu_bykofsky/20070809_Stu_Bykofsky ___To_save_America__ we_need_another_9_11.html) > [@](#): > > f it is to be, then let it be. It will take another attack on the homeland to quell the chattering of chipmunks and to restore America’s righteous rage and singular purpose to prevail. So if he didn’t “really present a position” then who are these chipmunks and what are they chattering about? Could it be that they are against the war and this guy thinks it is still a real and necessary fight that the US needs to fight for US? I think so. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/33 "2007-08-10T17:47:28Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] Maybe you guys didn’t feel that, or don’t remember feeling that, but I do, and it was a good feeling. Obviously, nobody really wants a disaster like that to happen again, but I wouldn’t mind the country feeling like that again rather than all this arguing and fighting about every single thing that goes on. [/QUOTE] Do you understand that that feeling is a _response to trauma_? It’s not a state people can exist in all the time, and really, why should they? Maybe I’m bitter because I missed out on the 9/11 warm fuzzies. I don’t remember feeling good about any of that shit for a single second. I worried about my father for a few hours (although he didn’t work that close to the WTC), then I felt totally numb for a week, then I felt a kind of a vague but crushing anxiety for the next three months. The singing politicians didn’t lift my spirits at all. I guess I’m the fucking Grinch. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/34 "2007-08-10T17:48:13Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] He didn’t really present a position, other than that it’s stupid to be fighting each other over partisan bullshit when we have terrorists to fight. [/QUOTE] Which is not true. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/35 "2007-08-10T17:48:35Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] He didn’t really present a position, other than that it’s stupid to be fighting each other over partisan bullshit when we have terrorists to fight. [/QUOTE] Oh, are we fighting terrorists? I thought we were fighting (and destroying) an entire country, not just a few terrorists, but maybe I’m not up on my neocon doublespeak. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/36 "2007-08-10T17:49:41Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] Maybe you guys didn’t feel that, or don’t remember feeling that, but I do, and it was a good feeling. Obviously, nobody really wants a disaster like that to happen again, but I wouldn’t mind the country feeling like that again rather than all this arguing and fighting about every single thing that goes on. [/QUOTE] What we really need is a good ol’ fashioned Alien Invasion ala ID4. Then the whole world could drop it’s differences and we could all unite to fight the enemy from outer space. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/37 "2007-08-10T17:50:36Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] Bykofsky wants another 9/11 because he hopes it will generate the sort of fascistic atmosphere the neocons can utilize to pursue their agenda. [/QUOTE] He wants another 9/11 during a Presidential Election year… how convenient! ---
**Author:** ![netsplit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@netsplit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netsplit)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/38 "2007-08-10T17:57:09Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] He didn’t really present a position, other than that it’s stupid to be fighting each other over partisan bullshit when we have terrorists to fight. [/QUOTE] You mean like ones in league with the taliban that the neocons (neo, german for new, con meaning con artist) are letting retake Afghanistan? ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/39 "2007-08-10T18:04:12Z")
I’m always annoyed by the contention that we need to stop arguing and all work together. No, 100% wrong. The reason such issues are contentious is precisely because no one agrees as to the best response to those issues. If everyone agreed, there would be no argument. The existance of public debate over contentious divisive issues is healthy and helpful and can lead to better public policy. Shutting down debate and simply implementing one policy might be quicker, but what leads you to believe that policy is the best one? And if that policy fails, what mechanism for changing that policy exists, if people aren’t allowed to complain about it? ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115/40 "2007-08-10T18:04:49Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] We didn’t go into Iraq until 2 years after 9/11, so no. This isn’t about policy. It’s about…remember how you felt, after 9/11? It was frightening, but we were all frightened together, and the Congress all stood on the steps of the Capitol and sang God Bless America? And then how people felt afterwards? That we were all Americanicans, suffering together, but proud together too. Political, racial, religious differences, we didn’t care about any of that. Maybe you guys didn’t feel that, or don’t remember feeling that, but I do, and it was a good feeling. Obviously, nobody really wants a disaster like that to happen again, but I wouldn’t mind the country feeling like that again rather than all this arguing and fighting about every single thing that goes on. [/QUOTE] Sorry, I didn’t feel good at all on 9/11. Down here in Texas, I was not in danger–& I didn’t lose anybody. But I was sickened & distressed at thousands of horrible deaths. Sure, Bush & Laura went to sleep early that night & laughed. But I didn’t sleep well for weeks. This is America. We need more arguing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-this-country-needs-is-another-9-11/415115.md?page=3)