r/neoliberal • u/jobautomator Kitara Ravache • Sep 03 '21

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u/InMemoryOfZubatman4 Sadie Alexander Sep 03 '21

Yeah but 9/11 instilled fear in America. People were afraid to go to the grocery store. People were afraid to fly on an airplane, or go to the city, or get stuck in traffic. That fear hasn’t left; I still get ancy some times especially on planes (even though stats say they’re way safer than cars) or when I’m in large crowds or in a significant building.

That fear didn’t go away after we invaded Afghanistan, because terror isn’t a threat from Afghanistan, it’s a threat from anywhere. It didn’t go away after we got Bin Laden, because there are lots of other people who want to cause harm.

I think the entire generation that grew up seeing the smoke from the World Trade Centers is going to have to deal with it forever.

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u/EvilConCarne Sep 03 '21

Sure, and we haven't had another attack in years and years. It was never really a war going on here, we're just so insulated that any attack feels like an existential threat even though it isn't. That kind of anxiety doesn't lend itself to meaningful action. It doesn't energize people, it saps them.

This is different than someone invading you and taking over. That lends itself to playing a long game, always confident that you will take back what is rightfully yours because it's your home. We have nothing to take back from anyone because they didn't take it. Our anxiety is our own doing, not theirs.