Monday, March 4, 2013

Olympus Has Fallen

          While watching The Walking Dead tonight, I saw a trailer for a new action movie; Olympus Has Fallen. The plot is simple but interesting, a terrorist attack in Washington D.C., where the president is taken hostage. My initial thought, and I'm sure many others, was the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. Although I was just in 3rd grade when it happened, I can still recall with clarity the day and events that took place. In the trailer, the president has to find a way to stop the terrorists with as little damage to the American public as possible. Similar to the President in that movie, I believe the decision makers of our country attempted a similar task. 

Imagine if you would, being in kindergarten and practicing a fire drill. The alarm is sounded and the teacher tells you to quietly and in a single file line leave the building. Most of the kids don't have a clue what is going on but know to listen to the teacher. They listen and as result they are safe from the potential fire. Now imagine a kindergarten class, that has not practiced a fire drill and a real fire happens. Flames are visible to the class and smoke fills the room. Now let me ask you, what's the picture in your head? Kids running around in fear? Chaos? See, it is my belief that the terrorist attacks on 9/11 were far worse than the American public really knows. I believe that terrorists were able infiltrated and attack the USA in more ways than just the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center. Just like the kindergarten teacher that practiced the fire drill, the decisions makers of the America kept the entirety of the attacks under wraps and for good reasons too. The first is, had the general public been aware of what really had happened on that day, there would have complete chaos. The element of fear would have spread throughout the country and Americans would feel uneasy about their safety. The second, America's pride. Which sounds better? Terrorist barely attacked the USA or the world’s largest terrorist attacks catch the USA off guard? The leaders of our country wanted the terrorists to seem like foreign, brainwashed, cult driven foes, rather than high intellectuals with a well thought out plan. The point of this is to give the impression that although we were attacked, we are still the United States of America and standing strong. This last reason may be a bit unsettling but could have some validity to it. The last reason our government didn't inform us of the entirety of the attacks is because it is possible that actual terrorists could have been a part of our government and to reveal this information would imply that it was an inside job. This would lead to civil unrest and the dismantlement of our government, which may have been the plan of the terrorists all along. The evidence I use to support this theory are; the countless videos and testimonies of bombs/demolition devices inside the world center, the pentagon/missile theory, and the belief that 93 was shot down rather than overthrown by passengers. It is automatically assumed that these theories are false but if we consider that members of a terrorist group were able to hijack four planes, what rules out the option that maybe these theories have some validity. Believing these theories does not imply that our government is to blame for the attacks. 
In closing, the purpose of this post is to say that the government of the United States of America has our best interest at heart. I wholeheartedly believe the actions of our leaders ensure the safety of the American people. Thinking back to the kindergarten teacher in class, I would much rather listen to my teacher and be oblivious to my current surroundings only to later on understand the reason for the drill, than to have an unprepared teacher joining in on the chaos. 
                                                                                     -EP