The Truth is Not Enough: How to Overcome Emotional Barriers to 9/11 Truth

( Initial posting at 911truth.org : http://911truth.org/article.php?story=20090506155958670 )

by Ken Jenkins
May 1, 2009

How many times has this happened to you? You are explaining to someone some of the rational, logical reasons why the official story of 9/11 can't be true, perhaps explaining how WTC 7 fell in the exact manner of a professionally planned controlled demolition -- a job which would typically take weeks to prepare -- when out comes a 'thought stopper' phrase like:

"That's just another conspiracy theory!" or ...

"Do you also believe in Big Foot and tin foil hats?"

Or perhaps the person gets angry and/or agitated. Facts no longer matter at that point, and you can tell the person does not want to hear any more. For example, the following response came from someone after they were given a 20-minute summary of 9/11 Truth information:

"I wouldn't believe that, even if it were true!"

That reaction defies all logic and reason. But it clearly illustrates just how irrational some peoples' defenses can be. Here are a few more honest responses/defenses:

"As long as my wife and kids are fine and we can live the life style we have, the truth is, I don't really care what happened on 9/11."
"I would not want to live in a world where such a thing could be true."
"You can't expect someone to listen to information that turns their world upside down."
"I'm not sure I want to know. If this is true, then up would be down and down would be up. My life would never be the same."
"Look, I have to admit that I seriously resist anyone messing with my worldview!"

Why So Much Resistance to 9/11 Truth?

Ostrich Head in SandSuch reactions are emotionally based. 9/11 is a very emotionally charged issue. The source of the denial and resistance is FEAR. The implications of 9/11 Truth are very scary for most people to take in. Given that a part of our government's job description is keeping its citizens safe, it's terrifying to consider that a secret rogue part of our government will do just the opposite -- mass murder those very citizens, in order to advance dark agendas -- like wars for corporate empire. To further consider that associated 'secret teams' would then put out corporate media cover-up stories, in the form of an elaborate fantasy story backed up with planted evidence, and to think that story was nearly universally accepted without question -- this is the stuff of nightmares.

Then there is the difficulty of accepting the self-image shattering realization that we were duped by such cover story lies. 9/11 Truth suggests a very uncomfortable and disturbing worldview, especially to those new to such concepts. The intensity of fear brought up by these vast implications causes defence mechanisms to take over our rational thought processes. Such denial most often overrides rationality.

What's a 9/11 Truth Activist To Do?

How can we overcome such powerful denial? What knowledge about these emotional barriers can empower us to be more effective in reaching larger numbers of our fellow citizens?

Start out by asking questions to find out what the person you are addressing currently thinks and feels about the 9/11 Truth message. Adjust your approach based on what you hear. Based on their responses, reach out and connect though empathy, to express to them an understanding of their difficult position. It's not that hard to do -- after all, most of us went through a similar process of conversion at some point, when we were in denial and uninformed about 9/11. Let them know about your own doubts, how you had a difficult time believing that the official story was false. Explain how upsetting it was for you to consider the alternative -- those very inconvenient truths. Even for those of us who were not upset by the idea of 9/11 being an inside job, there was often a difficulty in wrapping our heads around the enormity of it all. Talk about your own difficulties in rejecting the official story.

Reasons for Resistance to the Truth

There are a number of valid reasons why many of us resist the truth of 9/11. What follows are some major ones.

A. The Big Lie: I'll start with the 'Big Lie' because it was the main barrier that kept me from fully accepting the truth of 9/11 as I was researching it in the weeks after the event. The sheer audacity of pulling off something so outrageous in broad daylight, thinking they would get away with it, and the large scale of it all kept me doubting for weeks. My turning point was learning about what really happened at Pearl Harbor -- the many warnings that were ignored, the Japanese secret codes that the US had broken, etc. This new understanding, that the attack on Pearl Harbor was clearly allowed to happen, was what finally had me fully accept 9/11 Truth. The comparable number that were deliberately mass murdered, the scale of the event, the audacity, and the 60 years of largely successful cover-up all showed me that a Big Lie had happened before, and worked to fool most of the public, and not all that long ago. It was only later I discovered these quotes:

"The individual is handicapped by coming face to face with a conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists." ~ J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI

"The masses indulge in petty falsehoods every day, but it would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths. ... The bigger the lie, therefore, the likelier it is to be believed." ~ Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf

B. Major Paradigm Shift: Questioning the official story of 9/11 threatens the foundations of our society, or at least seems to. It challenges our fellow citizens' belief systems regarding the nature of our government, and even the very nature of our nation. Such questioning is far more profound than, say, questioning a war. Accepting the truth of 9/11 is, for many, a major paradigm shift, an inverting of their worldview. Such shifts risk a period of chaos and uncertainty, which many find scary.

