For those who had any experience of New York City in the year 2001 it seems there should be an anniversary of something on September 11 every year.
Unfortunately, I can't quite recall what that might be.
Schoolchildren outside of New York in the years afterward seemed reasonably well-informed on those incidents, to the extent any occurred, but in a decade there were fewer flags and by today hardly even an assembly.
There is a vague recollection by this author the Mainstream Media previously did a complete re-airing of live events from that day — whatever they were — but which have since been abandoned.
One suspects if the day were important the President of the United States himself would make an appearance in Manhattan, but since he was telling jokes in Alaska he must not think anything important went on there. (Nor in Pennsylvania or Virginia either.)
Needless to say, your correspondent is the malcontent because the more upset he becomes concerning these failures the less anyone seems to take him seriously…
Thus, I must conclude nothing of importance occurred on 9/11 of 2001 at all.
But…
Except, if I did have the temerity to interrupt the dementia and the indifference I would say the following: On 9/11 we are once again reminded America failed.
This fact is not in relation to the Fall of Afghanistan, but in regard to respect — a respect for others as well as self-respect for ourselves.
What occurred on 9/11 changed the United States in large and small ways, and it affected the lives of every Citizen then living in addition to the Citizens to come.
Yeah…
During the past two decades at least $2 Trillion was spent — $300 Million per day, or $50,000 by each of the 40 million Afghans, or $20,000 for every American Citizen.
There were approximately 90,000 deaths in sum and over 2,400 United States military casualties alone.
Aside from soldiers, the Civil Liberties of each American were sharply curtailed and remain so today.
Our surveillance state was erected which will never be dismantled. Multiple small rights once taken for granted are gone and will not be returned.
The "No-Fly List” which was alleged to be a short tally of exceptionally dangerous foreigners has instead become a veritable political hit-list for dissenters of every philosophy.
America was changed, but worse, America changed itself.
Facts…
Astoundingly, about one in four United States Citizens in 2023 was not here in 2001 and thus can barely comprehend these costs.
For the record, in the first years — about three — following the attacks (if any transpired) there were solemn remembrances.
By year five it was shocking how little attention was paid.
Ten years on it was amazing how scant notice there was as compared to those earlier anniversaries. I wrote about it at the time because it was staggering how a nation still in the middle of war — then both in Iraq and Afghanistan — could be so blaze about the supposed origin.
Today…
This commemorative date is over twenty years.
The annual readings will go on at the sites…but far too much else will go on as well.
For a series of events that radically altered what it means to be an American this is utterly disgraceful to say the least…but of course, few will say anything.
Tomorrow…
Next year let's do the September 11 anniversary the proper way, as it ought to have been done every year since.
My proposals are thus:
Seem draconian? Not really. Particularly considering what was spent and what was lost.
An anniversary for such a momentous incident should be uncomfortable — it should be inconvenient and it should hurt.
If Americans are too bamboozled by political operatives or Controlled Media to take an interest in their own affairs they need to be sat down and taught to think.
Incidentally, this has little to do with honoring the actual families who lost loved ones that day, though obviously they should be preeminent in the ceremonies should they choose to participate.
What these proposals — entirely serious — are to illustrate precisely is that there are drastic costs to war and that those sacrifices have a salient impact upon every single American in a myriad of ways.
Alas…
Of course, I have no illusions that any of these suggestions will be enacted.
Next year will evidence another diminution of commemorations until the next "important" anniversary rolls around.
People will pause a few minutes — at most — to think about how "sad" it was and then pass the rest of the day checking their phone or cheering the team.
Yes, I have no illusions about the indifference to war…though at least I do not suffer the delusion it does not personally affect me either.
That is, if any of it ever really happened at all.