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The Truth of Ground Zero watch!

video.google.com — Penn and Teller: *****: Ground Zero. Although this was filmed last year most of it holds true on this 5th year anniversary of the attacks.

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  • xtr3m, on 10/12/2007, -7/+59Great video, stupid category choice.
    • mrsticks1982, on 10/12/2007, -7/+3Its BS like this that makes me want to go shove a pencil in their eye or just join the fight against these old farts who think they know $hit!
    • mrsticks1982, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1@mrsticks1982 - my last comment sucked, bury it!
  • ReadMeTXT, on 10/12/2007, -63/+11I :airplane: NY
  • Teague, on 10/12/2007, -2/+19Was just listening to Penn's September 11th show the other day on FreeFM. Dugg for Penn and Teller, and also for correctness.
    • hessian, on 10/12/2007, -6/+9It's like out of the rubble the two other great symbols of America rose to take the tower's places: big business f*cking over the average person, and the political system at work with its ineptitude and campaign bribes.
  • crackhammer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10I dont think its a bad topic, they are really only discussing the rebuilding effort on ground zero - not the attack itself (so far in my viewing)
  • maklershed, on 10/12/2007, -12/+12Could someone give a synopsis for those of us that have short attention spans?
    • neoform, on 10/12/2007, -26/+16I have to leave early, I've got a flight to L.A. that makes a stop off at the Empire State Building..
    • Ignignokt01, on 10/12/2007, -0/+31There's too much politics involved in the building process, and they keep hiring wackjob architechts who want to build elaborate structures in place of where the buildings used to stand. Penn and Teller suggest that we just build another set of business-oriented towers and continue our lives. There's too much focus on elaborate designs rather than simple structures. We need a nice memorial, not some underground dungeon memorial, and we need to build another set of towers so we can turn ground zero back into a lively area (right now, because of the nothingness, there isn't much business around ground zero).
  • Phr00t, on 10/12/2007, -1/+52At the end of this video, they propose building two towers that look exactly like the previous towers.

    I think that idea is awesome.

    "Business as ***** usual; we will do what we want, and you can't change that."
    • wurzelgummage, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6You have to wonder why they didn't offer that choice to the public. It would've suited the damn beancounters as well, so they wouldn't have objected either.
    • podean, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Yeah, and how likely would it be that they'd be in danger of future attacks?

      Not very, I'd say. So there's no real reason not to go on with business... other than the thought of being in the exact same buildings that thousands of people perished in. Imagine the 'huanting' shows that will come out of that in 20 years.
    • Linkage155, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I agree on re-making a simular-looking bulding, however I don't think it'll ever be the same. I really liked the idea from the video (just an artwork) of lights comming out from it, would be awesome to see two huge spot lights permanetly placed on top of the buildings, and a view of NY city would clearly show the light going to the sky.
    • vhcougar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9"You have to wonder why they didn't offer that choice to the public. "

      Um...they did.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Towers_II
    • slowmo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4"I really liked the idea from the video (just an artwork) of lights comming out from it, would be awesome to see two huge spot lights permanetly placed on top of the buildings, and a view of NY city would clearly show the light going to the sky."

      Hey Siegfreid, New York ain't freaking Las Vegas, and the WTC sure as hell ain't MGM Grand. Why don't you at least pretend to care about the environment and energy conservation 'cause you know who's gonna be picking up that tab.

      Penn and Teller had it exactly right; rebuild the exact same towers. Business as usual. People will get the idea. No better monument to the fallen towers than exact replicas of them.
  • BadassCheese, on 10/12/2007, -10/+8Yay Libertarians, though this videi has no political bias.
    • crackhammer, on 10/12/2007, -2/+21no bias here... all politicians, yours and mine, are screwing you and I every day and we cattle don't even register the fact.
  • crackhammer, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13the video is about clusterf*ck politics screwing up the straightforward proposals early in 2002/2003 to build a standing memorial. And the way P&T tell it it really gets messy - IMHO politicians, like lawyers, deserve to die sloooooooow, papercut deaths
    • crackhammer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4BTW - for all you lawyers out there (like the ones who sue starbucks) I was just kidding... I wouldn't use paper.
  • dinobot, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Elvis didnt do no drugs! ... oh wait, wrong *****!

    Yeah, if politicians would just stop ***** around and get to business, things would be much better at GZ -- then again, if that was the case, then they would not be politicians

    I agree with Phr00t's and P&T's comment on building the towers and just business as usual - best way to give the terrorist a '***** you!'
  • anagoge, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Informative video. I have always thought that the best idea was to simply rebuild the towers.
  • SpeedyG, on 10/12/2007, -14/+3I tell you... I work hard to filter out all the political schlock that ends up on Digg, because it's rarely informative and usually turns into flame wars, and surprise, surprise, someone uploads a straight-from-TV rip to the video section and ruins my efforts by calling it "comedy".
    • crackhammer, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3No politics man, don't you have an opinion on this? I mean take off all of the back asswards training you and I get from school and the too correct environment at work like a coat, underneath don't you feel something? ***** politics, ***** partisanship, what do you feel in your gut!?
    • SpeedyG, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Yes, I do have an opinion on this. It's irrelevant to my point.

