I am sick and fucking tired of everyone using 9/11

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Now look, I like John McCain, for a Republican. As far as the other party goes, I have less issues with him than I have with many prominent and powerful people. I also like HDTV. So when John McCain introduces a bill to get everyone watching HDTV broadcasts by 2009, I'm a happy guy, right?

 

Wrong. I first read about this bill being introduced in a Reuters report on CNN/Money:

 

Moving the broadcasters off the old spectrum would also free up

airwaves for public safety groups that are scrounging for more so they

can better communicate during emergencies. Poor communications was a

major problem during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

 

"The nation cannot risk the further loss of life due to public safety

agencies' first responders' inability to communicate effectively in

the event of another terrorist act or national crisis," the draft

legislation said.

 

Now that's just fucking distasteful. To try and say that communication problems caused by analog broadcasters, broadcasters who have been broadcasting in that spectrum for fifty years now without ever getting in the way, contributed to a lack of communication on 9/11 is not only an obvious case of finger-pointing, it's a shameful attempt to tie terrorism into advancing his digital financing bill.

 

I thought that was just simply it, but then it got torn to ribbons by the National Association of Broadcasters (there's a group of power-hungry shits I've already had problems with) and rather than get angry about that, McCain makes me angry about by saying the same kind of crap that got me riled up by the first article:

 

The Spectrum Availability for Emergency-Response and Law-Enforcement to Improve Vital Emergency Services Act -- or the Save Lives Act -- also would have provided a $1 billion subsidy to help those without cable, satellite or digital TV tuners pay for equipment that would enable them to go digital.

(...)

After the vote, McCain told reporters that he's not giving up: He will try to attach his 2009 hard deadline to other legislation related to the 9/11 Commission Report on homeland security.

 

"There are just too many patriotic people here to let the loophole go forward," he said, arguing that the Burns amendment "seriously impairs our ability to act on the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. It's very sad."

 

The 9/11 Commission Report recommended that Congress do what it can to free up new spectrum for emergency first responders. Officials want to avoid a repeat of the situation on Sept. 11, 2001, in which several fire and police officials couldn't communicate adequately over radio during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.

(...)

After the markup, McCain said the Burns amendment actually creates a bigger loophole than the much-maligned 85-percent provision in the current law. McCain also accused broadcasters of "impairing the safety of Americans."

 

I hate to sound like Bill O'Reilly, but SHUT UP and stop riding the 9/11 commission bandwagon to try and strong arm a case that's obviously your special interests vs their special interests.

 

There is a funny spot in all this, though.

 

After Burns' amendment passed, he offered another amendment that would have created a grant and loan program for TV stations converting to digital. That prompted an already irritated McCain to ask, "Shall we pay Dan Rather's salary, too?"

 

Burns later withdrew the amendment.

[BX 0]

Hear, hear. I'm with you here Jobbie, and I'd like to extend your previous post to everyone else who uses 9/11 to justify anything.

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

I think the lack of communication before 9/11 was a bigger more preventable problem

[BX 0]

Well, it sure as hell wasn't from the lack of HighDef televisions.

[NoCalMike 0]

Well the lack of communications problem during 9/11 can be attributed to Guiliani and his no bid deal with Motorolla to force the firemen into using SHITTY equipment. When Guiliani got up there like the lying bastard 9/11 profiteer that he is and said, "oh the fire fighters heard the commands to evacuate, but they were too brave and courageous to leave the building" the victim's families saw right through that line of bullshit, and tried to demand that the 9/11 comission ask some tough questions, which they certainly didn't, and thus the "Guiliania = 9/11 hero" legacy was born.

[NoCalMike 0]

Didn't Ascroft go after and put Tommy Chong behind bars in the name of 9/11 or maybe a broader myth about "drugs = terrorism" ploy?

[Jobber of the Week 0]

There wasn't any 9/11 or terrorism in the case of Chong. The general complaint was that the government can find out about what he's doing in his spare time but has such massive intelligence failures in more important areas.

 

Giulianni's legacy was born out of showing more leadership than anybody else on 9/11. He's been pissing that away, though, from lying to the Commission about the firefighter equipment (someone here actually suggested that the lie was OK because we should be allowed to have heroes, appearantly their sacrifice means less if they didn't die voluntarily) and the emotional pandering he invoked at the RNC.

[St. Gabe 0]

What Happened on 9/11 again?

 

 

hmmmmmmmmmmmm.........

 

It takes a really good speaker these days to evoke emotion in people without using that 3 digit number.

 

Never Forget my Ass. They forgot what happened, they just remember how people react to it.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Damnit, I was going to say "Shut the fuck up Jobber you whining pinko hippie commie bitch," but I can see your point. I agree with what McCain said for the most part, but the rhetoric was a little shrill.

 

It's no worse than when pols use the images of children for their causes...

[MrRant 0]

Since when are the Poles using children for their....

 

Oh.. POLS...

[Slayer 0]

A Polish kid walked up to me and asked if it was okay for him to fly planes into buildings...

[Guest Cerebus]

Never Forget my Ass. They forgot what happened, they just remember how people react to it.

Well put.

[Highland 0]

Indeed.

[Guest MikeSC]

Well, at least they stopped doing everything "for the children". That got old quickly.

-=Mike

..."We're only sodomizing you for the kids and you're saying no? Do you hate kids?"

[NoCalMike 0]

Giulianni's legacy was born out of showing more leadership than anybody else on 9/11. He's been pissing that away, though, from lying to the Commission about the firefighter equipment (someone here actually suggested that the lie was OK because we should be allowed to have heroes, appearantly their sacrifice means less if they didn't die voluntarily) and the emotional pandering he invoked at the RNC.

He is a 9/11 profiteer, pretty much. He had a horrible rating before 9/11, and then went on to honor the same fireman he basically shat all over beforehand.

[Styles 0]

Giulianni's legacy was born out of showing more leadership than anybody else on 9/11. He's been pissing that away, though, from lying to the Commission about the firefighter equipment (someone here actually suggested that the lie was OK because we should be allowed to have heroes, appearantly their sacrifice means less if they didn't die voluntarily) and the emotional pandering he invoked at the RNC.

He is a 9/11 profiteer, pretty much. He had a horrible rating before 9/11, and then went on to honor the same fireman he basically shat all over beforehand.

Actually he was highly popular in NYC, and even those who disagreed with his sometimes gruff personality, respected what he had done to clean up the city both literally and figiratively. Only when the story about him cheating on and then divorcing his wife came out, did his popularity lower, but the true leadership he showed on 9/11 sealed his legacy forever, and will lead him to higher office in the future.

[NoCalMike 0]

Giulianni's legacy was born out of showing more leadership than anybody else on 9/11. He's been pissing that away, though, from lying to the Commission about the firefighter equipment (someone here actually suggested that the lie was OK because we should be allowed to have heroes, appearantly their sacrifice means less if they didn't die voluntarily) and the emotional pandering he invoked at the RNC.

He is a 9/11 profiteer, pretty much. He had a horrible rating before 9/11, and then went on to honor the same fireman he basically shat all over beforehand.

Actually he was highly popular in NYC, and even those who disagreed with his sometimes gruff personality, respected what he had done to clean up the city both literally and figiratively. Only when the story about him cheating on and then divorcing his wife came out, did his popularity lower, but the true leadership he showed on 9/11 sealed his legacy forever, and will lead him to higher office in the future.

I don't dispute that he showed great leadership ON 9/11, however to find out how he basically backstabbed his figherfighters and then lied about it and made up an absolute phony conclusion that, "the fireman got the commands to evacuate, but they decided to stay in the building because they were so courageous and brave" is pretty alarming.