(Image source: The New York Times)
BY JIM FLINK
You're watching multisource U.S. news analysis from Newsy.
In the midst of solemn memorials on the anniversary of 9-11 -- one columnist took a different route.
New York Times columnist Paul Krugman penned a short commentary -- called the years of shame.
In it, he says: The memory of 9/11 has been irrevocably poisoned; it has become an occasion for shame.
“What happened after 9/11 — and I think even people on the right know this, whether they admit it or not — was deeply shameful. The atrocity should have been a unifying event, but instead it became a wedge issue. Fake heroes like Bernie Kerik, Rudy Giuliani, and, yes, George W. Bush raced to cash in on the horror. And then the attack was used to justify an unrelated war the neocons wanted to fight, for all the wrong reasons.”
In the short posting -- Krugman goes on to say he won’t allow comments -- for obvious reasons.
Well -- that didn’t keep commentators on other sites -- from going wild.
Starting with Wizbang -- which asks -- what are those reasons?
“That people may voice their utter disgust at your lack of decorum on this day of solemn reflection? That people will call you out for your unparalleled narcissism? For your selfish belief that your perverted thoughts are so important to the world that, no matter the occasion, they need to be heard? Or are you just a coward?”
WizBang goes on to demand Krugman -- be terminated -- from his employment with the Times. NewsBusters calls Krugman’s thoughts -- a downward spiral in obsession.
“Since he began writing a column for the New York Times, however, Krugman has experienced a veritable descent into madness, principally due to Bush Derangement Syndrome.”
And still other critics -- chalk Krugman’s comments up to some sort of delusion. The anchors at Fox and Friends can barely believe it.
GRETCHEN CARLSON: “He didn’t give any sort of basis or evidence as to why he believes they’re fake heroes. …Okay, I understand if you’re against the wars, but do you honestly believe that President Bush and Rudy Giuliani cashed in? Cashed in? In what way? They made money off of it?”
BRIAN KILMEADE: “Well what he’s trying to do, is trying to matter again.”
Krugman has his defenders as well.
Salon’s Glenn Greenwald took to Twitter to defend the stance.
“Michael Moore & The Dixie Chicks were just as right back then as Krugman is today - but today the taboos (& their enforcers) are much weaker.”
And Crooks and Liars’ Nicole Belle is quoted in the Huffington Post agreeing with Krugman as well.
"That day was the impetus for us to attack and invade Iraq, a country that had nothing to do with the attacks and posed no threat to us... To date, we've lost 4,752 allied service members in Iraq and over 100,000 Iraqi civilians. How is this not a black mark of shame on the legacy of 9/11?"
Transcript by Newsy
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