9/11

[chuckskull]

I watched the whole thing live, I listened to the thousands scream in terror as as the towers came down, I saw the desperate fling themselves to their death rather than burn in the inferno and the sobs of those left behind as they searched frantically for those they loved, usually in vain.

I don't need to be reminded of it on every channel, in every damn ad break. The heartless pricks aren't even subtle about it, each trying to find the most shocking 10seconds of footage they can, to promote their anniversary coverage. This isn't some piece of ancient history we can detach ourselves from, people are still dying from the effects of this attack, whether it's the cancers that now riddle the rescuers or the soldiers still fighting AQ around the world, but screw 'em rating are more important right? Scum.

Rant over.

[danroyle]

i know the feeling i was off work sick that day and i woke up turned the tv on and thought it was a film then realised what had happened it was horrific. Stayed with me just like watching hillsborough horrible.

[kalniel]

Boycott advert breaks.

[Bunjiweb]

and STILL people all over the web go on and on about conspiracies...

(He says whilst a flash advert to the right advertises "Seconds from Disaster", part of the "9/11 Week")...

Argh, it will never disappear in to history!

Ben

[TheAnimus]

I always remember reading an interview about the 2002 remake of "The Quiet American", apparently one of the reasons Micheal Cane only got a nomination for his portrail of Thomas Fowler was due to the effect of 9/11, most US types wouldn't take kindly to a story of the US medling in other countries affairs, and sponsering terrorisim, which they of course did (see Trinh Minh, the character 'General Tha' is based on).

My point was they learnt nothing, and actually went far in the opposite direction, they squandered money on wars which had no measure of sucsess (and any war that isn't about economics or gains is doomed to fail), and again tried to change the world, by supporting people they thought they liked.

They learnt nothing from history and are doomed to repeat it, but hey ho, at least they aren't awful colonials like us......

[dave87]

I don't disagree with you on the depraved quest for ratings. Or TheAnimus on US foreign policy for that matter.

What I especially agree on is that it isn't some bit of ancient history that can simply be forgotten. People, mainly those brave enough to risk their lives, selflessly, are suffering the consequences to this day. So if it takes a few programs to remind the masses that this is still very much a current issue, with consequential ramifications not only on individuals, but the world stage, so be it.

That said, for those that were directly involved, it must dredge to the surface some awfully painful memories which many are likely to still be struggling to deal with to this day.

[chuckskull]

It should never be forgotten, I don't object to documentaries about it, but using images of people dying for shameless promotion makes me sick. They love using the clip of the plane impacting the tower, that's the murder of about 500 people, the actual moment of their death, in that 5 second clip. You wouldn't use a clip of one person being stabbed, beheaded or shot in the same way.

They should have some respect for the dead.

[Bagnaj97]

It should never be forgotten, I don't object to documentaries about it, but using images of people dying for shameless promotion makes me sick. They love using the clip of the plane impacting the tower, that's the murder of about 500 people, the actual moment of their death, in that 5 second clip. You wouldn't use a clip of one person being stabbed, beheaded or shot in the same way.

They should have some respect for the dead.

To be fair that clip doesn't actually show any dead bodies, from a purely objective point of view it's "just" a plane hitting a building. That clip of the plane hitting the building is the moment this came to everyone's attention. That moment is when 9/11 began. Expecting them to not use the clip of the plane hitting the towers in a documentary about exactly that is akin to a documentary about recent events in Japan not showing a clip of the tsunami washing through a town!

[TheAnimus]

Actually when you think of the 50 year anniversary of D-Day and the like we had pictures of soilders running to a quite probable death.

How many died in the opening scene of saving private ryan?

I don't have an issue with the TV lot using that shocking footage, to erm, shock, its what that footage does, is it just 'too soon'?

What I do dislike is the way in the US at least, it stopped all debate on the consequences of meddling in other countries affairs.

[Brucelles]

After the awful events of that day, which I watched sort of accidentally, the sound from America was along the lines of "This has hurt us but we will not be defeated, we will not bow to terror" and our hearts went out to America. I was living in the UAE at the time, and on the following Friday over 20,000 Muslims turned out to pray for the victims and their friends and family. Never had the Muslim world felt so close to America. There was a great opportunity there. If Bill Clinton had still been President I have no doubt that it would have been seized. As it was, perhaps the greatest tragedy of that day was the way that a once great nation allowed itself to be turned into a spiteful, nasty bunch of mass-murdering racists. Of course, that's just a generalisation, but opposing voices were pitifully few.

Now as a result of this disaster hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis lie dead, the world economy is in the toilet, torture and illegal detention, wire taps without evidence of any guilt and half-baked security measures are all in America to stay. Muslims have reached new levels of detestation and contempt for the USA, and quite rightly. The "world's policeman" has become one of the world's biggest criminal gangs, and much of the sympathy we felt that day has been eroded by the disgust most of the world feels at the behaviour of America since.

I read much of the crap (am I allowed to say that?) in the Sunday's yesterday, and shed a tear or two for the victims, particularly those I knew of course, but I can't help but think that the wider tragedy was that that came after, when hundreds of thousands of other victims were killed so that GWB could show that America was still strong. I could cry.

[razer121]

Im with you on this, having known someone who just happened to pass because of 9/11 it drives me insane that they still bring it up. never forgotten but dont need to be reminded every damn day.

[360bhp]

Couldn't believe what I was watching the day it happened, but somehow, they are using 9/11 as an excuse to kill, rape and invade any country they desire. I wonder if they will have shows for the thousands killed by the US in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan etc, or is this not terrorism, because they have uniforms and do it with advanced weapons?

Attacks by America.. Excluding the theft of whole country from Native Indians.. Since World War II...

China 1945-46, 1950-53
Korea 1950-53
Guatemala 1954, 1960, 1967-69
Indonesia 1958
Cuba 1959-61
Congo 1964
Peru 1965
Laos 1964-73
Vietnam 1961-73
Cambodia 1969-70
Lebanon 1983-84
Grenada 1983
Libya 1986
El Salvador 1980
Nicaragua 1980
Panama 1989
Iraq 1991 to present day
Somalia 1993
Bosnia 1995
Sudan 1998
Yugoslavia 1999
Afghanistan 1998, 2001 to present day

Added to this figure of 22 would be at least 18 other countries which were on the receiving end of bombing during the two World Wars, such as Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Hungary, Italy, Tunisia, Greece, Austria, Romania, Japan, Thailand, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Marshall Islands, Singapore, and the Phillipines. In total there have been at least 40 countries.

Add to that the $6 million a day to Israeli military, to help create "Greater Israel" at the expense of the US taxpayers and the lives of the Palestinian people.