9-11 Conspiracy???

[k3nt]

Ice,

I am really confused by what you're saying. First you're saying that I would wish I didn't know it, and then you're saying that I would be fine with knowing it. Which is it?

Anyway, I didn't write that previous post as clearly as I would have liked. Let me try again.

I imagine there are a lot of facts that would be painful to know, and that most people wouldn't want to know. (Call this "Secrets Category #1.") In these cases, well, I still think it should be up to people to decide for themselves whether to learn them or not. If the only reason to keep it secret is that it's disturbing, then make the information publicly available with strong disclaimers: WARNING, THIS SH*T WILL DISTURB YOU. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

I also am certain that there are many facts that the government keeps secret that it needs to keep secret, because doing otherwise would damage national security in a real way. (Call this "Secrets Category #2.") And those, of course, I have no problem not knowing -- I don't need to know them, it's not my business.

But there are also a buttload of federal agencies working to make information confidential that does not fall into either of those camps. Call this"Category #3". I have been paying a fair amount of attention the last year or two to cases like the newspaper one. The government just decides they don't want people to know stuff. But then it comes out what the government was trying to hide -- and it's not earth-shattering, it's not dangerous to know, it's just embarrassing to someone in government. It happens all the time.

I'm not casting doubt on the existence of Category #1 or Category #2. (I admit, my earlier post did seem to deny them.) Category #2 I have no problems with. Category #1 I object to although not super-strongly. Category #3, though, there is just no excuse for in a democracy. And if you don't believe that there is a HUGE Category #3 out there, then you haven't been paying attention.

[kennyg]

[iceman5]

[JJSCOTT2]

[iceman5]

How is it a terrible analogy? Anyone can make a video only showing their perspective and if its well done, you will believe what they want you to believe when its finished.

Especially if you already want to believe it.

[black_knight6]

I always remember Calvin in Calvin and Hobbes explaining to Hobbes how people always assume that camera's don't lie...so he wanted to create a fictional childhood - he'd clean only a corner of his bed off, and have him take a picture of JUST that part...so it looks like he has a completely clean room. Or him reading a book looking contemplative...hard to say who's right here...

[ToastedMoses]

I understand the general notion that after seeing many of these films you no longer feel the need to see any more, confident that they are all essentially flawed in the same basic ways and are therefore unlikely to be much more than a waste of your time. Fine, understood. But what I don't get is this attitude of uncomprising resistance to ever viewing material of this type again. Why close off entirely from a source of information (as disemmbling and one-sided as it may potentially be) when taking the less strident approach of discerning selectivity isn't really any harder, and opens you to the possibility of viewing something that may broaden your perspective. No one is suggesting you invest time and effort into every cockeyed, conspicacy du jour that comes along, but that every so often a confluence of factors may conspire to make one particular thing worth watching.


So consider watching it because friends and fellow posters whose opinions you may disagree with, but whose intellects you ostensibly respect, have asserted that this particular film is a cut above and that theyd like to discuss it with you. Because it'll allow you to make specific criticisms and in doing so afford you the opportunity to more effectively persuade and educate people as to why they shouldn't be taken in. Because its easy - if you can multitable while posting on BTP you can devote some fraction of your attention to a movie while writing an email or doing taxes. And finally, because at the end of the day the only way of discussing a thing analytically and with intelligence, is to sit down and view it for yourself.

... and if you do watch it, let me know if its worth seeing 'cause i'm still on the fence.

- TM

[Molina]

While this thread probably isn't the most recent on this topic, and I certainly don't mean to reopen the endless 'debate' I thought the link summarised a few of my opinions on the matter, while also being as funny as the rest of the articles on Maddox's site.



Molina

[Beavis68]