911 in 2008 - How has this changed us?

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers on the profound changes in American society following the 9/11 attacks, emphasizing a shift towards fear-driven policies and a departure from core American values. Participants argue that the U.S. response, including wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, was misguided and counterproductive, leading to a cycle of violence and ignorance. The conversation critiques both political parties for their roles in perpetuating fear and failing to educate the public on global issues. Ultimately, the discussion calls for a return to rational discourse and a rejection of fear as a guiding principle.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of post-9/11 U.S. foreign policy
  • Familiarity with the Bill of Rights and its implications
  • Knowledge of the historical context of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars
  • Awareness of the impact of fear on societal behavior and governance
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of the USA PATRIOT Act on civil liberties
  • Examine the historical context of U.S. military interventions in the Middle East
  • Study the effects of fear-based politics on public policy
  • Explore educational initiatives aimed at improving global awareness among citizens
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for political scientists, historians, educators, and anyone interested in understanding the long-term societal impacts of terrorism and government responses on American values and civil liberties.

  • #61
LightbulbSun said:
And I never said they were, but to rightfully deny that they hate us is baseless.

It is impossible to judge motives of people none of us have met.

However, 9/11 can be explained much more simply and reasonably by assuming that Al Qaeda only attacked us because we are the protectors of Saudi Arabia. The opinion of many experts is that Bin Laden desires to overthrow the Saudi King (see link below). Occam's razor would seem to favor that explanation over some idea that Al Qaeda would spend millions of dollars to attack us because they don't like us for some undefined reason.

See:

http://www.iasps.org/strategic/pmwbinladen.htm
 
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  • #62
vociferous said:
Just on an interesting sidenote, a lot of Muslims in the Middle East do not actually believe that Al Queada was responsible for 9/11. Conspiracy theories abound, and antisemetic conspiracy theories are some of the most popular. A lot of Muslims believe that MOSSAD was responsible and a lot of Muslims will insist that no Jews showed up to work at the World Trade Center on September 11th.

Conspiracy theories seem to be quite popular in the Muslim world.

They are popular in the US too, even with some people that were fairly highly placed in former Administrations. See: http://www.vdare.com/roberts/070910_911.htm
That fellow was a former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury (maybe explains the mess the economy is in now).
 
  • #64
So NOW the Republicans don't believe Bush when he says this is a national crisis.

Talk about irony! The boy who cried wolf, indeed.

They had no problem rushing into a needless war. They believed Bush when he insisted that everything is rosey. But now, when we have a real crisis, asking for money is asking too much. So much for patriotism.
 
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  • #65
vociferous said:
A lot of economists seem to agree with him. It is always good to be skeptical, especially of politicians' claims.
A lot of economists cut their teeth on Wall Street and have little appreciation nor understanding of the problems that ordinary citizens face, except in the abstract. When Greenspan and now Bernanke repeatedly cut the prime rate to free up money for Wall Street, did they give a damn about all of us who have saved all our lives only to watch the interest on our savings and money-market accounts turn to dirt? No. They are economists, and they take care of investment banks and speculators with no regard for people who did the right thing and saved for their retirements. They tinker with the market constantly and don't allow it to self-correct so that we can moderate crashes and booms.
 
  • #66
Ivan Seeking said:
So NOW the Republicans don't believe Bush when he says this is a national crisis.

Talk about irony! The boy who cried wolf, indeed.

They had no problem rushing into a needless war. They believed Bush when he insisted that everything is rosey. But now, when we have a real crisis, asking for money is asking too much. So much for patriotism.

Never cry wolf.

(unless it's a real wolf, of course!)
 
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  • #67
Ivan Seeking said:
"Us" could mean in the US, the citizens of another country, or the global community.
...

There was something that caused 911. Maybe, US's (or just humans) own narrow (selfish) interests are leading it to the disaster.

I don't think we can blame US, Bush, terrorists, or anyone else but ourselves.
 
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