LAST week was the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and the more time passes, the more it seems that particular historical event marked the start of an age of American and World History.
Prior to 9/11, America had been relatively focused on domestic issues. It was the start of a new century, and optimism was in the air.
And then the World Trade Center fell, and suddenly, America was at war. Ordinary Americans signed up to take vengeance on those who they believed attacked their country, to punish them, and call it even.
But the American leadership wanted to nation-build. To them, 9/11 was a mistake that needed to be corrected with policies and liberal ideology, and not an extension of civilizational difference. These leaders wanted to turn Afghanistan and Iraq into Sweden, and so they occupied these countries for years with that goal in mind. Twenty years later and those efforts have not only failed, they have also correlated with the destabilization of the US.
When historians look back, I think they will see 9/11 as the start of a particular period. The terrorist attack led to American getting bogged down in Afghanistan and Iraq, which led to popular discontent at home, which led to Barack Obama getting elected, which then led to Donald Trump getting elected, which then led to the 2020 election getting “fortified”, which then led to Joe Biden’s election and the strange shaky situation the US is now.
None of these are causal but they are all related to one another, which is how people usually think when they consider of historical periods – you can’t discuss one without at least touching on the rest.
The start of the 9/11 period marks the end of “End of History America” and the birth of something fearsome. Both American left and the American right feel it. It’s what is partly driving polarization in US politics.
The only question now is, what comes next?
And more importantly, what will the new period do to America?/PN
