Using 9/11 For All It'$ Worth
Thanks to simuvac

Jon Gold
11/20/2008

Remember when the "bailout" was first being discussed, and Rep. Brad Sherman said, "the one thing that's been proven is the absolute fear-mongering that's being used to drive us is false." [...] "I've seen members turn to each other and say if we don't pass this bill, we're going to have martial law in the United States."

The other aspect of the fear mongering had to do with comparing the situation to 9/11. Over, and over again. Here are several examples:

McCain Calls for Regulation and A 9/11-Type Commission

"McCain also called for a commission like the one set up after 9/11 that would examine the mess on Wall Street." - [cnsnews.com, 9/16/2008]

Comparing Economic Crisis to 9/11, McCain Wants Friday's Debate Delayed; Obama Rejects Pushing Off Debate
"We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved. I am directing my campaign to work with the Obama campaign and the commission on presidential debates to delay Friday night's debate until we have taken action to address this crisis... Following September 11th, our national leaders came together at a time of crisis. We must show that kind of patriotism now." - [gothamist.com, 9/24/2008]

America's financial 9/11 - title only
[www.nation.com.pk, 10/4/2008]

9/11 Was Big. This Is Bigger.
"Two September shocks will define the presidency of George W. Bush. Stunningly enough, it already seems clear that the second -- the financial crisis that has only begun to unfold -- may well have far greater and more lasting ramifications than the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.That's because while 9/11 changed the way we view the world, the current financial crisis has changed the way the world views us. And it will also change, in some very fundamental ways, the way the world works." [WashingtonPost.com, 10/5/2008]

He Told Us To Go Shopping. Now The Bill Is Due.
To understand this link between today's financial crisis and Bush's wider national security decisions, we need to go back to 9/11 itself. From the very outset, the president described the "war on terror" as a vast undertaking of paramount importance. But he simultaneously urged Americans to carry on as if there were no war. "Get down to Disney World in Florida," he urged just over two weeks after 9/11. "Take your families and enjoy life, the way we want it to be enjoyed." Bush certainly wanted citizens to support his war -- he just wasn't going to require them actually to do anything. The support he sought was not active but passive. It entailed not popular engagement but popular deference. Bush simply wanted citizens (and Congress) to go along without asking too many questions. - [WashingtonPost.com, 10/5/2008]

Global credit crisis is like 9/11, says New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg
"He said: "The better analogy to make - at least in terms of how we should be thinking about our next steps - might be to a terrible crisis that is far more recent: the attacks of September 11th." The 9/11 terrorist attacks showed that cities and countries had to work more closely together to prevent future problems, setting up early warning systems and encouraging a transparent flow of information. - [telegraph.co.uk, 10/7/2008]

'Economic 9/11' exacting grim psychological toll in US
"This compares to 9/11 in terms of the impact, definitely. And it's significant that it isn't a Wall Street crisis as I see it -- it's affecting the entire consumer economy, and almost every individual that I see." - [economictimes.indiatimes.com, 10/8/2008]

Nick Clegg warns of 'economic 9/11'
Nick Clegg today warned of an "an economic 9/11" as he suggested that the crisis in the financial markets could breed conflict, instability and nationalism. The Liberal Democrat leader called on the EU to "step up to the plate" as he criticised European governments for being slow to produce coordinated action amid a crisis whose risks were "borderless and global". - [Guardian.co.uk, 10/13/2008]

Crisis could be an "economic 9/11", warn Lib Dems
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has warned that the financial crisis could become an "economic 9/11". - [www.moneymarketing.co.uk, 10/14/2008]

King: Financial crisis merits 9/11-type study

"U.S. Rep. Steve King called Tuesday for a commission to study the financial collapse, similar to the panel that studied the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States." - [www.desmoinesregister.com, 10/15/2008]

Bailout plan another 9/11?
"In real life, disastrous events cannot be prevented by going back in time, and do things differently, thereby preventing the disastrous outcome from coming about. We cannot go back to the morning of 9/11 and prevent people from boarding planes that would then be used as flying bombs on the World Trade Centre in New York." - [business.iafrica.com, 10/20/2008]

West facing a 9/11 financial crisis: Larijani
Addressing the Majlis Sunday session, Larijani said, "The financial turmoil in the West will not end soon and it is like a September 11 economic crisis." - [tehrantimes.com, 10/27/2008]

Queen's scholar links credit crunch to 9/11
"A Queen's University academic has claimed the seeds of the current global credit crunch lie in the US response to the 9/11 terror attacks." - [belfasttelegraph.co.uk, 10/28/2008]

9/11 "the root" of the financial crisis
"The roots of the global financial crisis lie in the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks and the US reaction to rebuilding the nation, it has been claimed." - [shropshirestar.com, 10/28/2008]


Today, I read this. Tell me again why a new 9/11 investigation isn't important. I don't quite understand.