C. Blind Nationalist Faith: 9/11 Truth is a confrontation with the self-image that many Americans have -- of their country and of themselves. The self-image Americans have been sold though our school systems and media is that we are the exceptional nation, the good guys wearing the white hats, the bringers of democracy and freedom. Such nationalistic faith can exceed religious faith in its dogmatic blindness. David Ray Griffin has an article on this subject elsewhere in this issue. [See article ps. XX-XX] and, Dr. Griffin also addresses these issues in a DVD titled "9/11 and Nationalist Faith."

D. Projecting Parental Duties on Authorities: In his book As If We Were Grownups, author Jeff Golden's thoughtful assertion is that, "We consistently elect [political] candidates who tell us what children would want to hear. Children want to hear that everything is okay, that little is required of them, that they can go out and play or watch TV, and that they'll be taken care of and protected. In exchange, they are expected to be seen and not heard, to pay their taxes, to take their flu shots, and to not question the authorities."

E. Admission of Gullibility: Anyone we are introducing 9/11 Truth to now has believed the official story for years. To accept 9/11 Truth they have to admit they were duped, deceived, and manipulated for all that time. That brings up questions of gullibility, naïveté, lack of perceptiveness, obliviousness, etc. Most of us have resistance to admitting such shortcomings. Astronomer Carl Sagan sums it up nicely:

"One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It is simply too painful to acknowledge -- even to ourselves -- that we've been so credulous [i.e. gullible]."

F. The Rabbit Hole Effect -- Wider Implications: To believe 9/11 Truth, one also has to believe many other difficult truths, such as:

  • Parts of our corporate media must be incredibly corrupt to be complicit in such a massive cover-up;
  • There must be a powerful, secret, hidden government that is capable of planning and executing such a horrible and unthinkable act;
  • Some of our leaders are more corrupt and malicious than most of us would want to believe.

But one has only to remember the words of philosopher and statesman, Edmund Burke, to understand how corruption tends to prosper especially in good times:
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

G. Apathy and Complacency: Radio talk show host Mike Rivero sheds some light on why so many people are apathetic and complacent about changing their beliefs:

"Most people prefer to believe their leaders are just and fair even in the face of evidence to the contrary, because once a citizen acknowledges that the government under which they live is lying and corrupt, the citizen has to choose what he or she will do about it. To take action in the face of a corrupt government entails risks of harm to life and loved ones. To choose to do nothing is to surrender one's self-image of standing for principles. Most people do not have the courage to face that choice. Hence, most propaganda is not designed to fool the critical thinker but only to give moral cowards an excuse not to think at all."

H. PTSD -- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: 9/11 was first and foremost a psyop, shorthand for a Psychological Operation. It is a term used by secret services like the CIA to describe a class of operations that are intended to manipulate the emotions of populations; it is a form of mind control.
The specific intention of 9/11 was to terrorize the American people into supporting the so-called "war on terror," which is a replacement for the cold war's "war on communism." It's a blank check for the US government and the American military-industrial-complex to attack anyone, anywhere they want, anytime they want -- to support the empire.

The psyop initially worked for a vast majority of US citizens, and for many, it is still working.

The terror that so many felt during and after the attacks left many people, particularly in New York City, with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder -- PTSD. To revisit those events, as is necessary to expose the truth of 9/11, can retrigger that stress and add to the other discomforts that are already intrinsic to that same truth we are revealing. The desire to minimize re-experiencing that trauma causes people to back away. We need to go easy on those who exhibit such stress.

I. Lack of Knowledge of Historical Parallels or Patterns: While not strictly an emotional issue, the ignorance most people have about the many false flag events used to justify wars throughout history also has a psychological component. Our ability to conceptualize new information is dependent on having a frame of reference, that is, already knowing something similar, in order to be able to anchor a new thought. The lack of such historical reference points, therefore, can be yet another source of resistance. This blockage is perhaps the easiest one to deal with -- by educating people about the long history of false flag events used for triggering wars.

The Awakening Will Take Time

These are most of the major reasons why so many people resist 9/11 Truth. By understanding them, we can meet people with empathy and understanding, and have more patience with them. Patience is so important because for most, awakening to 9/11 Truth is a gradual process, often taking weeks, months, or even years. In light of that, try to be sensitive when presenting evidence, so as to notice when a person is 'full' -- when they have heard enough for the moment, and need space to digest and absorb the new, and often, disturbing concepts.