      The very first week the news section was up, it effectively filled up with "Bush Bush Bush 9/11 random conspiracy theory Iraq Iraq Iran Afghanistan", and EVERY single one of those stories' comments devolved to a flame war in short order. This hasn't changed, as pretty much every remotely-politically charged story to make the front page ends up marked Inaccurate.

      There's no new information coming out of ANY of these, and the comments are the same uninformed political schlock that we've been hearing for years. The news section is a complete waste of time on Digg.
  • crackhammer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Man, just got to the part where the LMDC voted to DISALLOW the paper artifacts (ie notes asking for locations of family members) in the museum. When are we as a people going to "motivate" the people responsible for making these decisions. Sorry, I just got pretty emotional about that, living in NYC and all.
    /frown
  • kettlechips, on 10/12/2007, -13/+5I knew 9-11 was a hoax!
  • NeMeSiS187, on 10/12/2007, -13/+7Usually I can't manage to sit through an entire episode of ***** since it's always so biased and has so many holes that Arnold Schwarzenegger can drive his hummer through it. It usually just pisses me off how they take an argument and completely ignore the rational counterargument. This one was actually decent, but I can't side with it too much since I'm not better informed on what is going at ground zero.
    • crackhammer, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6I agree, an unusual A+ for P&T on this topic
  • sockpuppets, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14If we started rebuilding the towers when they came down they'd be back up already, a testament to our resiliency. Instead we just sit around staring at a big hole, content watching a flawed political process mess things up further.

    If we had taken the time and energy dedicated to invading Iraq they'd not only be back up but they'd be made of platinum.
    • sockpuppets, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Err, time, resources and money I meant.
    • crackhammer, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I wonder what the political core in NYC would say if we all donated time to start building what we wanted to see as a memorial? And would the NYPD stop us, or help us?

      (I know it's impractical, but what if?)
  • berfmurret, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5everybody has their own idea of what should happen to the footprint. nothing they do will be right. you cant win.
    • crackhammer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2However, when the consensus is negative then you need to do something else. I'm not calling you out, but trying to think about it rationally.
  • ButterBuddha, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1xtr2m has a point, but its still funny...and true
  • NanoStuff, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0He sure knows how to tear em apart.
  • MacGyver, on 10/12/2007, -8/+5Gilbert Godfried is an ass.
    • sockpuppets, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15That's why he's funny.
    • MacGyver, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3yea, but making that joke 2 weeks after 3,000 people died was horrible judgement.
    • night141, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2So being an ass is funny now? Wonderful! I bet you get all the girls right?
  • Gundabad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Although I found the episode to be very funny at times, and told an a surprisingly unbiased and accurate story, the information is a little outdated. On September 7th the final plans were announced publicly. The steel for these buildings went into production in late July, so it looks like things are finally moving into action, ever so slowly.

    The major debate in the episode was that the development commission was so eager to fill the land with office space and say screw the people who want to come here to connect with the event and feel a clean, tasteful memorial. However, as they point out, if the developers did provide a world-class monument, the millions of people who would be making the pilgrimage would completely revitalize the area and benefit everybody involved with NYC.

    The new plan involves 3 independently-designed towers, all very different, which I think will provide enough of a tourist attraction for people wanting to see these things when they are finished. Check them out on wtc.com

    The main battle the survivors and families are fighting is that they do not want the foundations of the original towers to be touched. However, I find the current memorial plans to be very tasteful. The actual footprint of the towers are completely preserved, but the foundations are removed, revealing 2 large gaping holes that will be pools of water with waterfalls on all four sides. From what I can tell, there is an opening in the center of each pond, which lets light into an area at the base of the foundations that visitors can go down to, touch some original WTC rock, and leave flowers. The survivors/families complain this feels dungeon-like, but I think the bright upstairs full of grass and trees, and the nothing but rock basement memorial provides that same dichotomy of emotions that surrounded 9-11.
    • crackhammer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2nicely put Gundabad, I agree that the current memorial propositions are tasteful, I'm still concerned that the crew responsible for creating the chaos since 2002 are still in the drivers seat and have control of the wheel. If all responsible acquiesce to what the majority would like as a lasting memorial then I say our will, as a people, is served.
    • vhcougar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I agree.

      I think the whole "The world is trying to forget about 9/11 by burying the museum underground!!!" argument is ridiculous. I think the two square waterfalls surrounded by trees are just beautiful and I'm glad they're going ahead with it.
  • absentmindedjwc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Genius... ***** genius.. what better way to say "***** you terrorists, you cant do *****" than building the towers over again (with structural upgrades and such) with an above ground memorial.

