On conspiracy theories, a brave Iranian exile, nuclear power, Fidel Ramos, Bill Russell, Leontyne Price, Luciano Pavarotti, tampons in the men’s room, and more
When I was quite young, I knew some people who thought that FDR had engineered the attack on Pearl Harbor. He had done so, went the theory, in order to drag the United States into the war. Millions and millions of people believed this.
Today, I know some people who think that 9/11 was an “inside job.” I thought of this when reading about Donald Trump, who was presiding over a golf tournament of the Saudi tour at his club in Bedminster, N.J.
In this, its inaugural season, the Saudi tour is holding eight tournaments. Two of them are at clubs owned by Trump. The other one — the concluding event of the tour’s season — will be at Trump’s club in Miami: Doral.
Among the protesters of the Saudi tour are families of 9/11 victims. Asked about this, Trump said, “Well, nobody’s gotten to the bottom of 9/11, unfortunately, and they should have.”
And they should have — that is a typical touch. If Trump thought the work of the 9/11 commission unsatisfactory, he could have done something about it, in his four years as president.
In October 2018, Saudi agents seized Jamal Khashoggi, the dissident and journalist, in Istanbul. They tortured him, murdered him, and chopped up his body with a bone saw. U.S. intelligence determined that the murder was ordered by the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
Asked who ought to be held accountable for the murder, Trump said, “Maybe the world should be held accountable, because the world is a vicious place.”
This is a remarkable deflection.
Repeatedly, Trump covered for MBS, saying, “He’s very angry about it” (meaning the murder of Khashoggi). “He’s very unhappy about it.”
Eventually, Trump told Bob Woodward, “I saved his ass.” (The crown prince’s.) “I was able to get Congress to leave him alone.”
Back to 9/11 — and current politics.
On the off chance you have not been following the election season in Maryland, here is a news article, which begins,
The Republican Party’s nominee for Maryland attorney general hosted a series of five radio shows in 2006 devoted to arguing in support of 9/11 conspiracy theories questioning if the terror attack was the work of an “elite bureaucrat” who had demolition charges in every building in New York City and even suggesting if those who died after a hijacked plane hit the Pentagon were killed elsewhere.
The incumbent governor, Larry Hogan, a Republican, tweeted,
We know who was responsible for 9/11. Blaming our country for Al-Qaeda’s atrocities is an insult to the memory of the thousands of innocent Americans and brave first responders who died that day.
These disgusting lies don’t belong in our party.
Speaking of disgusting lies, Hogan says he will not support his party’s gubernatorial nominee, on the grounds that said nominee is a “QAnon wack job.”
In light of today’s nominees, the Spiro Agnew era seems a model of Republican statesmanship in Maryland.
A bit more, now, about the Khashoggi murder.
An article in the Wall Street Journal is headed “Trump Says LIV Golf Has Been Worth ‘Billions of Dollars’ in Publicity for Saudi Arabia.” (“LIV Golf” is the official name of the Saudi tour.) I will excerpt a portion:
As for Mr. Khashoggi, the Washington Post columnist who U.S. intelligence believes was killed at the behest of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Mr. Trump said he believes interest in the issue had waned.
“I can say that from the standpoint of Khashoggi, that has died down so much,” Mr. Trump said. “It really seems to have totally died down.”
“Nobody has asked me that question in months,” he added.
Khashoggi himself, you might observe, has “died down.”
The British Open hands out the claret jug. The PGA Tournament hands out the Wanamaker Trophy. Perhaps the Saudi tour could hand out the Bone Saw? “They are coming down the stretch here at Doral,” David Feherty could say, carrying out his announcing duties, “and we all want to know: Who will win the coveted Bone Saw?”
(For a piece of mine on the Saudi tour, as a blatant example of “sportswashing,” go here.)
• This headline is unexpected, possibly: “Fox Host Attacks Service Members in Spat With Former Marine, Says Vets Went ‘Across the World’ to ‘Murder Brown People.’” (Article here.)
For many years, I have heard from the left that the U.S. military “murders brown people.” I guess everyone is getting into the act now, as lefties and righties blend, on all sorts of things.
You know, I have never heard anyone say that the Taliban, or Saddam Hussein, or al-Qaeda, or ISIS, or Bashar Assad murders brown people. Ever.
And how about the “brown people” fighting alongside U.S. forces? Do they count?
