I just became aware of a documentary titled, “9/11 in the
Academic Community,” which won an award at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival. I
haven’t watched it yet (I plan to), but the general gist of it is an in-depth
look at why academics have kept the subject at arms length despite the event’s
tremendous national and international ramifications. With a few exceptions,
academicians have been silent about one of the greatest crimes in American
history.
The documentary may provide some answers. I too have
wondered at both the silence of the Left regarding 9/11 as well as the thinking
of those who doggedly defend the government’s version of events; Noam Chomsky
and Rachel Maddow to name two of the most prominent members of this camp. The
general consensus from the Left seems to be that 9/11 truth is the realm of
right-wing fanatics like Alec Jones and his ilk. The irony is that progressives
have a natural distrust of government and spend a lot of time and energy
detailing the government’s lies and cover-ups, yet when it comes to 9/11, they
accept the Commission’s conclusions hook, line and sinker.
My suspicion is that academics, just like members of other
professions, fear the career consequences of coming out as a Truther. I believe
there are intellectuals, as well as engineers and scientists, who question the
official version of 9/11, but remain silent for professional reasons.
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