A comment on Van Jones and the 9/11 Truth 'movement'
The Webster Retort
Sunday, September 6, 2009

Following several days of relentless assault by the right-wing media, Obama's Green Jobs "czar" has called it quits. After right-wing blogs uncovered his signature on a 9/11 Truth statement, Fox News went into overdrive, and boy, did it ever get ugly.

Here's a brief sample, aired Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009:

It all started when he made an overly-generalizing statement -- calling all Republicans assholes. Then the 9/11 shoe dropped and the heat was on. Van Jones almost immediately recanted his minor inclusion in the Truth movement ... Although, I'm not even sure you can call it a movement anymore.

For a man who could have become at once the greatest advocate of the legitimate, lingering questions surrounding the 9/11 attacks -- and the greatest distraction to the Obama administration -- to recant the statement is cowardly, but to quit is divine.

He did the right thing.

However, it was not his toe in the waters of dissent that knocked him ... It was his very poor-taste comment on the Columbine massacre, in my opinion. I would not be surprised to learn that Obama himself pulled the trigger on this resignation. And he's probably quite agitated with whomever was responsible for vetting Jones in the first place.

Regardless ...

Van Jones now has the ear of any media outlet he wishes to speak with. Anywhere he goes, I'm willing to wager the 9/11 statement comes up.

If this man is not a coward, we'll see an interview sometime soon where he is forced to defend the very reasonable action of Questioning Authority, or scurry away like a cockroach. Will he make a political calculation? Or stand up for what he really believes?

(How funny. I've been wondering the same about Obama and public health insurance for some time now.)

Inasmuch as the whole 9/11 topic could soon become radioactive in mainline politics, with the GOP appearing eager to wield it like a blunt propaganda weapon, I see it as the responsibility of those who still preach the gospel of doubt to moderate their message and get out in the media and public now, or risk seeing the matter effectively buried in the public mind.

Those 9/11 petitions are going to become a political goldmine for Republicans, who are sure to begin hunting for other mainline politicos, journalists and others who found the 9/11 Commission Report hard to swallow.

I am a 9/11 Truth'er, though I would not portend any theory.

I have no answers. All I have is doubt. My only conclusion is to question.

Were this the attitude and public message put forward by others of like-mind, their arguments, headlined and concluding with questions, not theories, would have a better chance at really penetrating the mainstream discussion.

With the sacrifice of Van Jones' career in public life, remnants of the 9/11 Truth movement are in serious jeopardy of never being taken seriously again.

Now is their time. The discussion has been given an opening to mainstream thought once again. Will they be pummeled for it?

Let's see how they react.

Meanwhile, I've republished my Fort Worth Weekly cover story on former Army Intelligence Analyst Donald Buswell, who was fired, demoted, ordered to undergo a mental health exam and accused of "making statements disloyal to the United States" when he sent an e-mail doubting the 9/11 Commission Report.

I'd love to watch Fox News try and grill Him.

http://www.webster-retort.com/2009/09/comment-on-van-jones-and-911-truth.html