Jack Theobald
// Lessons learned from 9/11 and the War on Terror //
September 11, 2021, represented a divergence in the post-9/11 era. What was once a lived experience suddenly transitioned into history with the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. However, with the Taliban now in control of Afghanistan with access to billions of dollars worth of military equipment inexplicably left behind by the Biden administration, the tragic mishandling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan has once again catapulted the legacy of 9/11 to the forefront of American discourse. As 9/11 fades further into the past, and with the War on Terror finally complete, it is time to reflect on the post-9/11 era. How has the event shaped America for the better and the worse?
Mark Twain once wrote, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” The quote holds for American history. When looking at the similarities between Pearl Harbor and 9/11, key parallels become obvious. Both were unprovoked and unexpected attacks, and both resulted in cataclysmic shifts in history. Yet, this history changes from repetition to rhyme in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attacks. During the fight against the Nazi Regime, World War Ⅱ would begin a shared national sacrifice. Twenty years ago, it looked as if history was repeating itself, with the War on Terror uniting American citizens once again. Roughly 77% of Americans supported the War on Terror in the months shortly after 9/11.
Instead of capitalizing on the unprecedented amount of national unity in the months following 9/11, bringing those responsible for the horrendous attacks to justice, America plunged into a war on its ideals of freedom and human rights. Osama bin Laden eluded American special forces while the Bush administration pivoted to false claims of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. Citizens found their civil liberties infringed upon with legislation such as the Patriot Act, which permitted government agencies to spy on U.S. citizens. Increased fear of terrorism caused an escalation of anti-Muslim rhetoric and racism. The Bush Administration sanctioned the use of torture, tainting the image of America on the global stage. And, of course, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began shortly after, costing nearly 900,000 lives on both sides. Although U.S. Navy Seals killed bin Laden in 2013, today, 69% of Americans think that the U.S. failed in the War on Terror. This drastic change in opinion hints at the failure of America to learn from its past and use 9/11 as an opportunity for growth.
The twenty years after 9/11 have not been America’s finest hours. Despite our mistakes, the lesson the American public should take away from those years is that history is rhyming, and it is up to us as American citizens to learn from it. Just as in Pearl Harbor, the memories of those impacted have faded into the past. Today, a quarter of the U.S. population was born after 9/11. Rather than the vivid memories of smoldering towers, we instead deal with the ubiquitous consequences of 9/11. If America hopes to honor those who lost their lives, we must force ourselves to remember the sense of national unity, make amends for the wrongdoings over the last twenty years, and never forget the lives of those lost on that tragic day.
