What About Paris?™

they we had just lost the shortest and most decisive battle and war in history

The American Nation has been defeated and soon we will hit the dustbin of history, mostly likely dying from lack of oil when the Arab Spring and the Iran nut jobs fully exert the power they presently have because Obama and all before him have fiddled on energy self sufficiency while we have burned oil

I was standing on the practive tee at the American Express BWM golf tournament in STL, talking to an American Express dude from NY. His cell phone rang. It was a call from his NY office that an airplane had struck his office building. When ran to the Pro Shop and watched on TV as the second plane struck.

My uncle had been until recently one of the highest ranking CIA officials. I knew immediately that it was a terrorist war. And, I knew that gov't bumbling was responsible adn that we had lost the American nation at that moment, for there was no fighter plane even in pursuit.

We all know of the air traffic controller who did not inform the military because his wife was on board a hijacked plane and that all the evidence about this part of 9/11 has been destroyed. The delays are all well documented here. http://www.historycommons.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=complete_911_timeline&startpos=2900

I stayed to watch events at the Tourament, expecting some city, county, or federal official to appear to provide security for the players. The BMW has the top 50 players in the World and would have been #3 on the terrorist attack list, for publicity, as NY and Washington.

Nothing happened. No police car. Arrived. No FBI or DEA, nothing. People like VJ Singh walked out on the practice tee or played golf until mid-afternoon, with no security, open targets for any planned further attack and embarassment. Woods was still on the Course, after the planes struck the WTC.

In days and weeks that followed it became very clear that we have, as a nation, lost all capacity for collective or individual action, drive, or initiative

people, on the one hand knew, like the air traffic controller, that they could be totally irresponsible without consequence, as look at they didn't take or show action, drive, or initiative that would make the higher ups look bad.

I full well expected the Lesser Depression and all that has followed since If I live to be 85, I will see the average American's standard of living fall below that of today's Indians or Chinese.

The things that made America great: honesty, concern for others and community, reward for hard work, drive, energy, and ambition, we all know the truths, all are gone.

But we also know that no American business, includiing none of JDs clients, want their employees to have these traits nor does the Government.

Look at our judges. What nation could operate with the people we now have as our judges. Judges who don't judge, they hold a stop watch. You can only file a 5 page brief or have 10 hours to put on your case.

Look at the mendacity of the federal bench that claims it cannot cut costs but can do away with trials. Judges don't need secretaries and multiple law clerks. Look at all the needless courthouse security. If judges were as likely to get shot as the rest of us are, we would all soon be safer.

I could go on but ... really, what's the point

John--That 9-11 timeline link, by the way, is comprehensive and really interesting. Thanks. Dan