Doug's Darkworld

How’s that for breaking news? It’s even partly true in a sort of sort of way. How’s that for equivocating? OK, yes, just recently there have been reports that a paper in a peer-reviewed scientific journal demonstrates that there was thermite residue in dust samples collected after 9/11. I’m like, wow, this is interesting. For reasons I have explained before, I don’t give much credence to 9/11 conspiracy theories, but could I have been wrong? Could there be actual evidence that exotic explosives were involved in the WTC collapses?

At first pass, I’m not qualified to pass judgement of any sort on the scientific conclusions. If these guys claim these chips are explosive residue of some sort, damned if I know. I don’t know a whole lot about the various technologies used to examine these chips. If these chips are real and the scientists are right, this is very hard to explain. So since I can’t really comment on the data and the conclusions, let’s look at some other aspects of this claim.

And here we start to have some problems. The people who wrote this peer-reviewed paper are the very same people who for years have been claiming that the 9/11 collapses were deliberately caused by by planted explosives, not the aeroplane impacts. Hmm, a tiny number of people claim to have analyzed evidence that proves their case, evidence that no one else has even been able to discover, let alone analyze. IE no other agency or government has found these mysterious flakes in the dust from the WTC. Well, that’s sure some conspiracy.

Lastly I looked in the “peer reviewed scientific journal” these results were published in. Turns out it’s a rather new journal, it just started publishing last year. Along with hundreds of other peer reviewed scientific journals also started at the same time by a publisher. Yes, and for only $800 you too can get your paper published in one of these journals. In other words, these “journals” are a joke at best, a place where people can dress up their theories in scientific garb.

So this is why this story isn’t making the national news, even with their low standards this doesn’t pass the bar. I suspect the 9/11 conspiracy people will see this as censorship and further evidence of conspiracy. Well, when holes in your conspiracy theories are filled by widening your theory, it’s not much of a theory. A reasonable theory explains things, it doesn’t raise questions that require expanding the theory to explain.

I know, I’m beating  a dead horse, but it is interesting to me that some people continue to weave these intricate theories for God only knows what reason. There’s no possibility of debate with them. They never have answers for simple objections to their theory, it’s just dodge and weave. I even went so far as to ask my two oldest best friends what they thought of the controlled demolition theories and the WTC collapse. They are both engineers, one of whom has even worked in major structural projects his whole career. Neither of them have the slightest problem with the idea that the towers (all three of them) collapsed largely as a result of the fires. (Being struck by large aircraft travelling at their top speed also contributed.)

Do I have all the answers about 9/11? Of course not. It wouldn’t surprise me for example if elements in the intelligence community were covertly encouraging 9/11 conspiracy theories. It’s a low risk way to keep a lot of people guessing, including foreign intelligence agencies. And it’s certainly a distraction from real conspiracies, as well as simultaneously discrediting any real conspiracies that might get uncovered.

If there’s any point I’m getting to here, it’s that I don’t think most 9/11 conspiracy theorists really grasp just how out of the loop they are, and how no one is listening to them. They will keep at it though, and if they do ever uncover any real evidence, the foreign press will surely pay attention. That’s how the Iran Contra scandal got exposed, while the US press may be a mouthpiece for the government, the foreign press is under no such aegis. Which means I can safely ignore this non-issue until it starts making waves overseas. I’m not going to hold my breath.

Next week I’m going to write about America’s militarism, a sickness that has deeply infected our society. It ties in nicely to some of my recent thinking about how technology may be an evolutionary dead end. Plus the latest scores have just been posted in our death-from-above campaign to blow up suspected Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders in their sleep. One out of ten predator missiles actually hit their targets, killing 14 suspected militants in total … and 687 civilians. These are smart weapons? I think I can work this into next weeks thesis somehow.

Have a great weekend everyone.

(The above image of Saturn is from NASA and is being used legally. It’s a cool image, which is why I posted it. Plus, it fits the topic. Yes, some people claim that a plot is afoot to blow up the planet Saturn in 2010 and turn it into a star. Watch this enthralling video or google “Lucifer Project.” I guess you can’t aim too high when proposing a conspiracy theory. And more proof of the failure of the American educational system. Sigh. Click on the image for the full size version, and note the pale blue insignificant dot just to the left of the bright rings. That’s us.)