The good news is that with all that is happening now in our post-9/11 world, particularly with the public knowledge of the lies about WMDs and Saddam being linked to al Qaeda and 9/11 that led us into war with Iraq, people's minds are opening wider every day. More and more people are waking up to the degree of corruption and deception that is routine in our government. Every day they learn more about how the corporate media have been complicit in lies and cover-ups. Trust in such corporate and governmental institutions is now at an all time low, and dropping. This makes people far more open to the 9/11 Truth message. In a very real sense, our job is getting easier.

The truth alone is not enough, but the truth plus strategic thinking, planning and educating is enough to convince most fence-sitters. As David Hutton, author of The Change Agents' Handbook, says: "You do not have to spend a lot of time and effort on those who strongly resist change. You only have to help and protect those who want to change." Understanding the various emotional obstacles is an essential part of such a strategy.

It's been over seven years for some of us who have been working to expose the truth about 9/11. It will likely take several more years, but we will win -- as long as we work smart and don't give up. The truth will be revealed, and the resultant awakening will lead to the kind of deep changes that are so necessary to create a more positive future.

______________________________

9/11 activist and video producer Ken Jenkins has a degree in electrical engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University, and has done extensive postgraduate study in psychology. A pioneer in the 9/11 movement, Ken started presenting his PowerPoint and video productions on 9/11 Truth in early 2002, and has since spoken at five national 9/11 conferences. His first video, "Perspective on 9/11" was originally made for those early presentations. He has since produced ten DVDs with leading 9/11 Truth author David Ray Griffin, including "9/11 -- The Myth and the Reality". He is also a partner in 9/11 TV (911TV.org), which has documented speakers from many 9/11 conferences and events. The resulting DVDs are distributed partly through local cable access channels nationwide. By revealing the "false flag" nature of the 9/11 attacks, it is Ken's intention to not only help end the current bogus "war on terror" but to also open the way to ending war as a political option on this planet.

All rights reserved. Copyright belongs to the author. (Permission granted to repost at 911truth.org)

Frequently Asked Questions About 9/11

by Ken Jenkins

What follows are concise answers to the most frequently asked questions and objections related to the 9/11 Truth message.

1. "9/11 is ancient history -- it's time to move on."
Our entire world took a radical and dark turn as a direct result of 9/11. As things stand, the phony "war on terror" will continue to last "for a lifetime" as we were promised, wasting resources -- human, natural and economic -- while justifying empire, repressive police state policies, and keeping people afraid. The Obama administration is shifting the "war on terror" from Iraq back to Afghanistan, and is also now bombing Pakistan. Only 9/11 Truth can reverse this trend of endless war.

2. "Yes, but Bush & Company have left office. Not much we can do, is there?"
9/11 Truth has less to do with the perpetrators than with a corrupt set of systems, which allow psychopaths like Cheney and the neocons to pull off a scam like 9/11. The problems are far more deep and profound than a few bad actors.

3. "How could the whole of the mainstream media be complicit?"
A few gatekeepers at the top control the corporate media. Consider this quote from former CIA Director William Colby: "The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) owns everyone of any significance in the major media." Google "Operation Mockingbird" to learn some of the history of the controlled corporate media. Mockingbird was a secret CIA campaign to influence domestic and foreign media in the 1950s, made public in 1975 during the Church committee investigation. Soon after Mockingbird was implemented, it was assessed to be a 'spectacular success.'

4. How could such a large conspiracy be kept secret for so long? It must have involved thousands of people?
The conspiracy was not all that large. Most likely, only a few dozen people were central to the plot. Others involved were compartmentalized dupes who were not in on the planning. Also, our government has kept many far bigger major operations secret for many years, such as the Manhattan Project (1939-1946.) That Top Secret program was designed to develop the first atomic weapon before the Nazis did during WWII and employed 130,000 people.

5. "What about the guys who you claim 'wired' the buildings? Wouldn't they have spoken up by now?"
They are guilty of being part of a mass murder and would likely get the death penalty. They were likely well paid and now living in luxury, most likely outside this country. What would be their incentive for speaking up? If they did so, they'd be instantly silenced by the others.

6. "What happened to all the passengers?"
They died. That part of the official conspiracy theory is true.

7. "So, if you don't believe the official story, what really happened then?"
All we know for certain is that the official story cannot be true. We don't know all the details of what happened. That's why we want a real investigation -- with subpoena powers -- to find out what really did occur.

8. "Not even the Bush administration would do something so evil."
These are the same guys responsible for over a million deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus hundreds of deaths of first responders at Ground Zero. A few thousand more mean little to such psychopaths.

