9/11, Twenty-Two Years On

It seems to me that we in the United States — and, from what I can tell, the Western world more broadly — never did come to terms with the reality of Jihadist ideology and its clear intentions for us. Media malpractice and a general decline in cultural courage and self-confidence seem substantially to blame for that — themselves downstream of a “long march through the institutions” of toxic ideology that’s quite deliberately designed to weaken us. I don’t know how not to feel disgust for those responsible for it. In any case, this far down the road from the 9/11/2001 Al Qaeda attacks on the USA, I expect we’re pretty firmly settled into our respective conclusions and not much seems likely to change that. With Al Qaeda and ISIS/ISIL largely rendered inoperative, there hasn’t been as much reason to worry about Jihadist violence in recent years, and we’ve moved on as a culture to fearing, doubting, distrusting, and punishing ourselves over other issues. My focus has shifted to understanding the deeper roots underlying the general weakness that afflicts us, and seeking ways to re-energize a culture and civilization that I see as well worth saving. I’ve grown weary of trying to warn people about things they don’t want to be warned about, so writing to try to spread awareness among the less aware has seemed less useful than trying to offer tools and insight to see our ailing state and want to do something to fix it. Time will tell where that goes. I hope I’ll be able to find ways to make a positive difference.