9/11 was some crazy people flying planes into buildings

[MoseyWalker]

it should have changed nothing about the basic beliefs and actions of this country, but one would be led to believe that "it changed everything".

It shouldn't have changed anything about the basic principles of this country. Principles regarding rights to privacy, rights to confront one's accuser when arrested, and others too numerous to mention that made america, well, AMERICA.

The only thing 9/11 changed was that it allowed the sadistic freaks from around the country to have something to rally around.

How did 9/11 change my life? My personal world?

I now, years later have to deal with living in a fascist country.

That's the only thing 9/11 changed.

American's aren't fearful of every elevated threat alert. Most I know don't even know the propaganda was put out there to scare them.

9/11 changed this country from the top down, not the bottom up. If that isn't the trickle down theory used at it best, I don't know what could be.

[uppityperson]

1. It made people in the USA realize they were part of the larger world.

scary. I like your words here.

[Philosoraptor]

2. it's all very sinister

and too unbelievable. we believe it, but millions don't notice, millions more know but are fine with it. amazing how well it all went down, and amazing that only now folks are wising up.

[pinto]

3. The one thing that changed was we joined the rest of the world,

for a brief time. Much of Europe, the Mid East, obviously, Africa and Asia are subject to terrorism. We long held ourselves as exempt. I think 9/11 shattered that uniquely American illusion. And, for whatever reasons, Bushco will not recognize that reality.

His Administration has frayed ties with law enforcement and intelligence agencies abroad who have a long history of tracking, identifying and apprehending international vigilante groups. Instead, this Administration has chosen to wage a preemptive "war on terror" and has the gaul to insist that the rest of the world cooperate with that approach.

Sorry, but imho, it *is* a law enforcement issue. Most of the world deals with it as that and has some success under much greater threats than we have seen. 9/11 could have been avoided by listening to the alarms raised by law enforcement agencies, intelligence agencies and the general public for that matter. Giving it up to Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and the Pentagon junta was a remarkable misstep. We will pay for this fiasco for generations.

(on edit) Just after 9/11 a friend called me and said "welcome to the rest of the world." I didn't get it then, but it echoes now.