General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBecause of the 9/11 attacks
America lost it's mind.
75% approved W's illegal invading of Iraq. I didn't.
The civilian death in Iraq and Afghanistan dwarfed, by a large margin, the loss in 9/11 and was totally avoidable.
So with all the sadness and television specials about 9/11 let's not forget what it lead to. Massive civilian death via our tax dollars and mass approval for the invasions by the majority of Americans.
http://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/costs/human/civilians/iraqi
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kimbutgar
(20,871 posts)They were able to justify the police state and overzealous surveillance of Americans. They were able to start a war for profit to Cheney and the oil companies. And it accelerated the real divide in this country between them and the other. It gave us the hyped up fear fox type of reporting and pushed the other MSM to follow rethug talking points.
Yes 9/11 was good for the rethugs.
SHRED
(28,136 posts)I was stunned at the cowardice of my fellow citizens after the attack.
I still am.
mountain grammy
(26,568 posts)it should have been just the opposite. The administration was inept from the start, but given a pass on the negligence that preceded 9/11 and a boost when the war talk began. Only Republicans get away with this shit, and why? Because the news media sucks.
SHRED
(28,136 posts)malaise
(267,784 posts)Bush and Cheney kept America safe -one of the biggest lies of all time
sylvanus
(122 posts)Mission Accomplished!
treestar
(82,383 posts)cynically to gain any of their ends.
They would mention it no matter what issue it was on. I recall an absurd one regarding a law they wanted to pass regarding securities. Someone actually brought up 911 to justify it.
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)Jumped on the Patriot Act bandwagon, too
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)2001, but there is no excuse for the hatred and warmongering now.
FLPanhandle
(7,107 posts)Thus, justifying to some Americans the continued hatred of Muslims.
San Bernardino, Mumbai, Bali, Orlando, Boston Marathon, Paris, London, etc.
If 9/11 had been the end of it, all this hatred would have had a chance to die down, but it's been ongoing.
Each new Islamic attack is another log on the fire.
treestar
(82,383 posts)Our going over to Afghanistan and Iraq to show them who was boss cost several lives and billions and utterly fails. It does not stop anyone from planning further attacks here. Narrow minded right wingers who can't see that force doesn't always solve things.
Amen
treestar
(82,383 posts)and for what? We could still be attacked again.
That the military can fight terrorism is such a stupid idea. Nonlogical. Did they not really get that?
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)the per capita income for 7 years for what we had spent in the war. That would have done a whole lot more than bombing and killing tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis, not to mention our guys.
Fast Walker 52
(7,723 posts)Fast Walker 52
(7,723 posts)the amazing, endless, self-renewing war
Fast Walker 52
(7,723 posts)9/11 could have been spun in such a different way, that actually helped the world. But no, war was more important.
So many sick, costly lies and so much unforgivable manipulation.
treestar
(82,383 posts)Had we just let alone the rest of the world would have shunned and boycotted and been willing to fight terror on the terms on which terror should be fought. Not to say it is an easy answer, but military force clearly doesn't do it.
The military industrial complex jumped on it. Just like they did Saddam's invasion of Kuwait. Any excuse. Poor things thought they would go bankrupt with no USSR so they needed to find us a new enemy.
Fast Walker 52
(7,723 posts)though the Vietnam war was quite horrible too. I was just a kid then though.
Martin Eden
(12,801 posts)... than Dim Son getting us mired in two intractable ground wars and fueling the next generation of terrorists.
For a weak foe like al Qaeda to bring down the mighty USA, the key was to manipulate us into using our own strength against ourselves.