LOGO: Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines. A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman. Winner 2013 Webby Awards for Best Political Website
May 22, 2013

 Choose a size
Text Size

Trending:     chris hedges     economy     elizabeth warren     politics     robert scheer
Most Read

Rise Up or Die

Lock Up Washington

Revenge of the Bear: Russia Strikes Back in Syria

How America Became a Third World Country: 2013-2023

California Man Sues Officers He Says Nearly Beat Him to Death

Most Comments
Most Emailed

Reports
 * NEW! * The Path of Hubris and War
 * NEW! * Glaciers Are Melting Slowly but Surely

Ear to the Ground

A/V Booth

Arts & Culture
Act of Congress
Daily Rituals
The Girls of Atomic City

Digs

Truthdig Bazaar
Deus Ex Machina

Deus Ex Machina

By Deus Ex Machina
$10.17

more items

 
A/V Booth

Bill Maher on Smear Tactics

Email this item Email    Print this item Print    Share this item... Share

Posted on Mar 2, 2008

With this week’s “New Rules,” the “Real Time” host takes on Alberto Gonzales, Mexican cruises and conservative slurs: “To honor the life of William F. Buckley, conservatives have to take the high road against Barack Obama.”

Watch it:

Advertisement


New and Improved Comments

If you have trouble leaving a comment, review this help page. Still having problems? Let us know. If you find yourself moderated, take a moment to review our comment policy.

By Maani, March 6, 2008 at 3:41 pm Link to this comment

Blackspeare:

“The individuals quoted are either fictious or they never made those statements.”

As sdemetri notes, you need to provide support for that claim.

“...but those people don’t know what they’re talking about or are just out for notoriety.”

Are you even listening to yourself?  These people WANT the “notoriety” of aligning themselves with something that will unquestionably subject them to ridicule, or even loss of job?  Please.

“As for the “pancake” effect——you saw it with your own eyes.”

You obviously didn’t take basic physics.  The rate at which a collapsing structure falls is dependent upon the resistance it meets.  Let us say for arguments sake that the top 1/3 of each tower was weakened considerably.  This leaves the bottom 2/3 of each structure COMPLETELY UNDAMAGED - including the 47 double-wide steel columns at the center core of each structure.

Thus, even assuming a perfect pancake collapse, each collapsing floor would have met resistance in the floor below it, staggering the collapse by at veyr least one second per floor.  The bottom 2/3 of each tower represents ~65 floors.  Thus, even allowing fo the top 1/3 of each tower to collapse in the first second, the total collapse would have had to have taken AT VERY LEAST 60 seconds.  However, each tower collapsed in ~16 seconds.  This is “physic”-ally impossible.

“Anyway 9/11 requires the application of “Ockham’s Razor” which basically states that the best explanation is the simplest explanation with the fewest assumptions.”

Yes.  But sometimes Occam’s Razor sports a dulled blade.

Peace.

Report this

By sdemetri, March 6, 2008 at 1:03 pm Link to this comment

Oh come on, Blackspeare, you can do better than that, can’t you? Possibly from a foreign source…? Transylvania, perhaps?

Apparently the written word is difficult for you. Where are your sources? Where’s the corroboration?

Oh, you don’t have any… I see. Just juvenile statements that don’t prove or disprove anything.

Let’s see, Wesley Clark, the first one in the list, should be easy for you to check that one out, on a nationally televised broadcast with George Stephanopoulos. Fictional, no doubt.

Pancaking…? No, I did not see that. I saw great billowing clouds of dust and debris being thrown in all directions immediately as the building started to collapse. If you are going to argue about this event you ought to at the very least get your facts straight.

Report this
Blackspeare's avatar

By Blackspeare, March 6, 2008 at 12:11 pm Link to this comment

sdemetri…

It appears you are a true believer in the unbelievable! The patriotsquestion9/11 site is an elaborate hoax—-possibly from a foreign source.  The individuals quoted are either fictious or they never made those statements.  I suspect it’s a combination of both.  But I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt in that maybe one or two quotes are true, but those people don’t know what they’re talking about or are just out for notoriety.  As for the “pancake” effect——you saw it with your own eyes.  Any explosive sounds that people thought they heard was just the crash of the floors as the trapped air was compressed and suddenly released much like a blown-up paper bag.

Anyway 9/11 requires the application of “Ockham’s Razor” which basically states that the best explanation is the simplest explanation with the fewest assumptions.

Anything else?

