Tomorrow is the 24th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, arguably the most consequential event of the 21st century. As I do every year, I’ll republish the case for why I believe Saudi Arabia should be held responsible for the murder of 2,977 Americans, and why our government has shielded them from accountability. Today, I’m focused on how the deterioration of American politics and society can be traced back to our response to the attack, the War on Terror. The truth is harsh, but undeniable: Through their cowardice and incompetence, America’s political leaders pushed the country down a path of self-destruction far more debilitating than what Osama Bin Laden ever hoped to achieve.
Bin Laden’s goal was not to cripple the United States, but to give us enough rope to hang ourselves. By striking the centers of America’s political, economic, and military strength — the White House (failed), the World Trade Center, and the Pentagon — he humiliated the U.S. and provoked an unsustainable response. Even when he admitted this strategy in 2004, Washington refused to see that they were the bull and Bin Laden was the matador: blinded by rage, they threw themselves at any and everything that could plausibly be considered an enemy.
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