9. "The Bush administration was too incompetent to pull off such a complex plan."
The Bush administration only ordered the operation; it was designed and implemented by professionals behind the scenes. Plus, these are the same people who pulled off the major scam of taking us to war with Iraq based on lies, with help from the complicit corporate media. They avoided impeachment for over 50 impeachable offenses. They stole two elections. This is hardly incompetence.

10. "But isn't terrorism a real threat?"
The answer to this is best described by former British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook: "The truth is, there is no Islamic army or terrorist group called al Qaeda. And any informed intelligence officer knows this. But there is a propaganda campaign to make the public believe in the presence of an identified entity representing the 'devil' only in order to drive the TV watcher to accept a unified international leadership for a war against terrorism. The country behind this propaganda is the US ..."

11. "Didn't Osama bin Laden confess to doing 9/11?"
No. Right after 9/11 he denied any involvement, and later repeated this message. The one alleged confession video has been shown to be a fake, with an imposter, a look-alike playing bin Laden. Also, bin Laden is not even wanted by the FBI for 9/11, due to "a lack of evidence", according to FBI spokesperson, Rex Tomb.

12. "This sounds like just a conspiracy theory to me."
The official story is a conspiracy theory. It's by definition a conspiracy because more than one person was involved in planning a crime. And the official story is just a theory because it has never been proven, in a court of law or anywhere else.

13. "Didn't the 9/11 Commission prove the case?"
No, not at all, it didn't even attempt to. The 9/11 Commission Report started with the assumption that the official story was true. Commission Director and Bush administration insider, Philip Zeikow, wrote a detailed outline for the report before the Commissioners even met, and was in charge of every aspect of the Commission, including writing the final report. They did not consider alternative theories. The report did not even mention the collapse of WTC Building 7.

14. "What possible motivation would the Bush administration have for ordering the 9/11 scam?"
The motivation is revealed by the very results that were implemented right after 9/11 (qui bono? -- who benefits?). It is now known that the Bush administration started discussing how to start wars with Afghanistan and Iraq during their first month in office. 9/11 gave them the pretext for those wars (with some additional lies about WMDs to kickstart the invasion of Iraq). They wanted and got far more power and control. They got all the things that the PNAC (Project for a New American Century) said they wanted in the year 2000. Rumsfeld, Cheney, and Jeb Bush, as well as most of the leading neocons were all members of the PNAC, and signatories on the paper Rebuilding America's Defenses, which specifically called for "a catalyzing event like a new Pearl Harbor."

If we are well prepared to answer these types of questions whenever they come up, we can then be more effective in educating skeptics about the real truth. The most ardent skeptics often make the best Truthers once converted. And once converted, a person rarely, if ever, turns back to believing the big lie that is called the 'official story.'

Great article

I have seen all these objections raised by those whom I was introducing this subject to. This article is right on the money, although it misses the obvious psychological defense of cognitive dissonance. Thanks for finding it, and for posting it.

Fantastic

A great write-up. A+. Thanks!

Excellent article!

Will copy and use on the unsuspecting!

Sums it all up perfectly

This is an outstanding article, summarizing all the key points and a lot more. It is a really perceptive and insightful analysis that I think every 9/11 truth activist would benefit from reading. Bravo!

If there is anything I would add to this, it is that by introducing someone new to 9/11 truth, you are at least making them aware of what the 9/11 truth movement is alleging about what really happened on September 11. So even if that person angrily rejects everything you say, you have at least taken them on the important first step toward changing their perception of 9/11, by showing them that an alternative interpretation of that day's events exists, which is believed by many people.
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http://www.shoestring911.blogspot.com

Yes, the myth of american exceptionalism

[brainwashed bumfuck redneck american]

Gawd bley-uss Ah-murka!

It is the best thing to happen to HYOO-MANITY since SLAHCED BREY-UD!

Excyooz me, Ih need to go fire up the grill out back, fly mah flag high, put sum new Murkan flag bumper stickers ohn mah Jeep, and cel-uh-brate that Ih live in the cuntree with the most awesome guvmit in the world that would never doo mee no wrong! And how da Ih know dat? Cawz this cuntree is BLEY-USSED BY GAWD!"

[/brainwashed bumfuck redneck american]

Sorry for the language but I simply can't contain my seething, seething disdain for the blind nationalist patriots. Given that America basically controls the world, and these uber-patriots are holding back America, we can essentially say they are holding back all of humanity.

What's really sad though is that even intelligent, more-or-less open-minded and even "progressive" people like my parents are in deep denial about this.

And in Cincy I live amongst many, probably higher than average, of the above caricatured example. Enough to understand one thing: certainly not ALL anti-truthers on forums or article comment threads are paid shills. Some really are just ordinary citizens in denial.

