If we could have risen to our potential, my God.

[Skip Intro]

The fools don’t know what happened What really took place.

They say the words, but they don’t know what they mean.


There was a moment when we as a nation turned to our leaders with vulnerability and hope. A time when we were as united as we get, and solemn, and almost trusting of those in office. A time, and a chance, wasted.

If ever there were a time to unite rather than divide, we had it on 9*11, and the time just after. Maybe there wasn’t a clamoring from those of us on this side to trust those who had already earned our ire, but there was a chance - a chance for them to earn it, and a chance for us to give it.

And instead of trying to foster a new unity, to try to bring us together, to accomplish what things we could deem universally beneficial, to work toward our healing, the potential was ignored in favor of selfish arrogance and manipulation.

And that’s a sad reality, and a lot of what got us here. And after realizing the tragedy - the human tragedy, the economic tragedy and the national psyche tragedy - as real and powerful as all those are, we were slapped with a further tragedy from within.

We had a chance to do so much in the wake and the ensuing years. If we could have risen to our potential, my God.

As things fall apart now, keep this in mind as we watch. An opportunity to heal and grow - to soar and accomplish, was instead used by those in power as a catalyst for greed and conquest, to the detriment of our nation’s well-being, our nation’s soul. And that is a betrayal of no small measure, and not to be forgotten or overlooked as the walls behind which the impostors hide now begin to tumble.

on edit: changed title for the better

[ailsagirl]

1. Well put, Skip. Tragic. Why do we sow the seeds of our own

destruction? When will we ever learn?

[driver8]

2. Skip, you are absolutely right. This administration could have

done so many great things.

However, making money and keeping the rethugs in power took priority over the well being of the American people.

[carpetbagger]

3. Reminds me of what Richard Armitage said while leaving State

He was Powell's deputy...

"I'm disappointed that Iraq hasn't turned out better. And that we weren't able to move forward more meaningfully in the Middle East peace process."
Then, after a minute's pause, he adds a third regret: "The biggest regret is that we didn't stop 9/11. And then in the wake of 9/11, instead of redoubling what is our traditional export of hope and optimism we exported our fear and our anger. And presented a very intense and angry face to the world. I regret that a lot."

[sandnsea]

5. Armitage said that?

I'll be damned. Considering the source, I'd say that's the most optimistic thing I've heard in 4 years. Too bad it didn't make the news either.

[Zorra]

4. Don't grieve over an illusion.

9/11 was a PNAC event staged in order to frighten Americans into accepting their imperialist agenda. They were already planning the attack on Iraq before the first body was cold at the WTC.

Killing innocent people means nothing to the monsters of the PNAC. The fact that they deliberately lied us into a war should be proof enough for anybody.