It’s a good thing to be able to look back. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say. I found it particularly interesting to look back at the speech George Bush made after the attack upon the World Trade Centre: such a terrible day, made somehow worse by what has followed it. It's also important to remember the relatives who, displaying immense compassion and real humanity said they didn't want any other people to die in an act of retributuion in the name of their loved ones. Thousands died in 9/11 and now far more have died since then, killed in the war against Terror. How is the world any better, or safer after all this? Is the grief any less?
It seems to be quite the opposite. London has been bombed. Egypt has been bombed. Madrid was bombed. But at least the oil companies and the arms industry are doing well out of it, though this doesn't really seem to make me feel any better.
I have amended the speech George Bush made just to make it a bit more relevant, and a lot more accurate…
Good evening. Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes, or in their offices; secretaries, businessmen and women, military and federal workers; moms and dads, friends and neighbours. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. (Not including, of course the 25,000 Iraqi civilians who will die after we invade Iraq for the oil, a third of who will be killed by coalition forces by July 2005).
The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing, have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed; our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. (No, that’s my job, starting with the Patriot Act). These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.
America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. (If you ignore the fact that we back more right wing regimes than any other country; regimes that have killed hundreds of thousands of their own people, from Saddam in the early days to the Taliban to the genocide in Timor by the Indonesians). And no one will keep that light from shining.
Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature. And we responded with the best of America -- with the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbours who came to give blood and help in any way they could.
Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our government's emergency response plans. (Which involved me being frozen with fear and indecision in a classroom full of children (pictured at the top of the page), then I hid in Air force One until we could be sure I was safe. I also ensured that relatives of the man who we said was behind the attack, were given safe passage out of the country so you couldn’t ask any embarrassing questions about how much money me and my dad are making out of them). Our military is powerful, and it's prepared. (Just don’t ask me where it was while we were being attacked). Our emergency teams are working in New York City and Washington, D.C. to help with local rescue efforts.
Our first priority is to get help to those who have been injured, and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks. (By invading countries that had not attacked us, thus inciting them to hate us even more).
The functions of our government continue without interruption. Federal agencies in Washington which had to be evacuated today are reopening for essential personnel tonight, and will be open for business tomorrow (spying on our citizens, obstructing any investigations into corruption in high office, making sure the Saudi connection with the death of thousands of Americans is not investigated properly). Our financial institutions remain strong, (and will get stronger. The arms trade is going through the roof and my buddies will make a killing on the contracts. Also, when we invade Iraq, I’ll make it legal to buy Iraqi businesses and take the profit out of the country, thus bleeding it dry. Contracts will go to the people who bankrolled me as we carve up the country) from it, and the American economy will be open for business, as well.
The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. (As soon as my buddies, the Bin Ladens are safely out of the country and we have covered up the evidence that connects the Bush family to them). I've directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to (protecting me from prosecution) find those (not) responsible and to bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists (or women and children) who committed these acts and those who harbour them (or happen to be unfortunate enough to live in a country whose oil we want).
I appreciate so very much the members of Congress who have joined me in strongly condemning these attacks (and not mentioning the fact that I staged a coup and am not your democratically elected leader). And on behalf of the American people, I thank the many world leaders who have called to offer their condolences and assistance.
America and our friends and allies (Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia and Mongolia to name a few who we pressurised by threat to withdraw business and aid if they did not join us and give the appearance of a united front in the war against terror) join with all those who want peace and security in the world, (which means if you don’t want to go to war alongside us to carve up other countries to hand over to the oil industry, you’re not in favour of peace) and we stand together to win the war against terrorism. (By pissing off a lot of people and inciting hatred by killing innocent people). Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, (and will be shattered when we invade Afghanistan on the premise of looking for Bin Laden (who we then decide is irrelevant) destroying the Taliban who we supported and financed along with the Bin Laden family, and when we invade Iraq on the premise of looking for WMD (of which there were none)) for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, (like the shadow of a B52 Bomber as it flies over the desert to deliver it’s payload of death) I fear no evil, for You are with me."
This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day. Yet, we go forward to defend freedom (by restricting information, lying and undermining basic freedoms enshrined in the Constitution, locking people up without trial or recourse to legal representation, controlling the media and killing those who get in our way) all that is good and just in our world.