When I was doing street action holding a "911 was an inside job" sign, one young couple in their 20's were offended: She said: "Uh, my hubby served two tours of duty in Iraq. Go away. Please go away with that sign." I open my mouth to speak, but before I can: "Go away! GO AWAY! [beginning to vigorously wave her hand to shoo me away] GO AWAY!!!!!"

Ye gods. Even according to the official historical record, Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. But clearly that couple thought otherwise.

She was one of a number. Some other gems included: An aging man who shook his head in disgust and said, when I opened my mouth to speak: "Don't even fuckin' talk to me, I'm a Viet Nam Veteran!" So I guess he's still in denial about that war too. We also did get some hecklings of "Get a job!" etc. Another man about same age as the Viet Nam Vet looked at our "inside job sign" and said: "I dare ya to go to New York and try tellin' em that!" To which I proudly responded "I already did! On the 5th anniversary!" He was so pissed, he walked away but kept relatively close in the park area, never taking his eyes off us and even from a distance you could see his lips were cursing us.

I did some facebook searching. There are several anti-truther groups there with, thankfully, low member numbers (i.e. less than 100, versus the 26,500 members of the group "9/11 truth movement") and some of the wall posts are unbelievably moronic, like "If you don't realize we're in Iraq to fight terrorists who hate us, you should pack up and move to Canada you pot-smoking, liberal hippie Commie fag!"

I used to wonder how the Germans in the 1930's could have been so blind to logic and reason, and so easy to brainwash with propaganda. I wonder no more.

My sentiments exactly

That's how it is. And I'd especially like to underscore your last sentence, as somebody whose family was affected by the occupation.

Thanks.

I actually just a moment ago completed a major edit to that post and added much more stuff; hit refresh in case you missed it!

You got it

I sympathize completely--which is why I find the DVD of David Ray Griffin's speaking about 'nationalist faith' to be so valuable.

Equating 'country' with 'government' and 'ruling class,' then placing 'country' thus misconstrued higher than any god or morality, and you have the essence of a fascist mentality. And, from the standpoint of religious belief, a heretical mentality to boot.

People elsewhere who have adopted this mentality with respect to their country are understood to be crazy, wacko, dangerous; but when it comes to THIS country, well, then it's considered crazy, wacko, and dangerous to REJECT this mentality and call it by its fascist name.

Watch out for little old ladies....

Watch out for little old ladies with handbags as the really can hurt you if your not ready for them, lol.

It takes real guts to stand up to ignorance in the street, we need more people willing to do so.

The 11th of May approaches so please get visible as part of the "11th Day of Every Month Campaign"!

Regards John

9/11 24/7 UNTIL JUSTICE!!
www.truthaction.org.au

Thank you Mr. Jenkins!

We need more articles on the psychology of 9/11 truth resistance. Speaking of psychology, can anyone out there write about how to cope with knowing the truth and feeling ostracized all the time?

No, I go around dumbfounded & aghast that the masses are...

Ostrich-cized -noun- the process by which a relatively intelligent person being fed a steady diet of bullshit, knows no other choice but to keep his or her head in the dirt.

North Texans for 911 Truth
http://www.northtexas911truth.com/
North Texans for 911 Truth Meetup Site
http://9-11.meetup.com/249/

Let's take a look at part of my last post:

"I did some facebook searching. There are several anti-truther groups there with, thankfully, low member numbers (i.e. less than 100, versus the 26,500 members of the group "9/11 truth movement")"

That's what I'm thinking about today to give me comfort. The biggest 9/11 group on facebook is entitled "9/11: Never Forget, God Bless" and it has 35,000 members. Of course, fb groups have walls and discussion forums, and while there is this prevailing sentiment that the official story is true, definitely some of those 35,000 people are truthers who are trying to get the word out by joining the group.

But then the no. 2 most populous 9/11 fb group is "9/11 Truth Movement." And there are almost 27,000 members, and they have gained about 3,000 members in just the last month or so. And of these 27,000 people, probably no more than a few dozen at most are anti-truther shills. Most ordinary citizen anti-truthers (i.e. not paid blog trolls) would probably feel too "dirty" joining the group.

Remember this:

topratedbutcensored911idea.com

I noticed that the change.org fiasco NEVER ONCE got mentioned by our arch-opposition, ScrewLooseChange. Because it defeats their unfounded talking point that virtually no one cares about 9/11 "troof."

A huge number of people are very receptive to 9/11 Truth.

ZachM, by handing out 100's or thousands of DVDs/flyers to people you will discover that many, many people are very receptive.

