"America was never the same again after 9/11 because the blatant lies that were told to U.S. citizens to invent the case for invading Iraq, easily swallowed by the mainstream media in a shameful moment of jingoistic cheerleading, created the petri dish of cynicism and distrust that allowed conspiracy theories to nuture and grow, first about 9/11 itself but eventually about matters as diverse as “the Big Lie” of the 2020 election or COVID-19 vaccines. The cable-TV news regime that grew in the wake of 9/11 often fueled misinformation instead of quelling it." -- Will Bunch, in today's Philadelphia Inquirer, on a few of the many ways the attacks on 9/11 changed America for the worse. America responded "with paranoia, distrust that turned on foreigners, immigrants, dissidents and finally one another." Bunch goes on to argue that the withdrawal from Afghanistan was "chaotic and ugly," but a needed dose of reality for the United States. We'll see how long that dose lasts.
BONUS: Carlos Lozado looks back at books published about 9/11 over the past decades which happen to reinforce many of the points made by Bunch. Long but excellent read.
BONUS II: For a different opinion, check out Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog.
