This year on 9/11 “Never Forget” is not enough in the era of trumpism. We have to do better. The hijackers were mostly middle class Saudis, some of whom had Christian European education. They did not come from a vacuum. We were instrumental in creating al Qaeda. Attempting to contain Soviet influence, the US actively worked to destabilize the Middle East, funding and training radical Muslims. And here we are, with a racist president who publicly insults Muslims and casually destroys decades of international and interfaith detente. So while you’re honoring the memory of 9/11 and the three thousand innocent Americans killed, think about how we got there and where we go from here. And think about your vote in the next election.
We’ve tried regime-building and proxy wars and it has never gone well. It came home disastrously. Now we’re trying insults and isolationism. It’s not going well. Maybe it’s time to fulfill our own idyllic fantasy of being a benevolent and powerful engine of global peace not through force but through compassion. Just my two bits.