Our military-industrial complex headquartered in Warshington, D.C. thought that it would be a tribute to the people who died on 9/11 to incorporate some of the steel from the remains of the World Trade Center Twin Towers into a new  billion dollar weapon of destruction—a battleship christened the USS New York. (I guess that's supposed to make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Ooooooh.)

USS New York, a new battleship built with steel from the World Trade Centre, sailed into New York harbour yesterday on its maiden voyage and delivered a 21-gun salute near Ground Zero. The $1 billion US navy assault vessel, whose bow includes 7.5 tonnes of steel recycled from the 2001 terror attack, will be officially commissioned in its namesake city on Saturday.

What's the idea behind this? Are we supposed to think that this is some sort of spiritual/structural "bonding" between the Twin Towers and the battleship?

Now get a load of this quote:

"It's a transformation ... from something really twisted and ugly," said Rosaleen Tallon, who lost her fireman brother, Sean, in the terror attack. "I'm proud that our military is using that steel."

Right—the Towers' steel has been transformed into a beautiful KILLING MACHINE. (By the way, how many terrorists do you think this battleship is going to wreak vengeance on for the 9/11 deaths? I haven't heard of too many terrorists attacking us from the sea recently.)

UPDATE: A number of LRC readers have written to me that the article is incorrect in classifying the USS New York as a "battleship." Be that as it may, it certainly wasn't built for pleasure cruising—therefore, the general point of my blog doesn't change.