RE: [Marxism] Marxism and Conspiracy

["Austin, Andrew" <austina@xxxxxxxx>]

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From: marxism-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx on behalf of Louis Proyect
Sent: Sat 9/9/2006 1:17 PM
To: Activists and scholars in Marxist tradition
Subject: RE: [Marxism] Marxism and Conspiracy


You have lost me. If Larry Silverstein gave the orders to bring down
WTC 7 with explosives, how did he get them in there? I assume that he
didn't call up the local demolitions experts after the Twin Towers
had been hit by the jets. So if the order went out for several tons
of TNT, it had to be before 9/11.

* * *

That's precisely why there needs to be an actual investigation of the WTC-7 
collapse and not an article in Popular Mechanics.  How do you get set up that 
quick to pull a building in a crime scene?  A transparent investigation with 
all the evidence publicly available so skeptics can review and analyze it would 
go a long way towards resolving the question.

* * *

What could that rational reason be other than being part of a vast 
conspiracy of Arab CIA agents pretending to be jihadists with a love
so deep for American imperialism that they gave up their lives to
help George W. Bush go to war against the Taliban? A Taliban that the
FT described as being favored by the oil companies as the only power
that could insure that a pipeline could be built between Pakistan and
Turkmenistan?

* * *

I try not to speculate.  My strategy is just repeating the obvious questions 
that are asked of me on an almost daily basis by students and other curious 
persons.  It's not up to me to develop a conspiracy theory around comments 
Larry Silverstein or anybody makes on public television or in published 
reports.  I honesly have no position on the matter other than what the evidence 
I've been allowed to see shows, and that is not enough to draw a conclusion.

* * *

I am not interested in a dialogue with the people who made "Loose
Change", etc. Over the years I have learned to how to draw closer to
people moving in my own direction and to battle with those who are
creating obstacles for the Marxist left. In the latter camp, I would
include the Black Block, hardened ABB ideologists, etc. Politics is
fundamentally about deciding who is a friend and who is an adversary.

* * *

That's cool.  That's your politics.  I'm a scientist.  I'm a skeptic.  I find 
interesting questions interesting.  I find curious open-minded people 
interesting.  I have no interest in running interference, intentional or 
otherwise, for those who want to shut down skeptical questioning of the 
official 9-11 story.

Chomsky said something about the Holocaust that applies here, I think: "It is a 
poor service to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust to adopt a central 
doctrine of their murderers."

Moreover, when murder happens, the burden of proof rests with those making the 
claim.  So far, the FBI has not been able to link 9-11 to al Qaeda (which is 
why bin Laden is not wanted for the 9-11 attacks).  Everybody should be asking 
for the government to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the claims they have made 
concerning who is responsible for the attacks on the United States that day.  
That's the criminal justice professor in me.  

Andrew

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