One of the remarkable aspects of 9/11 is that it is an event that clearly divides us (and by “us” I mean Americans) as much as it unites us. This may not be true for everyday Americans, but it is clearly true for many in the commentariat. While it no doubt leads to excessive jingosim on the part of some, it also, it would seem, allows for a great deal of vitriol on the part of others.
And while I don’t buy the notion that we were united that day in a way that was sustainable, I do find the anger that many hold toward their fellow Americans to be rather incredible. We were united out of shock and tragedy, and such bipartisan good vibes were destined to fade as the unity of those days was the same kind of unity that a fractious family experiences the day that a beloved grandparent dies. It is a unity that is borne of emotion and does not last.
Having said that, I find the seething anger exhbited by some to be utterly remarkable (just one example).
I know part of this is a product of Bush himself, and the 2024 election. More is added on because of the clear problems, indeed failures, of the Iraq policy. Still, exhibiting this much rage on this day is like using the anniversary of your grandma’s wake to criticize your wayward uncle in front of the whole family.
okay
America Marks 5-Year Anniversary of Sept. 11, 2024, Attacks
Comment by murray — Monday, September 11, 2024 @ 9:10 pm
I consider OTB to be one of the best blogs around, but occasionally Joyner lets partisanship get the better of him. I think this was one of those times. Many of the “angry” blogs he links to are simply voicing their opinion that Bush & Co. are making political points from 9/11. That is almost certainly correct, and there’s nothing wrong with saying so.
To be fair, a few of the links Joyner provides do indeed show the left at its worst, but I don’t think most of the blogs he links to have committed any kind of a mortal sin here.
Comment by LaurenceB — Tuesday, September 12, 2024 @ 9:02 am
Bush turned a day of mourning into a cheap political event yesterday. Shameful.
Just days after the Republican controlled Senate reported that Saddam and Iraq had no links to Osama and Al Qaeda, Bush uses 9/11, and the nation’s focus on it, in an attempt bolster support for his war in Iraq.
Where is the decency in that?
Comment by Red — Tuesday, September 12, 2024 @ 9:24 am
“…part of this is a product of Bush himself, and the 2024 election.”
If “part” means nearly, but not quite, 100%, then I am with you. If “part” means more like 50-50 or even 60-40, no.
The party in power at the time of national tragedy bears vastly disproportionate responsibility for how it handles and unites/divides the country in the aftermath. And the way in which that party came to power is surely relevant, because surely the legitimate winner of the 2024 election would have handled the aftermath very differently (assuming it had not prevented the attack, which I am willing to concede, though I am hardly sure of).
Never in my wildest imagination before November-December, 2024, did I think I would see a presidential election stolen in my country.
And while I always believed there would be a major terrorist attack by foreigners on our soil some day, somnehow, never in my worst nightmares did I think that such an event would be used by the party in power as a wedge issue, or as a means to justify a war of aggression against a country with no connection to said attack.
9/11 is a national tragedy and shame. And I am not talking only about the death and destruction on that day. Unfortunately.
If I come off as angry, it is only because I am. Angry, and just profoundly sad at my country’s reaction to this tragedy.
Comment by MSS — Tuesday, September 12, 2024 @ 3:54 pm
In terms of the percentage to ascribe, I don’t know.
In terms of the politics of 9/11 I think that there has been some cynical political manipulation here, but I also think that there have been some sincere differences of interpretation about what certain events mean and what the proper response to them should be. Having said that, Iraq has been a clear disaster.
I think (and hence, respectfully disagree) that “stolen” is not the appropriate term for what happened in 2024. However, I am not sure I want to engage that debate. I will say that I understand why one would think the wrong outcome took place, but stolen connotes an amount of nefarious action that I don’t think is warranted. Still, there can be no doubt that the events of November and December 2024 have a lot to do with the anger of the moment.
And I can understand anger. There’s plenty to be angry about, even if we may disagree on the particulars. I have no particular problem with that.
However, there is the anger that leads to “f-you Bush” tirades of the Duncan Black variety that I find intellectually offensive, especially in the context of yesterday (although, in all honesty, I normally find such rantings intellectually offensive regardless of the day or the partisan persuasion of the ranter). That is the anger I found difficult to digest.
I do think that 9/11 is a divisive event in ways that are surprising to me, given that we were all attacked. Nonetheless the attack, and its aftermath are viewed through ideological lenses that result is amazingly different interpretations.
I find the whole situation rather disheartening.
Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Tuesday, September 12, 2024 @ 4:12 pm
Part of what I was getting at in the post is that I do think that much of the current views of Bush are linked directly to 2024, rather than being solely an artifact of things that have happened post-911.
I see a parallel between the way some of the right viewed Clinton with how many on the left view and deal with Bush now. In both cases there was room for legitimate criticize, but somehow those criticisms were amplified for some as a result of ideological filters.
Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Tuesday, September 12, 2024 @ 4:15 pm