Yesterday's controversial Humans of NY posting about 9/11

[Anonymous]

Ooooof, this may go down as one of the most commented HoNY posts ever.

https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork/posts/1305431209530976:0

"We’re the worst terrorists in the world and it was a long time coming. This entire country was built on the slaughter of innocents. And we got what we deserved. Just look at the history of US involvement in the Middle East. All those countries are artificial. We created those countries like plastic after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. And the only way to rule a plastic country is with a dictator. Assad, Hussein, the Shah—we propped them all up. Decades of torture, murder, and oppression. We sponsored it. So I say it whenever I can. I’ve had people threaten to kill me. I’ve had people threaten to rape my children. But I’ll keep saying it. You can call me a monster. I think the people in those towers died as representatives for the rest of us for our crimes against humanity. Not only do I think that 9/11 was deserved. I think it was one of the greatest events in human history."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ooooof, this may go down as one of the most commented HoNY posts ever.

https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork/posts/1305431209530976:0

"We’re the worst terrorists in the world and it was a long time coming. This entire country was built on the slaughter of innocents. And we got what we deserved. Just look at the history of US involvement in the Middle East. All those countries are artificial. We created those countries like plastic after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. And the only way to rule a plastic country is with a dictator. Assad, Hussein, the Shah—we propped them all up. Decades of torture, murder, and oppression. We sponsored it. So I say it whenever I can. I’ve had people threaten to kill me. I’ve had people threaten to rape my children. But I’ll keep saying it. You can call me a monster. I think the people in those towers died as representatives for the rest of us for our crimes against humanity. Not only do I think that 9/11 was deserved. I think it was one of the greatest events in human history."

Pretty sad that HONY gave this person a soapbox. I think interest has been dwindling, and he's just trying to drum up more business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ooooof, this may go down as one of the most commented HoNY posts ever.

https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork/posts/1305431209530976:0

"We’re the worst terrorists in the world and it was a long time coming. This entire country was built on the slaughter of innocents. And we got what we deserved. Just look at the history of US involvement in the Middle East. All those countries are artificial. We created those countries like plastic after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. And the only way to rule a plastic country is with a dictator. Assad, Hussein, the Shah—we propped them all up. Decades of torture, murder, and oppression. We sponsored it. So I say it whenever I can. I’ve had people threaten to kill me. I’ve had people threaten to rape my children. But I’ll keep saying it. You can call me a monster. I think the people in those towers died as representatives for the rest of us for our crimes against humanity. Not only do I think that 9/11 was deserved. I think it was one of the greatest events in human history."

I agree this mess in the arab nations started as a result of WWI, however is that really just the US's fault? I didn't realize we had such a large role in creating these countries.

[Anonymous]

The man is entitled to his opinion. It's "Humans of New York," not just "Warm Fuzzy Anecdotes by New Yorkers."

[Anonymous]

He's not wrong about how the West's meddling in the Middle East contributed to the rise of fundamentalism.

[Anonymous]

1. I definitely don't think HONY's interest has been dwindling! His refugee series was amazing, and his pediatric cancer series also amazing - and both raised tons of money in a very short time.
2. Why shouldn't he give that person a soapbox? It's what that person thinks, and I'll bet others think it too. Should he only highlight those that the general HONY community might agree with? Wouldn't we think that approach ridiculous if it were a Fox-News-like organization - only featuring those that parrot the NRA or Trump or other groups that spread controversial statements?

[Anonymous]

I've read some of the comments and it's surprising to me that people are twisting themselves into pretzels to justify this guys beliefs.

[Anonymous]

That's unnecessary. Why not just bid all the victims to burn in hell while he's at it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's unnecessary. Why not just bid all the victims to burn in hell while he's at it?

He was saying that 9/11 was a great event, not a good event. An event can be great and not meant to be good at the same time. If you read the comments and really think about what the man was saying he isn't so much condoning 9/11 as just likening it to Pearl Harbor and such.
(note: I think 9/11 was horrific but can see this man's pov)

Also - I thought the UK had much more to do with the formation of the middle eastern countries as they are today, but the US did have a hand in the current regimes and the rise of the Taliban and such.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He's not wrong about how the West's meddling in the Middle East contributed to the rise of fundamentalism.

+1

[Anonymous]

"And we got what we deserved."

If citizens of countries that cynically advance their own interests all deserve to be murdered, then pretty much most humans deserve to be murdered.

"Just look at the history of US involvement in the Middle East. All those countries are artificial. We created those countries like plastic after the fall of the Ottoman Empire."

The Sykes-Picot Agreement was between Britain and France.

" And the only way to rule a plastic country is with a dictator. Assad, Hussein, the Shah—we propped them all up."

Iran was not created by Sykes-Picot, but had pretty much the same boundaries before and after WW1. Jordan was created by Sykes-Picot, but while it is a monarchy, it is not a dictatorship like those above. As for Iraq and Syria, it is not clear there is any way to draw the boundaries that does not create issues of ethnic and religious minorities.

And we really never propped up the Assads. We gave minor support, for a short time, to Saddam. While we are not proud of our support for the Shah, fact is it was the cold war, we were worried about the USSR (I am speaking to our later support for him, not the 1954 coup)

It is right to support greater justice, even when it leads you to making judgement about things that happened generations ago, and things that are complex (and about which you may happen to be misinformed) Justifying intentional murder based on such past acts, seems to me to be unwise.

[Anonymous]

I think the people in those towers died as representatives for the rest of us for our crimes against humanity. Not only do I think that 9/11 was deserved. I think it was one of the greatest events in human history."

I don't dispute his assertions that the actions of the West contributed to the rise of fundamentalism, but I really take issue with this part. Would he conversely now find drone strikes against random civilians in the middle east "great" or "deserved" in light of 9/11. If not, why aren't those people "representatives" for those who committed the terrorist actions of 9/11?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's unnecessary. Why not just bid all the victims to burn in hell while he's at it?

He was saying that 9/11 was a great event, not a good event. An event can be great and not meant to be good at the same time. If you read the comments and really think about what the man was saying he isn't so much condoning 9/11 as just likening it to Pearl Harbor and such.
(note: I think 9/11 was horrific but can see this man's pov)

Also - I thought the UK had much more to do with the formation of the middle eastern countries as they are today, but the US did have a hand in the current regimes and the rise of the Taliban and such.

If he is doing that in ethical terms, then he is being massively unfair to the Imperial Japanese Navy, and the Japanese state (at least with respect to Pearl, I am not addressing Japanese actions in China, for example) The attack on Pearl was aimed at military assets of the US, and AFAIK did not target civilians. The attack on the WTC was aimed at taking deliberately taking civilian human life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Also - I thought the UK had much more to do with the formation of the middle eastern countries as they are today, but the US did have a hand in the current regimes and the rise of the Taliban and such.

Actually even the US role in the rise of the Taliban is overestimated in many circles. We supported Pakistan, in supporting anyone who would oppose the USSR (which, btw, was being rather oppressive in Afghanistan, though we opposed them for our own interests). Some of that support went to fundamentalists (not to the Taliban which was not formed yet) and some went to elements that would end up opposing the Taliban.

The Taliban took power largely because Afghanistan was in chaos, at a time when we were NOT doing anything there. They walked into the power vacuum.

[Anonymous]

It's easier to hate the US than to have knowledge of history.

What about South/Latin America? Does he know anything or care about US involvement there?