Turn 9/11 rubble into a killing machine? Hello? ....
martin samuel...."the times"...
""THE CLICH? goes that Americans do not understand irony. Not true. Seinfeld ran for 181 episodes and TV Guide rated it the best comedy show ever. Maybe they just didn’t get it in the New York Governor’s office, or at the Pentagon. A warship is to be built in part from the wreckage of the fallen World Trade Centre. No? Oh, come on, this is good stuff here. Anyone in from out of town? Hello? Hello? Is this thing on?
Shortly after the September 11 tragedy George Pataki, the Governor of New York State, contacted Gordon England, the Secretary of the United States Navy, with the request that the name of his state be given to a surface warship, engaged in the War on Terror. Usually state names are reserved for submarines.
On August 28, 2002, Mr Pataki’s wish was granted with the result that 24 tons of steel from the stricken buildings was taken to New Orleans and put to use by Northrop Grumman Systems in the construction of an amphibious assault ship that should be ready next year. In this way, the 2,800 souls that perished as an indirect result of an interventionist foreign policy that achieved the exact opposite of its stated aims can be honoured by a vessel built to ensure that this flawed cycle of violence continues. The USS New York will carry 360 soldiers and 700 combat-ready Marines. It puts to sea with the motto: “Never forget.” Except they do. They always do.
No sooner had work begun on the New York when the Secretary of the Navy announced that sister ships were to be built called the USS Arlington, after the Pentagon site that was hit by terrorists, and the USS Somerset, the Pennsylvania county in which Flight 93 came down. The ships would commemorate the attacks, if that is the right word, which it is plainly not. Exactly what is being commemorated anyway? Not the memory of the victims, as nothing is known of how they want to be remembered, and certainly not whether they would wish a warship to be dedicated in their name. Who knows in which direction their anger would be channelled? It could be that some of the dead might have thought over-reliance on warships was their downfall in the first place.
In essence what is being commemorated here is failure; the failure of American foreign policy to protect fully the interests of its citizens or make their world a safer place. America came under attack because the actions of successive governments have made it the enemy to large swaths of humanity. Anti-Americanism is growing alarmingly because, since September 11, the world’s most powerful nation has continued to alienate and divide even its allies. While not excusing wicked acts committed by terrorists, it would be foolish to view the behaviour of terrorists as motiveless. If we regard terrorism as the work of madmen and unrelated to our relationship with their world, we learn nothing from history.""
and i thought libs were all about recycling....
hmmmmmmm............
note to self...
when the time comes to save europe (again), do so without the use of evil imperialist warships.....
excuse me while i go into the loo, to take a "martin" and wipe my "samuel"....
martin samuel...."the times"...
""THE CLICH? goes that Americans do not understand irony. Not true. Seinfeld ran for 181 episodes and TV Guide rated it the best comedy show ever. Maybe they just didn’t get it in the New York Governor’s office, or at the Pentagon. A warship is to be built in part from the wreckage of the fallen World Trade Centre. No? Oh, come on, this is good stuff here. Anyone in from out of town? Hello? Hello? Is this thing on?
Shortly after the September 11 tragedy George Pataki, the Governor of New York State, contacted Gordon England, the Secretary of the United States Navy, with the request that the name of his state be given to a surface warship, engaged in the War on Terror. Usually state names are reserved for submarines.
On August 28, 2002, Mr Pataki’s wish was granted with the result that 24 tons of steel from the stricken buildings was taken to New Orleans and put to use by Northrop Grumman Systems in the construction of an amphibious assault ship that should be ready next year. In this way, the 2,800 souls that perished as an indirect result of an interventionist foreign policy that achieved the exact opposite of its stated aims can be honoured by a vessel built to ensure that this flawed cycle of violence continues. The USS New York will carry 360 soldiers and 700 combat-ready Marines. It puts to sea with the motto: “Never forget.” Except they do. They always do.
No sooner had work begun on the New York when the Secretary of the Navy announced that sister ships were to be built called the USS Arlington, after the Pentagon site that was hit by terrorists, and the USS Somerset, the Pennsylvania county in which Flight 93 came down. The ships would commemorate the attacks, if that is the right word, which it is plainly not. Exactly what is being commemorated anyway? Not the memory of the victims, as nothing is known of how they want to be remembered, and certainly not whether they would wish a warship to be dedicated in their name. Who knows in which direction their anger would be channelled? It could be that some of the dead might have thought over-reliance on warships was their downfall in the first place.
In essence what is being commemorated here is failure; the failure of American foreign policy to protect fully the interests of its citizens or make their world a safer place. America came under attack because the actions of successive governments have made it the enemy to large swaths of humanity. Anti-Americanism is growing alarmingly because, since September 11, the world’s most powerful nation has continued to alienate and divide even its allies. While not excusing wicked acts committed by terrorists, it would be foolish to view the behaviour of terrorists as motiveless. If we regard terrorism as the work of madmen and unrelated to our relationship with their world, we learn nothing from history.""
and i thought libs were all about recycling....
hmmmmmmm............
note to self...
when the time comes to save europe (again), do so without the use of evil imperialist warships.....
excuse me while i go into the loo, to take a "martin" and wipe my "samuel"....
