The most expensive yes, and one of the most corrupt, considering the entire process from policy through procurement to operations. That means any evaluation of it as the “most powerful military in the world”, or history, or some other extravagant claim is delusional. What matters in that regard is how effective it is in a fight against an even roughly serious adversary. Just because it cost the most doesn’t mean it is the best.

And you only have to ask service people from allied militaries all around the world and you will find a uniformly low opinion of the US military. Firepower is not the same as military prowess and is only useful to a point. Never believe your own BS.

In fact a good case can be made that the primary purpose of the US military is to siphon wealth from taxpayers to the rich. What a surprise!

So how do you explain people of lower IQ that are also good but not “easily duped and defrauded”? Also people of high IQ and that are good but also not easily duped? Does the word “illogical” mean anything to you?

Because you seem to be saying that if one is good then one is easily duped. Or are you trying to say that to be “good” one must be able to be easily duped and defrauded?

For myself I will stick with the particular flavor of idiocy described in the article as a more plausible explanation, as a working hypothesis at least, especially as the ability to be duped seems to persist beyond the presentation of contradictory facts. Or are you saying that highly intelligent people are so good they are immune to reason? In other words, they are so smart, they are dumb! Albeit because of their goodness. But that sounds like . . .

That is a telling point Biff. I can’t recall seeing it before and I’ve always thought it surprising.

After 14 years there has been no development in the official narrative. Nothing new has come to light, nothing uncovered by further research or investigation. No amendments or clarifications as would be expected in any complex matter over time.

That fact alone is stunningly implausible.

Pointless arguing with a HIQI, I’d say Rurik. You are in a fact-and-logic-free zone.

How on earth do you “know” what “people in the street” saw? You read it in the Commission’s report? Saw it on TV? Ha! There is evidence that very few individuals actually claim to have seen the impacts and try tracking one down now. Ripe for the “planting” of “testimony”.

The videos can however be studied as evidence.

You seem to have missed the point of the article you just read. One RRA invalidates the entire RR narrative. And with 911 there are numerous such. Tuneyloons doesn’t “need” to explain anything about “witnesses” when he is discussing the video evidence. You need to show why he has that wrong, if he has. As far as the Pentagon goes, I’d have to say that there is no actual evidence I’ve ever seen that a plane was involved. As for Manhattan the video evidence is hardly better than dubious in terms of the official conspiracy theory.

You need to put up your own evidence, or at least a claim thereto, rather than reverting to the cheap rhetorical device you have used here in dismissing the comments about studying the videos. You even stooped to an ad hominem fallacy! Did you even read or understand this piece?

There is no better analysis of how the mainstream media (dys)functions at the level of social institution than Herman and Chomsky’s “Manufacturing Consent”. It is in fact true that by the standards of the social sciences their “Propaganda Model” is proven beyond any reasonable doubt, certainly far more so than any competing model such as “the free press” or something like that, which are in fact simply asserted, no proof ever being offered. The most obvious untruth they explain is that media companies sell news to readers. Wrong. Generally speaking no media business can survive if the “cover price” was their only revenue. Advertising is what the business is about. They in fact sell not news to audiences but audiences to advertisers. Think about who the advertisers are (Governments, MIC, big pharma, etc) and it explains a lot about what they include and what they exclude. The MSM’s role in social control and mass conditioning is crucial, of course. Historically it has proven impossible to hold a population subservient by force for ever, you can never have enough force to make them do what you want indefinitely. If you can make that population THINK what you want, however . . .

It really is essential reading for reality/conspiracy theorists as it illuminates the mechanism and some of the proximal motives – wealth, power, control. For more in the way of ultimate causes, that’s a lot harder. Personally, “The Controversy of Zion” (you can torrent a pdf) explained a lot that was previously impenetrable. But ultimately, if you follow the rabbit far enough, one can’t avoid the spiritual aspect of the position we are in. Which ties in quite well with mystical insight from whatever age or culture and quantum insights like Campbell’s “My Big TOE”.