9/11'S UPSIDE

So happy anniversary.

Yes, yes, of course 9/11 was horrible. What came after it, from GOP fear mongering and power grabbing, to the terrorist-creating invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, was also horrible. A year or two ago it would have never occurred to me that the attacks of September 11th, 2001 would ever produce anything good.

I was wrong.

It probably would have happened eventually, but 9/11 so emboldened the forces of conservatism in this country that they shot their wad. That is, they went for it all, with weird economic ideology, barbaric and superstitious social policy, harsh and inflammatory over-the-top rhetoric, and just a whole lot of violent hatred. American conservatism, believing that 9/11 created their moment, revealed themselves for what they are: opposers of the American way. Now that they know, the American people won't have any of it.

So 9/11 was the beginning of the end of American conservatism. Or, at least, this late 20th century manifestation of it.

And that's 9/11's upside.




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