9/11 didn't fundamentally alter this country.

[cali]

but our response/reaction to it certainly did. I know that's not exactly an original thought, but here we are again at the anniversary and here I am again thinking about that. We've been at war for the past 13 years (almost). That in itself alters us. The Presidency has become scary powerful. Presidents don't even need a fig leaf of congressional authorization anymore to launch a war. We drone and bomb when and where a President deems it necessary. And all of that isn't even getting in to the serious erosion of rights in the name of security.

Helen Keller said:

"Security is mostly a superstition"

We have spent trillions to make our country more secure.

Our wars over the past baker's dozen of years have been stupendous failures and have not made the U.S. or the world a better place.

It's ineffably sad.

[randome]

1. I agree about how the country did not alter.

But much of the current turmoil has to do with integrating the Eastern World with the Western World. And Bush, Junior was entirely the wrong person to be in charge when the clash became violent.

This clash of cultures coinciding with the rise of the Internet has made us all connected in good and bad ways. I don't think a few hijackers are responsible for changing the world. The world simply changed and they were the flashpoint to highlight that.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."
Leonard Cohen, Anthem (1992)[/center][/font][hr]

[xocet]

2. Bin Laden outwitted Bush.

Al Qaeda was not powerful enough to damage the USA fundamentally, and Bush et al were too stupid to see that they were doing Al Qaeda's work for them.

[rock]

3. What are you saying!? EVERYTHING changed; they said so.

We changed our addresses; we changed out diapers; we changed out money; we changed our underwear; we changed out socks. It's endless! THEY SAID SO! (cheap but you probably already figured that out)

[TeeYiYi]

4. Security levels have been raised, nationwide,...

...in anticipation of tomorrow's 9/11 anniversary date. People are talking about keeping their kids home from school tomorrow. I don't know if security levels are raised every year at this time or just this year because of ISIS.

It feels like deja' vu all over again. The new boogeyman is being rolled out...right on schedule. :/

TYY