Even if [9/11 conspiracy theories] were true, which is extremely unlikely, who cares? It doesn't have any significance. It's a little bit like the huge energy that's put out on trying to figure out who killed John F. Kennedy. Who knows? And who cares? Plenty of people get killed all the time, why does it matter that one of them happened to be John F. Kennedy? If there was some reason to believe that there was a high level conspiracy, it might be interesting. But the evidence against that is just overwhelming. And after that, if it happened to be a jealous husband, or the mafia, or someone else, what difference does it make? It's just taking energy away from serious issues onto ones that don't matter. And I think the same is true here; it's my personal opinion.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Chomsky dismisses 9/11 conspiracy theories as distractions from serious issues regardless of their truth.
- In plain terms
- Arguing about who planned 9/11 distracts from solving real problems.
- What can you take from it?
- Focus on constructive action rather than speculative investigations.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What deserves public attention?
- How do we prioritize political topics?
Another view
The argument assumes that investigating the past cannot inform the future.
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