Report this

By sdemetri, March 5, 2008 at 7:18 pm Link to this comment

takes up the cheapest form of argument, unsubstantiated attacks that fail to address the merits of what the opposition has to say. No proof, nothing to speak to the merits of PatriotsQuestion911.org, just, “it’s phony.”

What is phony about it? The site compiles a list of those that have doubts about the official 9/11 account. Are you prepared to dispute what each of these people have to say? Are you ready to claim they never made those statements, participated in the interviews, signed those petitions? Have you anything at all that substantiates your slur?

And by the way, the pancake theory, which your floor truss weakened by fire BS is all about, has been abandoned… by NIST itself. Wake up. Try reading some honest accounts of what fire can and can’t do to steel.

Report this

By Maani, March 5, 2008 at 4:02 pm Link to this comment

Blackspeare:

I’m sorry you feel that way.  In fact, I have been a 9/11 truther for over four years now, and disagree with you.

However, this is not the forum in which to discuss this, nor, based on your obvious closed-mindedness, do I expect that anything I could say or provide in the way of evidence might sway your belief.

Suffice to say that you have clearly not done your homework - certainly not to the degree that Bill and I have - so you are debating from a point of weakness.

Ultimately, we must agree to disagree.

Peace.

Report this
Blackspeare's avatar

By Blackspeare, March 5, 2008 at 12:52 pm Link to this comment

To Bill and Maani…

I could expect such a belief from Blackolive, But, Maani, I thought you’d be more astute than to believe what that obviously phony site, patriotsquestion9/11, has to offer.

Conspiracy theories are always interesting and have a following by the ill-informed.

9/11 was just what it was——a series of plane hijackings by militant elements.  There was plenty of plane parts scattered around as well as debris and it is the usual practice of the authorities to collect and secure these artifacts——nothing sinister is involved.

What’s important about the investigation is how these militants were able to enter the US, communicate with their handlers, and receive training unquestioned,  The other question is why airport security failed.  What’s even more interesting is that an apparent failure and dereliction of duty among several governmental agencies resulted in no accountability, but rather medals all around!!!

Oh, by the way, jet fuel fires can weaken a steel truss structure such that it can not support the weight load and gives way which then results in a chain reaction as the added weight crashes through subsequent floors.  And what’s more interesting because of environmental activists the steel beams in the upper floors of the WTC were not coated with asbestos.  If they had, the buildings might still be there.

Report this

By Maani, March 4, 2008 at 6:04 pm Link to this comment

Bill:

If you have been to the site you note, you know that among those calling for a new, thorough, non-political investigation into 9/11 is none other than…Gen. Wesley Clark, who is one of Hillary’s top advisers (and a possible vice presidential tap if she wins the nomination).

Wouldn’t it be truly ironic if HILLARY was more likely to begin a new investigation than Obama?

Peace.

Report this

By Bill Blackolive, March 4, 2008 at 12:44 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Sure, Bill.  When you be ready to check out patriotsquestilon9/11 and start to see?

Report this

By Bill blackolive, March 4, 2008 at 12:38 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Hillary should be disqualified because she was married to Bill. Bill spoke garbage and had thousands bombed, tortured in cells abroad.  Who knows whatever Obama could do now.  Firstly, 9/11 is the most bald faced crime in the history of the world known today.  See one thousand screams at patriotsquestion9/11, in fact more per month.  This will break on through the national schizoprenia.  People abroad know it.

Report this
Leefeller's avatar

By Leefeller, March 3, 2008 at 11:34 am Link to this comment

Well, I do not get HBO, so I appreciate these snippets.  The sad thing is Bill is right in what he says about the “American Gladiators”.  Mass Media has control, under the guidance of the elite.  Seems our education system has been dumbed down the say way.  Ignorance is bliss, some of my best friends are blissed, they like American Gladiator and Jack Ass, thanks for the enlightenment Murdoc.

Report this

By ocjim, March 3, 2008 at 10:30 am Link to this comment

The Rove-type attempts to connect Obama with Islam negatives is low-life propaganda as usual, but still impacts the unthinking. Sixty Minutes actually documented an individual impacted by it

Report this

By May, March 3, 2008 at 10:10 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Excellent!  I only wish I were so eloquent.  The only thing missing from the hand on heart debacle would have been a photo I once saw of Bush with his hand slightly lower than his heart when pledging fealty.  It was reminiscent of Napolean or maybe he had indigestion.  Anyway, bravo yet again, Bill.

Report this
Newsletter

sign up to get updates


 
 
 
 
Join the Liberal Blog Advertising Network
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.
© 2013 Truthdig, LLC. All rights reserved.