Most people recognize that the events of 9/11 were the driving force behind the “War on Terror.” Less well recognized is the fact that this borderless war against an ill-defined enemy has expedited economic collapse, driven totalitarian legislation and generated a great deal of animosity against the United States throughout the world. The pain and suffering caused by 9/11 comes with an opportunity, however. Through a better understanding of those tragic events, we can achieve crucial insights that can not only end the wars but might ultimately lead to lasting positive change in human society.
On Sept. 4, at 7 p.m. in the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre in Bloomington, the 9/11 Working Group of Bloomington will sponsor a free presentation by two prominent truth and peace activists. Buddhist scholar and peace studies director Graeme MacQueen will discuss “The fictional basis for the war on terror.” Behavioral scientist Laurie Manwell will speak on the social and psychological implications of 9/11 and other state crimes against democracy.
It’s difficult for Americans to admit when we are wrong. This is partly because being right or wrong on most issues has not been as important for people today as it was for our ancestors. For many years now, due to the exponential growth of our economy, we have led relatively easy lives in which having wrong or superfluous views have had little impact on whether or not we can still feed and shelter ourselves. But that is changing for more and more people every day, and we’re beginning to see how we’ve been wrong in some very important ways.
“People have begun to recognize that the 9/11 wars are focused on the most strategically important lands for the production of oil and natural gas, and because of this, interest in the 9/11 truth movement has grown.”
The wealth of our nation depends on endless economic growth, and this has been made possible for the last few decades only because of the availability of cheap fossil fuels. Petroleum geologists have likened this energy abundance to the equivalent of each person in western society having 300 “energy slaves.” With the peak of global oil production behind us, the party is over, as author Richard Heinberg wrote, and the importance of being actually right in our daily decision making will become much more vital as time goes on.
People have begun to recognize that the 9/11 wars are focused on the most strategically important lands for the production of oil and natural gas, and because of this, interest in the 9/11 truth movement has grown. Afghanistan is a critical area for the transport of natural gas, and we have recently learned that the country has over a trillion dollars in other natural resources that were previously unreported. Iraq and Iran are home to the largest reserves of oil and natural gas outside of Saudi Arabia. Permanent military bases have been constructed in Afghanistan and Iraq, in patterns that suggest that our mission is not simply to protect the world from terrorism but to protect the oil and gas supply lines. A new war against Iran has been threatened for several years now.
As things develop nationally and worldwide, people are beginning to see the striking correlation between the lands of terrorist threats and the lands of fossil fuels. In doing so, Americans are beginning to see where they were wrong about 9/11. The 9/11 Working Group of Bloomington is a community-based group of activists who are among those waking up to such facts. This local group seeks to promote a better understanding of the events that initiated the War on Terror. We believe that with such an understanding, our society might be able to find a way to end terrorism and the ongoing 9/11 wars.
It’s important for people to realize that understanding the events of 9/11, and the false official explanations given for those events, is a fundamental first step in solving the problems we’re facing as a society today. There are critical, species-threatening issues that need to be addressed immediately, and humankind is on the brink of a transition that will not leave much room for continuing errors. That’s why many of us are convinced that the catastrophic and catalyzing realization that we were wrong about 9/11 can bring us together to work for lasting, positive change.
Kevin Ryan can be reached at kncryan@msn.com.