BROADCASTS.com

b'11 years after the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the United States has amounted an unprecedented level of debt, is involved in numerous wars, and has stripped countless civil liberties from citizens in the name of safety. Jad reads a somewhat uncouth article published by Kevin on the anniversary of the event. They proceed to analyze the responses and discuss what it means to face the reality of global tragedies as an American. \\n\\nMaterial from Podcast\\n\\nRead Kevin\'s original article on his website.\\n\\n\\n\\nTranscript of Podcast\\n\\nJad: Hello, and welcome to this particular proto-project[?]. It\'s incidentally and not unintentionally - and perhaps - only initially styled after, meta[?] narrative shows like Radio Lab - though, without the budget and perhaps the attention to detail. Given my interests and those of the co-creator, and given the lifespan to move from proto-project to project proper, future installments will range over all scopes and topics of the human experience.\\n\\n The central connecting themes will likely include the grand ideas of liberty, humanity, and equality - though, without the horror and bloodshed of a French revolution. This particular episode revolves around the 11th anniversary of 9/11 - which for us, just passed into the rearview mirror. Our jumping off point is an article that - not coincidentally - was written by the other voice you\'ll hear when you tune into the series. His name is Kevin Ludlow, and I\'m Jad Davis.\\n\\n It was a year ago today that I posted on my Facebook wall, "I fucking hate 9/11 and everything about it." It was an honest feeling about the 10th anniversary of the American tragedy. Perhaps not surprising, I was met with some pretty strong views from both sides. A few in agreement appreciated the bluntness, but a few in disagreement were furious at my callousness. Contrary to what the latter group may have assumed at the time, my position was not intended as one of rudeness. It was not intended as a lack of sympathy for mourners, and it was certainly not intended as a childish outburst of disrespect for the deceased.\\n\\n Instead, it was an introspective position, questioning very sincerely what 9/11 actually does mean to America - not what we\'d like it to mean, but rather the meaning it takes on given our actions as a nation. Why can\'t I, "fucking hate" 9/11? Why is that so wrong? In the 11 years since the towers were brought down, I would like to think that the United States has progressed in wisdom and maturity. I would like to think that the majority of people have become more knowledgeable, and less ethnocentric in their ways, but I am also very aware that this is far from reality. People are becoming more and more divided on a daily basis. \\n\\nThe United States military is involved in numerous conflicts with sovereign nations around the Middle East, and despite what the president claims, withdrawing from the region seems very unlikely any time soon. The rich continue getting richer, and the poor continue getting poorer - and worst of all is that with the exception of our fringed political dissenters - both left and right - nobody really seems to care enough to change anything - hell, most people probably don\'t even notice. In my eyes, the United States is the antiquated representation of a former greatness.\\n\\nWhere innovation once stood, now stands blind corporatism in its place. Where soldiers and police once honorably defended philosophical values, now stands blind militarism, used for defending only value itself. Where liberty once stood, now stands an army of lobbyists, increasingly proficient at penetrating our three branches of government. And atop the entire chain is the media - always there to remind us that it\'s the fault of someone else. We are every bit as good to the world as we think we are.\\n\\nWe now live in a country where it\'s borderline treason to question anything that led to the events of 9/11.'