Comments on: Everything changed on 9/11…

By: Stuart Maxwell

Stuart Maxwell — Wed, 13 Oct 2004 19:36:18 +0000

Thanks for the catch, Graham, and the comment. Man, I can’t even be inept properly.

By: Graham

Graham — Wed, 13 Oct 2004 16:22:34 +0000

Stuart Maxwell said above: obviously I’m inept. Or at least, slightly without ept. Somewhat ept-less.

Since inept is derived from the Latin aptus according to my dictionary, it might be ‘non aptus’. But don’t quote me, my Latin stopped at Ernest K Gann’s ‘non carborundum illegitimai’.

Your link at ‘here’ above got lost. For others who want to see it, try http://www.stumax.com/. Have a look, it is magnificent.

By: Stuart Maxwell

Stuart Maxwell — Wed, 13 Oct 2004 15:45:12 +0000

I posted a response to this on my blog and tried to trackback, but obviously I’m inept. Or at least, slightly without ept. Somewhat ept-less.

Anyway, the link is here.

By: Graham

Graham — Wed, 13 Oct 2004 13:39:24 +0000

My previous post starting ‘Avery effective device…’ was not intended to be anonymous. I tried to preview it and got a mysterious ‘Parse error’ then used post instead. It looks like it dropped my name and email address in the process.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Oct 2004 13:34:58 +0000

A very effective device to divert attention from analysis of the effectiveness of the proposed action. ‘Everything changed…therefore we must invade Iraq’. Fine, but what will be the end effect of this? Will it actually have any desired or beneficial effect? All these questions are too awkward; the person who starts with ‘everything changed…’ would rather you skipped pesky analysis like this.

So easy following a statement like this to deflect criticisms as attacking the first part of the statement, ‘everything changed’, rather than the second, ‘invade Iraq’, as being unpatriotic, unAmerican, undemocratic, obviously terrorist, we should shoot you/lock you up forever as well as invade Iraq!

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 13 Oct 2004 12:59:52 +0000

What if Everything Changed for American Journalists on September 11th? My Speculations. (also at BOPNews) Reactions

By: Vardibidian

Vardibidian — Wed, 13 Oct 2004 09:17:51 +0000

The idea that ‘everything changed’ was, of course, deliberately entered into the political discourse. It was done by a fellow named Frank Luntz, who advises Republicans. Among the things it does is give a sort of ‘free pass’ to the officials, Democrat and Republicans, who had been repeatedly warned about terrorism, but who had placed a low priority on it. It also helped the perception that President Bush had ‘changed’ from the unpopular crony capitalist people perceived before the attack.
These two messages were ones people wanted to believe. The phrase, then, entered the culture with some power, and has been a political football ever since.
It’s just cranks like me who want to shake people and tell them that every person who wrote about terror in the last ten years has said we were vulnerable, that far worse scenarios were considered far more probable, and that what ‘changed’, other than the horrible deaths and bereavements, was simply people’s awareness of the world. Well, and that’s overstating things, I know. There is a big difference between a hypothetical event and an actual one; people could not, being people, have learned about our vulnerability without some sort of shock like this. Still, we were vulnerable in 1988, in 1995, in 2000, and we (I hope) will always be vulnerable. Much has not changed.

,
-V.

By: nels

nels — Wed, 13 Oct 2004 09:12:10 +0000

That collective gasp is how I think about the rational formation of thought surrounding the events of 911.

By: Functional Journal of Nels Lindahl

Functional Journal of Nels Lindahl — Wed, 13 Oct 2004 09:10:13 +0000

Did ‘everything change’ on 911?

Andrew Cline wrote an interesting post about 911, and the phrase “Everything Changed.” I posted response in the comments on that page, but usually in attempt to be respectful and concise I try not to write massive comments, therefore I have return…

By: acline

acline — Wed, 13 Oct 2004 07:36:10 +0000

Nels… I like the idea that “everything” indicates a collective gasp.