Thanks, Tom

Thanks Tom, it sounds like the climate might be better than 2 years ago, when I last tried handing out information. Thanks to everyone else who replied too.

one way to cope

One way to cope is to realize that you carry the 'burden of reality', and carrying this burden is a spiritual thing. You are suffering because you want the world to be a better place. Psychological suffering can be as bad as or worse than physical suffering. This is a sacrifice to humanity and a gift to god. This is my opinion and I don't know if I am right. I also do not judge anyone who does not agree with me about this. This is one way I deal with this burden. Kinda like taking one for the team.

Yes

This is the biggest hurdle we have to overcome. "My Country Right or Wrong." Sadly there are many Americans with this attitude. When I found out that 9/11 was an inside job I was depressed for weeks but the facts are the facts. I didn't want to believe it but I had no choice. Now I am at the point that I HATE the government. Nothing they do surprises me anymore. Pure filth. Evil to the core. What pisses me off even more is the apathy of my fellow Americans. Perhaps this financial 9/11 will change things. People seem to change when you hit them in the pocket book.

Ken does an excellent job with the psychology

I believe Ken Jenkins is an electrical engineer by profession, but he sure does an excellent job discussing the psychological aspects of 911.

I always enjoy reading what he has to say about it in this vein.

I think we are already starting to see signs of the awareness of corruption and empire (mainly for oil) caused in a large part by the exposure of 911 by the Truth movement. That is the move towards home grown Alternative Energies and Green Design.

Even if the perpetrators are not brought to justice their agenda will be destroyed.

Thanks Ken! Great work from your biggest fan!

I have to tell you it was me that encouraged Ken to write this article for Global Outlook after seeing him speak in Australia and spending a week with him. He is a true "brain specialist".....

I would suggest to any planing a conference or forum on the 9/11 issue to include Ken as a speaker. He was the most popular speaker with activists in Australia when he came here in 08 and I am having him back this year.

I hope Ken continues to speak and write about this aspect of our movement, thanks again Ken for this great resource!

Kind regards John

9/11 24/7 UNTIL JUSTICE!!
www.truthaction.org.au

Problem with the passengers

Regarding: 6. "What happened to all the passengers?"
They died. That part of the official conspiracy theory is true.

I’m going to pick on this one to make a point. I don’t think this is the correct answer. The correct answer should be, “We don’t know what happened to all the passengers.”

I say that because of one of the points David Ray Griffin makes in his latest book, The New Pearl Harbor Revisited. He devotes a whole chapter to the reasons the evidence casts serious doubt on the hijackers part of the official story. (I probably should make a more positive statement, in that the evidence seems to suggest the hijackers story was a preplanned explanation that got found out as being false when the FBI wouldn’t support it in court.) I really think an objective person, after reading that chapter, would conclude something like, “we don’t know how those planes were piloted.”

My follow-on observation to that question and answer is that we have no evidence pilots were onboard the airplanes. In fact, I think it much more likely the airplanes were remotely piloted. Assuming it was an inside job, and we know the remotely-piloted technology was available and had been used already for intentionally crashing transport aircraft, I can’t think of any reason the black ops would reject that proven technology and substitute onboard pilots on suicide missions.

Now, if the planes were remotely piloted, I can’t imagine anyone loading a bunch of innocent passengers onboard so they could die in these crashes. Much more plausible is to put them in some sort of witness protection program and force them to quietly live out different lives. This is a really hard part to contemplate, but I think it makes more sense than other possibilities.

Now, let’s say you reason this through, and agree, this is the most plausible possibility. The question then is, do you even bring this up when you are trying to convince someone there are serious problems with the official story? I think not. This whole idea of sending passengers from these four planes off to some witness protection program, where they are told to live out the remainder of their lives out of touch with their loved ones is just too far beyond anything reasonable people will contemplate.

Therefore, we don’t want to go here. We need to divert any discussion of this possibility early on. Then the question is, do we answer the question about the passengers as has been proposed, by saying, “they died”? Or, do we leave the door open a bit, and say, “we don’t know what happened”?

Dwain

Correct - we don't know

I am heartsick.

Psychology

All these points are good. A lot of people who identify with the "Left" seem to fall for #8. Heck, Cheney and Bush got us not only into Afghanistan and Iraq, they were salivating oil during their attempts to invade Iran, and probably would have gone into Syria if given the choice. Causing human deaths was obviously not a psychological deterrent to these guys.

