Opinion Let's take a moment and remember the events of 9-11 - what were you doing when it happened?

[grimballer]

That event truly changed the course of history n probably is/was the main reason in the shift of attitude in the world.

Before 9/11 everything seem to be going in the right direction.

There were no major wars, west won the Cold War n the idea of democracy n free market was slowly taking over the world.

It seemed like major conflicts is a thing of a past n countries will work with one another led by the west.

Then 9/11 happen n everything changed.

Freedoms taken for granted in the western world like traveling were no longer safe.

The enemy was no longer a rogue state with different political ideology that can be defeated with a military intervention, but an religious ideology that can be anywhere n at any time n their views n values are completely different.

9/11 led to an intervention in Muslim countries that wasn’t supported by majority of the world n created a rift between western n Muslim world.

It also made other big powers like Russia n China wary of western countries n their commitment to the international laws.

There was also division in what seemed to be unified western world. USA were no longer viewed as the leader of the “free world”, but a self serving empire.

all that led to weak economies across the globe, instability in Middle East, Russia n China challenging the western hegemony, euro skepticism n rise of populism n nationalism in the west.

Liberal idea that all the states/nation will eventually come together n will have a shared common goal was being challenged from inside n outside.

What seemed to be a thing of a past like major global conflict looks like an actual possibility yet again.

All that can be traced back to 9/11

 

[San Griente]

I was in NYC on Sept. 9.

Visited a friend in Brooklyn at his new apartment. He complained about the price of the rent, and I pointed out the window to the Twin Towers, which were the only thing you could see other than treetops, and said, "Well, you’ve got a view of those, maybe that makes it worth it.”

Then my friend starts telling me about Fight Club, some movie that he said was real important and I had to see. Years later, I would watch the movie and its climactic scene involving much talk of “controlled demolition" and high-rises pulling a vanishing act, and it reminded me of my trip to New York.

Anyway, back to Sept. 9. My friend starts rambling on about how he’s worried to be in New York because, "Everbody’s saying Osama bin Laden is about to do a terrorist attack on New York.” Apparently he had an uncle who worked on Wall Street and it was the talk of the town at the time.

It sounded wacko to me. I gently suggested that he focus less on his uncle’s paranoias and more on finding a job and becoming established.

When I heard the news two days later (I was in Columbus OH by that time), I thought back to what my friend had said and thought, "Well, I’ll be a sonofagun."

 

[Bamboozled]

...therefore it is the most important date in the whole world. And if you disagree with me you must be pooooorrr....

You must be a potato.

Nah, youre just poor. Can't afford decent schooling.

 

[The Merchant]

Playing Golf, came off the course and as we got in the car my mates phone went off his mate texting him "a plane has crashed into the WTC in New York" so we just thought it would be a small thing by accident. Got back to one of the guys i ws playing golf with house and turned on the TV and was stunned then the first one fell and it was surreal as fuck. We were saying whoever did this is fucked, went home and sat in front of the TV incredulous.

 

[sleepwalk]

Headed to a jobsite (building a high school.) Stopped for coffee. Crew chief and I come out of the store and guy who stayed with the truck tells us a plane hit one of the twin towers. We found that to be pretty fucking weird on top of being traffic. When we got to the site and started working, we get told by somebody a plane hit the other tower. Then the Pentagon. Coastal NJ so we could see the smoke in the distance. Guys on the site checking in with loved ones in the city or who worked in the towers. No planes in the sky. Just had to keep on working. Nothing else we could do.

 

[irish_thug]

Got up, threw on the news while getting ready to go into work for training on a new GPS system. Saw the footage of the planes hitting the towers and it took me a few minutes to realize it wasn't a movie. I didn't leave the couch for about eight hours. First thing I said to my roommate was "Some middle eastern country is going to get bombed into glass over this."

I then proceeded to get exceedingly drunk.

 

[luckyshot]

I was on a bus going from Dublin to Galway to see the chick I was banging.

Some Irish kid on the bus popped off and said, “Woo hoo, hit the White House next!”

I was pretty shocked.

I got completely pissed that night, and I got sympathy butt several times.

 

[meauneau]

Nah, youre just poor. Can't afford decent schooling.

Show us your superior American education and explain to us how the lack of decent schooling causes people to have opinions such as mine.

 

[W12Ranger]

I was eight years old and remember watching what happened that evening on the news. It was a lot for me to take in back then and I couldn't process why people would do this. My exact memory is quite vague but I do remember an assembly dedicated to it at school as well.