NEWS
Barrett continues conspiracy theory
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Also by Lauren Cohen:
- Author speaks out about sexual assault issues (November 20, 2007)
- Committee decides on 3 finalists for vice provost (November 8, 2007)
- Editor calls 9/11 report 'challenge' (November 7, 2007)
- Former mayor: Don't take 1st offer (October 31, 2007)
- UW students get Fulbright award (October 25, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Barrett plans trip to Morocco to seek 9/11 hijacker (May 4, 2007)
- Barrett begins first day of classes (September 6, 2006)
- Barrett calls it quits for now (November 13, 2006)
- Barrett's act wearing thin on UW (September 4, 2006)
- University denies Barrett position (August 6, 2007)
by Lauren Cohen
Friday, November 30, 2007
At Madison Public Library Thursday, a former University of
Wisconsin lecturer said America's future is in jeopardy without 9/11 Truth, an
organization that believes the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks were part of a conspiracy
by the U.S. government.
Kevin Barrett, who gained nationwide attention for his
controversial views about Sept. 11 when he was teaching an introductory Islam
class at UW last fall, explained how searching for answers behind the Sept. 11
attacks, "a pseudo-religious act of human sacrifice," affect Americans'
cultural, spiritual and physical survival.
"We are on the brink of a chemical war; you should care
because your life depends on it," Barrett, the founder of Alliance for 9/11
Truth, said.
He also said Americans' survival was threatened by anthrax
threats and said official sources have confirmed anthrax threats came from Fort
Detrick, Md.
"Bush didn't want an investigation after 9/11, and we can
see why the administration didn't want to talk about why is anthrax coming from
within the U.S.," Barrett said.
According to Barrett, not providing answers and a "lie of
this magnitude" kills the human spirit.
"Their spiritual life has diminished since 9/11 because
there is more fear in the air and people are afraid to really live and open up
to the world, they go around looking like zombies," Barrett said.
Barrett said he believes it is "absolutely reasonable" to
believe the World Trade Center buildings were destroyed by controlled
demolition and now there are CIA experts including Ray McGovern and Bill
Christensen and colonels and generals coming forward.
"This monstrous lie will be far more pernicious, spiritually
and every other way, than the actual murders," Barrett said. "The lie is
infinitely more harmful."
Barrett said America's current leaders are completely out of
control.
"The war in Iraq has taken over a million lives so far,"
Barrett said. "There have been executive orders where Bush can declare a state
of emergency without getting approval from Congress. We are on the way to
becoming a dictatorship."
In terms of the future, Barrett said 9/11 Truth has the
potential to change public opinion and finding out what happened "might unite
us."
UW College Democrats Chair Oliver Kiefer said while Barrett is
free to express his speech, it is not an opinion he agrees with. Kiefer said he
believes in a more "mainstream" view that the Bush administration has failed
the country.
"The Bush administration didn't adopt recommendations of the
9/11 Commission, nor take safety precautions, and have left us vulnerable,"
Kiefer said. "For example, nothing was done with our ports until Democrats took
over in Congress, and that's just inexcusable."
Madison resident Lou Stolzenberg said she doesn't accept new
information quickly. However, once she looked at information from scientists
and engineers about the World Trade Center's collapse, she agreed with the conspiracy
theory.
"[These are] qualified, educated and reputable people — who
don't just accept any information, but have high standards for verifying
information," Soltzenberg said. "I believed the theory."
Anonymous (November 30, 2007 @ 4:38am):
Comments are very ignorant on both 9/11 and the anthrax mailings.
Anonymous (November 30, 2007 @ 5:28am):
The term conspiracy theory as used here is intentionally diversionary. Unless a person belioeves that the crimes of 9/11 were committed by one person acting alone, then they believe in a conpsiracy.
Secondly, there is no greater American hero today than Kevin Barrett.
Anonymous (November 30, 2007 @ 9:00am):
Way to care, BH. Expect a love note from KB any day now.
