Kevin Barrett Praises Hamas, Criticizes Steve Alten

As you probably know, I have criticized the novel (coming out today I guess) the Shell Game for its factual errors, and the cluelessness displayed by its author, but most of his flak is coming from his fellow truthers. Last night the author, Steve Alten, was on with Avery and Bermas on their radio show, but tonight he is on with Kevin "The Holocaust was a Myth" Barrett. Barrett ironically, is promoting this interview, while largely attacking Alten.

Steve Alten's new thriller The Shell Game promises to take 9/11 truth to the bestseller lists. It's about a neocon plot to stage a mega-9/11 to trigger martial law and an attack on Iran. It's studded with quotations from David Ray Griffin, Mike Ruppert, and other well-known truth advocates. What's more, it's got its own terrific 9/11 truth website: http://www.theshellgame.net/ What 9/11 truthseeker could argue with that?

Well, a few have. Alten has recently taken some heat for ignoring Israeli connections to 9/11: http://www.radicalpress.com/?p=624 And some of my Muslim and Muslim-friendly friends have found parts of the book painfully Islamophobic. One friend--a well-known 9/11 truth movement figure--found the book too painful to read.

My two cents: Let's not let the perfect become the enemy of the good. The Shell Game isn't perfect, either artistically (Shakespeare it ain't) or politically (the author doesn't have the good taste to share all of my views about everything). But it's a gripping read that packs a huge 9/11 truth wallop, and if we're smart we'll help push it to the top of the NY Times bestseller list.

I disagree with Alten on some important issues. For example, Alten casts Hamas and Hezbullah as among the villains, while for me--as for virtually all of the planet's 1.5 billion Muslims, and everyone else who supports the right to resist illegal occupation and aggression, a right granted by international law--those groups are heroes.

Alten also apparently believes that "Israel is one of our most important allies, the one true democracy in the Middle East" (http://www.radicalpress.com/?p=624) which I think is a load of hooey. As I told a shocked Sandra Lubarsky, Jewish co-editor of 9/11 & American Empire: Christians, Jews, and Muslims Speak Out http://www.amazon.com/11-American-Empire-Christians-Muslims/dp/156656660...comparing Israel to apartheid South Africa is an insult to the Afrikaaners.

With friends like that, who needs enemies?