Smirking Chimp Buys Into 9-11 Denial

This comes as a bit of a surprise. For quite a while the major liberal blogs have avoided the 9-11 conspiracy theories. Although they are obviously sympathetic to the "I blame Bush" mindset that the CTs start with, they have largely behaved responsibly. Oh, sure, the Huffington Post has occasionally dipped its toes into the swamp, but there it's understood that every man speaks for himself.

However, the Smirking Chimp dives right in today, in response to this article.

And here I was thinking I was being patriotic trying to expose the bald-faced lies and brazen evasions that have constituted the "official story" of 9/11 up to this point. After all, if the Bush administration and/or its cronies DID perpetrate or facilitate the crimes of that day, the central justification for the ongoing war(s) against our officially designated enemies would be undermined indeed.

Try digging a little deeper, Mike. You obviously don't have any problem with America's actions or agenda in the world so go ahead. It won't put you at risk of "cynicism", right? Watch a couple of David Ray Griffin videos and systematically debunk his points. Read Jim Hoffman's analysis on his WTC7 site. Show me exactly how their arguments are flawed.

That's not hard if you really have boned up on this stuff. Hell, Griffin still claims that no Arabs were on the flight manifests, one of the most ridiculous claims that the 9-11 Deniers have in their arsenal.

The Smirking Chimp is a very big blog. They average over 20,000 visitors a day. The fact that they have run with this piece tells me that perhaps the Left will not be satisfied with the Democrats' victory last month. They've been sorely disappointed with the pledges of no impeachment from the newly elected Democrats.

Be sure to read the original article which set off TSC. Although it does not discuss the CT with any detail, the writer does nail the likely effect of movies like Loose Change:

The danger to America does not stem from a “Second American revolution” as Mr. Avery speculated but in a growing public cynicism that may lead more Americans, particularly the young, to withdraw their allegiance to their country. When so-called scholars charge their government with complicity in an enormous crime that then leads to war overseas, the stage is set either for their dismissal as crackpots or an increasing erosion of public trust in the national leadership and institutions. In the latter, such cynicism ultimately leads to indifference, inaction, and a general decline in patriotism. During peacetime, this might be reflected in a reduction in civic participation and voter apathy. In wartime, this could be the difference between victory and defeat.