This year marks the 17th anniversary of 9/11, an awkward number offering an awkward amount of hindsight. The day is not quite memory, not yet history. Subsequent events during those 17 years—not only the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq but also the arrival of the smartphone and social media—have transformed its significance. 9/11 was a defining moment in the history of war and terrorism, but it was also the first attack conceived for and executed through the means of digital connection. It was to the internet what the Challenger explosion was to cable television, an event defined by the arrival of the way it was related, an act of war suited to technologically enabled mass storytelling and media saturation. The Canadian scholar Marshall McLuhan once predicted that World War III would be a “guerrilla information war with no division between military and civilian participation.” 9/11 was the beginning of that war.
T.E. […]
I thought at the time that the 9/11 incident could have been opening for compassionate change in our world. All over the world there was an outpouring of love and compassion for America. People meeting in town centers and our embassies bring flowers, candles and holding vigils even in Moscow.
This though was early in the Bush/Chaney administration, you remember another unelected bunch. This election decided by the Supreme Court with a little help from brother Jeb in Florida. Also if you remember BushCo was not doing such a good or popular job of governance, polls were bad. Then an amazing opportunity presented itself and the rest as they say is history.
What if after 9/11 we had wise, experienced leadership that realized the world, for the most part was with us. What if we used that opportunity for cooperation instead of an excuse for conflict and conquest. If we had worked within the international system to find and deal with the ones who caused the attack. Not launched a vengeful war against Afghanistan which we are still fighting. One would think blood vengeance would be sated by now. And then on to Iraq because “everyone knows” that they are an existential threat to arrogant America. Oh and did I mention “enhanced interrogation”? So much has gone wrong since 9/11. I guess the end of empires is often messy.
You are right about the end of empires being messy, Will. The military-industrial-government(hawk) complex saw this as a great way to spread fear so that they could request and get more money so they could fulfill their dream of “a new American Century” just like they planned in 1998. One would have good reason to see this as a “false flag” type of maneuver , but I don’t want to start a conspiracy theory because they are frowned upon, even if they are a real conspiracy. The trouble is: it backfired, and now intelligent people are beginning to see the tragedies that are happening now and are going to get worse in the future, so if we are lucky maybe we will change course and decide that peace works better than war.
“War what is it good for? Absolutely nothing” !
Amen to all you said Rev Dean. I to believe 9/11 fitted too well with the neocons stated desire for a new American century. Not worked so well for most of us, such amazing arrogance!
And yes a power opportunity, if we can survive it, to bring life affirming change to our world. Interesting times…