The Path to 9/11--A Postmortem(Victor Davis Hanson)

Real Clear Politics ^ | September 13, 2006 | Victor Davis Hanson

[kellynla]

Americans who watched ABC's The Path to 9/11 saw a well-crafted dramatic interpretation of what rendered the United States, both under the Clinton and Bush administrations, vulnerable to terrorist attack. Perhaps the producers were conservative, but no more so than most of their Hollywood counterparts are liberal--and not to the degree that their politics slanted the presentation of the narrative.

But why, then, the hysteria?

It's hard to believe that Bill Clinton or the film's numerous critics were objecting on any basis of principle--on anything other than furor at pre-election time because some Clintonites, like many others, were portrayed as either distracted or hopelessly naïve about the nature of Islamic fascism.

First, consider the ignorance about the genre of the "docudrama," which is simply the video version of what journalism has been doing for decades--and even centuries. To read Bob Woodward's "meta-histories" is to intrude into the inner thoughts, mental musings, and private conversations of those few Washington insiders who are willing to talk with him, and thereby ensure that their own whitewashed take on events is privileged and becomes the dominant narrative.

[thirst4truth]

Rather these distortions are concrete manifestations of a long-standing effort on the part of the more theoretical Left to subordinate the means to the ends, as if progressive spirits are to be granted some exemption from bothersome scrutiny and archaic protocols given their purportedly superior moral mission.

This states his mindset perfectly!

[kellynla]

Even Bill Clinton would confess that Fahrenheit 911 was intended to do far more damage to George Bush than The Path to 9/11 was to himself.

No he wouldn't.

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I agree.
No, he wouldn't.
and isn't it ironic that his wife got where she is today by being married to him and her failure to be POTUS will be because of him...and her too!

I've always thought that the only thing that has kept the Clintons out of prison were those copies of F.B.I. files they have locked away. What I call their "J.Edgar Hoover" insurance policy.

[ArGee]

He sounded the alarm and understood the nature of the threat but no one would embrace the danger and go beyond the Clintonian law enforcement model.

I know. My wife was incredulous that we could arrest Zacharious Mousowi but couldn't look at his laptop. And we ignored all those middle-eastern men going to flight school because it would look like racial profiling!!!!!

It's too bad those who set policies weren't in the towers instead of the innocents who were. My only hope is that each person who set up such a stupid roadblock has suffered miserably over what they did not stop and has grown because of it.

Shalom.

[SuziQ]

Where is that statue of Rick Rescorla? I assume it's done from the picture on the front of the hardcover version of "We Were Soldiers Once, and Young"? Didn't you take that picture?

[SuziQ]

It's too bad that VDH didn't make the clear distinction between individuals protesting the Reagan film, and calling for a boycott of sponsors to the network, and a letter on official stationary from members of the Senate THREATENING a network with yanking it's license to do business.

[romanesq]

Oh it's much worse that we couldn't look at a terrorist's laptop. If they had looked, they would have uncovered the other people involved in the events of 9-11.

So how many had to die instead?

[Freee-dame]

post

[ALOHA RONNIE]

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Great Eye, SuziQ.

RICK RESCORLA's 'Follow Me' statue was lovingly commissioned by his 9/11 Widow SUAN RESCORLA directly from the Cover of the book 'WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE ..& YOUNG' ...written by Lt. Gen. HAL G. MOORE (Ret.) about our Battle in the Valley of Death known as the IA DRANG Valley on November 1965.

Vietnam War Coorespondent PETER ARNETT took this famous RICK RESCORLA Cover Picture in the IA DRANG.

See:

http://www.lzxray.com

http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_collection.htm


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[ALOHA RONNIE]

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RICK RESCORLA's 'Follow Me' Statue was joyfully unveiled at the entrance to the National Infantry Museun at Ft. Benning, GA on April 1st, 2006:

(Pictures)
http://www.RickRescorla.com/The%20Statue.htm

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[ladyinred]

If we know one thing about bin laden and Al Qaeda, they hate the truth and love the lie.

If we know one thing about Clinton and the democrats, they hate the truth and love the lie.

That is what Victor really meant to say! So fortunate to have Victor live in my area. He does our local talk show sometimes. He is terrific.

[anglian]

He just started a blog too.

[anglian]

http://victordavishanson.pajamasmedia.com/

[Lancey Howard]

John P. O'Neil was the only character with his head screwed on correctly , a hero in the end . Everybody else was ozone . . .

I heard the movie made Richard Clarke look a whole lot better than he should have looked, which is surprising as he is a documented liar.

[newcthem]

I agree with you and I often wonder, had the capital been hit and a few of our esteemed congressmen been murdered, would our response have been the same?

[ArGee]

I agree with you and I often wonder, had the capital been hit and a few of our esteemed congressmen been murdered, would our response have been the same?

Do you mean the response of Congress or the response of the people.

I mean if they had hit a building where Teddy Kennedy and Johnny Kerry had been having lunch would I still be mad at them????????

Oh, well, of course I would. Kennedy and Kerry are people too, right? They don't deserve such a fate, right? No matter how stupid their politics, right? Right? Why is it suddenly so quiet in here?

Shalom.