When I made a similar point, over the weekend, a reader responded, “No one ever says that the U.S. went to Europe to kill blue-eyed, blond-haired Germans.” No, they never do.
• “Man With Loaded Assault Rifle Arrested Outside Iranian Writer’s Home,” reads a headline. That writer is Masih Alinejad. As the article notes, she was the target last year of a kidnapping plot, foiled by the FBI. Obviously, the Iranian government is still trying to murder her.
Masih Alinejad is one of the most amazing people I have ever encountered — delightsome and brave as hell. I wrote about her in an article called “A Free Spirit.”
Even on foreign soil — even on American soil — no one can be safe from the Iranian regime. Or China’s or Cuba’s or many others. Spare a thought for Masih Alinejad.
• Independence from oil — or oil independence, one or the other — would be a boon on several fronts. It would have a salutary effect on the foreign policies of democracies. I am thinking, in particular, of policy toward Russia and policy toward Saudi Arabia. Democracies need to get creative and bold.
You have perhaps seen Kevin D. Williamson’s new piece on nuclear power. And let me alert you to something interesting in an obit — an obit headed “James Lovelock, Whose Gaia Theory Saw the Earth as Alive, Dies at 103.” One passage reads,
Dr. Lovelock caused a sensation in 2004 when he pronounced nuclear energy the only realistic alternative to fossil fuels that has the capacity to fulfill the large-scale energy needs of humanity while reducing greenhouse emissions.
• Another obit: “Fidel Ramos, Philippine President Who Broke With Marcos, Dies at 94.” The subheading reads, “Considered a ruthless Marcos henchman, he was later hailed as a national hero for breaking with the dictator, and went on to preside over an economic boom.”
I thought of John D. Negroponte, the veteran U.S. diplomat. I sat down with him for a wide-ranging conversation in 2013. I wrote it up in five parts, and will excerpt a couple of paragraphs from the last one:
I ask Negroponte to name someone who has made a particular impression on him, in his work around the world. Not necessarily someone famous. Just someone. He names a national leader: Fidel Ramos. Ramos was president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. “He probably impressed me as much as any leader I’ve ever had the opportunity to deal with,” says Negroponte. “He was almost bicultural. He had an affinity for the United States, while still being very Filipino.” Ramos went to West Point, and obtained a masters degree in engineering from the University of Illinois. He fought in both Korea and Vietnam — in Philippine units.
“He stood head and shoulders above any political leader who had preceded him,” says Negroponte, “and, actually, that was sort of the high point of Philippine political and economic development. Hopefully, they can get that back.” Ramos “really rolled up his sleeves and got stuff done” . . .
• We have been reading a lot about Bill Russell in recent days, and rightly so. Something in his New York Times obit reminded me of an episode in the opera world. Bear with me.
The obit says, “Russell bested [Wilt] Chamberlain in another way: In his prime, as he told it, his annual salary was $100,001, $1 more than Chamberlain was making.” Latish in her career, Leontyne Price agreed to sing an Aida in San Francisco, on one condition: that she get one dollar more than her tenor, Luciano Pavarotti.
She got it. Viva la diva.
• On the subject of music: You may enjoy a post from me titled “Birth of a theme.” That theme is the James Bond theme. Here is another post, on the acoustics of America’s foremost concert hall — kind of an interesting subject.
• A little language? Above, I linked to an article that says, “Hogan has referred to Cox as a ‘QAnon whack job.’” That should be “wack job.” It comes from “wacko.” A “whack job” is a murder by a mafioso, with the body to be dumped into the East River.
• Another language item: At an event over the weekend, I was talking about a critical issue with my friend John U. Bacon, the writer. Is it “Holmes” (as in “Sherlock”) or “homes” (as in “homeboy”)? Is it, “Whassup, Holmes?” or “Whassup, homes?” People say both, in my experience.
I’ll tell you what Urban Dictionary says: It started out “Holmes” (“late 60s East Coast slang”) and turned into “homes” — for some. But I know people who still go with “Holmes.”
Old-schoolers!
• On a college campus, I was in a restroom, when I saw the below, near the sink. I thought, “Uh-oh. Am I in the ladies’ room, instead of the men’s room?” But no: I was in the men’s room.
The world has passed me by, and did long ago.
But I’m glad to be jawing with you still, friends! I’ll see you later.
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