    ***** is one of my favorite shows, and they normally have a comical spin on some of the issues that they talk about, but they hit this one right on the head... there is a lot of ***** going on behind closed doors...
  • CKR600, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Umm.. yea you can blame this on the politics BUT the senators don't own that ground. Silverstein owns it and if he wants he can leave it like that till the end of his lease.

    What kind of people worked in the WTC? Brokers mostly; and since that entire business model has moved online there is little need for office space. Silverstein knows that if he rebuilds he's gonna have a difficult time filling those offices.
    • captinherb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"Silverstein knows that if he rebuilds he's gonna have a difficult time filling those offices."

      In Manhattan, come on. That is some of the most valuable real estate in the world.
  • doublebackslash, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Envision two towers, similar but different, from the old ones standing farther apart and on opposite corners of the square formed by the outer points of the old footprints 9so the buildings are 90 degrees from the old ones, no foot-print overlapping). In between those towers there is an atrium open to the outside from the edges and rising up slightly in the middle and graciously upward at the edges (thin angel wings, perhaps with serrated edges for a feather effect) and connected to the two buildings. The roof would be steel and glass to let in light. There would be two stone memorials with the names of every victim engraved on them at the centers of the two footprints (depending on who was assumed to be where). These would be in 4 L shaped segments (two at each site) and would be the simplest and most somber spots at the sight, surrounded by the contributions of the survivors, preserved in glass and clear epoxy for posterity. In the middle there would be trees and a large irregular pond with a black marble stone obelisk (or white stone, let the people decide) with an eternal flame atop it and something written at the base simple and short that captures the spirit of the USA (In memory of those lost, or Let us never forget, something better than that). Above the tow footprints large lighting fixtures (hidden in the supports and other artwork) that have the same footprints of the towers. At night the light would shine to infinity, much like the 6-month memorial.

    Basically a beautiful garden with many quiet places. Open, but with a feeling of privacy in certain places.

    Any thoughts? What you you do?
    • doublebackslash, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3crap, spelling "What would you do?"
  • gd007, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4what happened all to conspiracy theories?
  • Kichigai, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The things that I saw on this episode makes me think of the OKC memorial and all the ***** that went along with that. I know someone who lost a good friend at the federal building in OKC and you know what kind of memorial those people got???? Some copper chairs that light up that no one can sit in not even the family of the lost under penalty of law.
    Some say fine some say arrest. Why risk getting either one? There was the same with the WTC....POLITICAL BULLSH*T
  • ChillyWilly5280, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Right FSCKing on! To hell with the politicians and their conflicted interests. Rebuild WTC 1 & 2 as they were, but make the antenna tower a big fat birdie finger!
  • kingygk, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1Penn and Teller are *****!!
  • kingygk, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1We won't be done with the freedom tower untill 2010. What on earth is digg comming too.
  • kingygk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Would you really want to work in a building that was rushed into construction? Think about it. Show some respect for the familes that lost some one on 9/11. They are upset that the remains of their loved ones will be paved over.
  • kingygk, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1This is not comedy !!!!
  • washley, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I agree with Donald Trump's idea to rebuild the same towers just a little bit taller.
  • argyle747, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1This Penn & Teller series has got to be one of the best shows on television, and I had never heard of it until the episodes were uploaded to google video.
    diggs up and down the block!!
  • noxben, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0problem with part of the ground 0 problem if not most of the problem is people people, people. its not the govn't in any of its form. the american people need to make up their mind about what 'design' they want. so the press and united states of america are complaining about their own short comings.
    i work in architecture and design and know first hand, this happens ALL the time.
  • Holocaust, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1This is better than hearing freakin nothing!!!
    All the government tells us is that they are doing a great ass jump killing poor inocent people in Middle East.
    They say nothing about 9/11.
    It's videos like these that actually tell us what we want without government censorship.
    • Holocaust, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1And oh yeah!
      When a building gets hit by a plane, why in the hell would it fall straight down?(Demolution Style)
      It did not even fall to the side or anything, it went exactlly straight down...

      Oh noes! Is the planned attack was done so the building would not fall directly on others?
  • truspark, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0It should be made into a park, no one is going to want to work in those buildings anyway. The Port Authority has already said they are not going to send their people back into the building after they had to live through two attacks.
  • kinnth, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0The video is far 2 long, 29mins!
    • mrsticks1982, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1its the whole show, can you not watch a 30 minute show?
  • zenmouse, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Ugh. Penn and Teller are the kings of the Straw Dog. They always prove their side by picking out some extemist crazy for the side they don't support, and contrast that person with a very rational, professional person on their side. Instead of "*****," they should just call it "Penn and Teller's Editorial: Our opinions"
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