Anonymous (November 30, 2007 @ 10:37am):
Barrett says we're on the brink of a chemical war, but how many chemicals has he ingested, and of what sort?
You'd have to be high on something to believe his crap.
Anonymous (November 30, 2007 @ 11:28am):
That's interesting. Comments that are even slightly critical of the author are not permitted. But ad hominem comments about Barrett are published no matter how childish.
It's still a good article though, and the truth will catch up to all of us no matter how much we resist.
Hooray for Professor Barrett!
Anonymous (November 30, 2007 @ 11:37am):
Barrett's conspiracy theory is akin to Holocaust denial conspiracy theories. You can find a few facts and a few people who support you, but the overwhelmingly large amount of evidence and testimony disproves the conspiracy theory. Many reputable scientific periodicals (Popular Mechanics among others) have point by point disproved all of these "scientific findings" that Barrett and others use as evidence.
A person is not protected by the first amendment to go around saying ANYTHING that they want. When the claims are false and harm the reputation of another person, this is ILLEGAL and not protected by the first amendment. Barrett's claims are false and are harming the reputation of many people. Therefore, Barrett should not be allowed to make these claims in public, because it is illegal. Barrett actions are illegal, immoral, and of no academic integrity. It's a good thing he has been shunned publically so often.
Anonymous (November 30, 2007 @ 1:49pm):
I love how even the title is used to preemptively discredit and marginalize the subject of the story.
I'm not convinced one way or another- I don't think Bush was competent enough to mastermind something so catastrophic and get away with it, although the "what did he know and when did he know it" is still much in the air. On the other hand, I don't think we should dismiss Barrett for the sake of patriotism and maintaining our failed agendas.
Instead, I support what Howard Zinn said on this campus: there's so many other things that this administration and societal/political/economic elites have done wrong, that focusing on this one point which is obviously not going anywhere, wastes a lot of potential energy and provides a distraction from the administration's and elites' other failings. Instead of wasting our time pushing impeachment and conspiracy theories, which will never pass or never be proven or accepted, we could be using our energy to create alternative institutions and take back our democracy and autonomy.
Anonymous (November 30, 2007 @ 2:31pm):
Anonymous wrote: "Barrett's claims are false"
That's your OPINION. Others may have different opinions, such as the hundreds of architects and engineers at http://www.ae911truth.org/ who believe the tower collapses (especially building 7) are more consistent with a controlled demolition hypothesis.
But you know, just keep telling yourself only unqualified nutjobs believe this stuff. Whatever makes you sleep better, buddy.
Anonymous (November 30, 2007 @ 2:42pm):
Why is moonbat Barrett even getting press?
Anonymous (November 30, 2007 @ 11:10pm):
Thank goodness that the overwhelming majority have the belief that Barrett's ideas are insane. It's a good thing that a wacko like Barrett is getting treated like a wacko. It's too bad that he had to ruin his future in academia. He has a long future of eating Cheetos on his couch.
Anonymous (December 1, 2007 @ 10:37am):
tanabear: Barrett's conspiracy theory is not akin to Holocaust denial. Members of the 9/11 Truth Movement don't deny people were killed, only who was responsible for the killing. There is very little evidence to support the official government conspiracy theory. The Popular Mechanics book, "Debunking 9/11 Myths", was very poorly researched and written. It was written for people that know nothing about 9/11. Intellectually the debate is over, 9/11 was an inside job. For political reasons, the debate still continues.
Anonymous (December 1, 2007 @ 7:08pm):
There is telling circumstantial evidence that FBI has identified the Anthrax Mailer of 2001: www.scientiapress.com/findings/mailer.htm.
Kenneth J. Dillon
former Department of State intelligence analyst
Anonymous (December 2, 2007 @ 11:53am):
The idea that 9-11 was the SINGLE example of Bush administration competence is ridiculous.
They haven't been able to do anything right or to keep anything secret.
This whole deal is exactly like the idiots that claimed that Roosevelt was behind the Pearl Harbor attack. (PS. FDR was a secret Jew and an Elder of Zion to boot).
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