Also on the topic of psychology, it's curious the accusations that are leveled against disbelievers of the Official Conspiracy Tale. Sometimes we are accused of owning a pre-set idea of what happened, and then holding tenaciously to that and "fixing" the evidence around our "pre-set" theory. Considering that a great many of us came to our own realizations reluctantly, and originally did not question the OCT, that idea of possessing a pre-set idea of what happened, is as ludicrous as the one about "dishonoring the victims" by seeking to learn what really occurred on 9/11.

Very likely, in the future many books will be written about the psychology of 9/11, how people bought the story "hook, line, and sinker," and how many simply refused to let go of their pre-set OCT version.

Must say, I am pleased with the sparks of optimism. It's inspiring.

I find a huge number of people are very receptive to 9/11 Truth.

After speaking to thousands of people about 9/11, I find that a huge number of people are very receptive. I don't waste much effort trying to explain things, but rather I insist that they need to look at a DVD.
There is no substitute for a film...DVDs or online videos are our best form of dissemination.
The primary objective is to get people to LOOK, to view the evidence. If someone refuses to LOOK, then I move on to someone who is willing to look.

I appreciate the nice write-up of successful actions on handling questions about 9/11 with people, or their barriers to approaching the subject. This is another tool to add in helping with my dissemination.

Thanks for the new set of tools!

Great article. I will be using this as a guide regularly. Thank you George and a of course thanks to Ken Jenkins.

precedents

I. Lack of Knowledge of Historical Parallels or Patterns

9/11 does have a precedent - Operation Northwoods

With regards to "cognitive dissonance" - I think all the reasons and excuses in this article could come under the umbrella of this general term.

I intend to do a piece of on-line research and this article could be of some help.

Three comments

1) Jenkins speaks in "B" about Major Paradigm Shift and "F" about Wider Implications. I think there's an important variation on those among some who are longtime, deeply committed ideological activists and/or intellectuals:

9/11 is such an striking, overwhelming, elephant-in-the-living-room, that it poses a threat to those who are conceptually invested in something else. Here someone has made it their calling to promote this, that, and/or the other thing (e.g. attaining national healthcare; getting more workers unionized; ending central banking; fighting gun control; _whatever_), and then here comes along these 9/11 truthers with a thesis so arresting, so almost paranormally extraordinary in its implications, that it appears at first to leave any other agenda in the dust.

Under those circumstances, it can take exceptional clarity of mind and humility of disposition to entertain the false flag explanation.

2) Jenkins speaks of "Cheney and the neocons" as "psychopaths." Hey, a psychopath can be nice. (Think of Van Gogh.) I think the better word choice here is "sociopaths." (These guys aren't nutjobs. They're ruthless, calculating criminals.)

3) "5. 'What about the guys who you claim "wired" the buildings? Wouldn't they have spoken up by now?'
"They are guilty of being part of a mass murder and would likely get the death penalty. They were likely well paid and now living in luxury, most likely outside this country. What would be their incentive for speaking up? If they did so, they'd be instantly silenced by the others."

The guys who wired the buildings were old, reliable hands at undercover operations, with specialized backgrounds in controlled demolition. The planners weren't going to hire the Three Stooges.

Setting aside that such a stoolie would undoubtedly be assassinated (with sure knowledge that his loved ones would be savagely tortured before eventually being murdered):

The mainstream media ignores all this stuff anyway. It's uninterested in what Willie Rodriguez, Scott Forbes, and Sibel Edmonds have to say: Why would it then suddenly start playing up the fact that some guy claims to have helped wire the WTC for demolition? What evidence would such a potential whistle-blower have that his word might reach the general audience for news media?

Ken Jenkins Radio Interview Tomorrow Sat 5/9 5-7

Ken Jenkins: Saturday 5/9/2009, 5-7 pm Central, AmericanFreedomRadio.com
Call-in number: 512-879-3805

Tomorrow I will be interviewing two of the most dedicated and eloquent peace activists you'll ever meet. We'll be discussing their engagement in what may be the most important task of our time: helping war join chattel slavery, witch-hunting, and ritual human sacrifice as outmoded institutions of a bygone barbaric age. (With today's weapons, including mind-control weapons, war is now clearly far more horrific and disgusting than than these earlier institutions ever were.)

Saturday, May 9th, 5-7 pm Central (6-8 p.m. Eastern), on American Freedom Radio: First hour: Ken Jenkins, http://www.911tv.org.
Ken Jenkins is the author of the new article "The Truth is Not Enough: How to Overcome Emotional Barriers to 9/11 Truth" which has been going viral during the past week. An electrical engineer and videographer, Ken has been working for 9/11 truth since 2001, and has worked extensively with Dr. David Ray Griffin. In a recent email, Ken wrote: " I am committed to ending war on this planet. And 9/11 truth is, IMO, the only issue that has the potential to do just that. By opening people's minds to the fact that the so called 'war on terror' was started with a false flag deception mass murder, we open up the space for the greater truth that virtually ALL wars are started based on deceptions, often including the false flag aspect. Thus we have the potential to bust the war game for good."

Where can we hear this...pod cast etc...??

Thanks Joe and I'd love you to post a link to the pod cast?

Regards John

9/11 24/7 UNTIL JUSTICE!!
www.truthaction.org.au

http://www.americanfreedomradio.com/

Jenkins will be on Kevin Barrett's Show

http://www.americanfreedomradio.com/

A few comments

There's some similarities between what truthers are having to deal with and the victims, parents and advocates of victims of child molesting Catholic Priests had to deal with from the people they had gone to Mass with every Sunday and, of course, the Catholic Church hierarchy. Maybe there's some research that can be done there on dealing with these barriers.

4 - The Allies kept D-Day such a tight secret Rommel still thought the primary invasion force was coming at Calais for a whole week after troops were on the ground in Normandy, and held 2 key SS divisions in Calais. That's a million plus Allied soldiers, sailors and airmen that successfully hid the true location of the D-Day landings from the Germans so well almost a whole week after the Allies were on the ground in Normandy.

9 - Who says they are certain 9/11 happened exactly as the neo-cons planned. I personally consider it more than somewhat likely the neo-con screwed up their 9/11 plan. The 2nd plane veered right before impact and as a result, most of it's fuel load blew up outside the building. Shortly before the collapse, the fires in that building seemed to have diminished. At least one firefighter had climbed the stairs up to the impact area and radioed back indications the remaining fires would be fairly easy to control.

12 - If I told you about a guy named Al Capone organizing a bunch of hoods in Chicago to sell booze during prohibition, would you call that a "conspiracy theory." Did Capone have tin foil inside that white fedora he always wore? Maybe Elliott Ness was an alien?

That's a good one.

I like the D-Day example. However, do note that the allied forces were actively faking preparations for invasions elsewhere on the Western European coast, making good use of the German desire to know where the invasion was going to commence. By contrast, the world was not expecting 9/11, and as such, the perpetrators could not muddy the waters with alternative dates and targets, as they wouldn't want to reveal themselves at all. (Is this logic sound? Perhaps something to think about.. ;-)

On whose orders?

Thanks very much for this thorough yet concise presentation.

I do have a problem, though, with the outright assertion that Bush and Cheney 'ordered' the 9/11 false-flag event. We still need a thorough investigation with subpoena power to get to the heart of the plot and determine who played which roles and what their relative positions and status were. But where Bush and Cheney are concerned, I see them not as ordering the overall operation rather than as being team players--designated to fill critical functions in the executive branch--in a cabal which had come together and decided on such a plan of action even prior to the 2000 elections.

('W' of course not so much of an active participant; most likely he was told of things on a need to know basis. But that doesn't mean the role which he did go on to play in making the appointments to key positions that he was expected to make prior to the event; in being content to defer to these appointees once they were in place; and as PR-man-in-chief of a 'nation in crisis'--with a folksy, 'regular guy' touch that a Cheney or Rumsfeld could never have--wasn't critical in its own way.)

At minimum, Rumsfeld and Dubya and/or Cheney gave orders

Almost the entire military infrastructure on the East Coast had to be given new orders contradicting their standing orders. Some generic one star general in the Pentagon "done gone crazy" can't do all that. Matter of fact, I tried to think of any way just Rummy could have stood the military down like that. No way. Joint chiefs are famous for leaving footprints as they go over the head of the SecDef to discuss one issue or another with allies in the White House.

Good point, but...

Alright, but here we're talking about orders being issued to the military that were necessary for carrying out the operation; that is, orders pertaining to one aspect of the overall operation. As important as such orders were for fouling up military responses on 9/11, I still stand by my prior comment in that I don't believe Bush and Cheney got it in their heads all on their own to have a major false-flag terror event on U.S. soil. And to say that they 'ordered 9/11' to me makes it sound as if they did. Rather, it was an operation that most likely had been agreed to even prior to the 2000 elections, and Bush and Cheney performed their functions as need be, including the issuing of orders to the military to help ensure the success of the false-flag terror event.

As for the Joint Chiefs, do you think the White House could withstand their opposition to something if the Secretary of Defense can't? Again, it would seem quite likely that the kind of cabal that had come together around staging a major false-flag event on U.S. soil would have included some of the top brass in the armed services--and such military leaders, again, would not have needed to receive 'orders' in order to be brought on board the plot, since they had already been supportive of having such an event.