By Code Pink, September 12, 2021
September 11th, 2001, fundamentally altered the culture of the United States and its relationship with the rest of the world. The violence of that day was not confined, it spread throughout the world as America lashed out both at home and abroad. The almost 3,000 deaths of September 11th became hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of deaths from wars the US launched in retaliation. Tens of millions lost their homes.
Join us today as we reflect on the lessons of 9/11 and the lessons of the 20 year Global War on Terror.
We’ll hear testimonials from:
John Kiriakou, Vijay Prashad, Sam Al-Arian, Medea Benjamin, Jodie Evans, Assal Rad, David Swanson, Kathy Kelly, Matthew Hoh, Danny Sjursen, Kevin Danaher, Ray McGovern, Mickey Huff, Chris Agee, Norman Solomon, Pat Alviso, Rick Jahnkow, Larry Wilkerson, and Moustafa Bayoumi
In the name of freedom, and of vengeance, the United States invaded and occupied Afghanistan. We stayed for 20 years. With lies of ‘weapons of mass destruction’ a majority of the country was convinced to invade and occupy Iraq, the worst foreign policy decision of the modern era. The Executive Branch was given sweeping authority to make war across borders and without limits. The conflict in the Middle East expanded under both Republican and Democratic Presidents, leading to US wars in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, and more. Trillions of dollars were spent. Millions of lives were lost. We created the greatest migration and refugee crisis since World War II.
9/11 was also used as an excuse to change the relationship of the US government to its citizens. In the name of safety the national security state was given expansive surveillance powers, threatening privacy and civil liberties. The Department of Homeland Security was created and with it ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Words like ‘enhanced interrogation,’ a euphemism for torture entered the American lexicon and the Bill of Rights was tossed aside.
After the events of September 11th, 2001, “Never Forget” became a common expression in the United States. Unfortunately, it was not only used to remember and honor the dead. Like “remember the Maine” and “remember the Alamo,” “never forget” was also used as a rallying cry to war. 20 years after 9/11 we are still living in the age of the ‘War on Terror.’
We must never forget the lessons of 9/11 or the lessons of the Global War on Terror, lest we risk repeating the pain, death, and tragedy of the past 20 years.
This webinar is co-sponsored by:
The Coalition for Civil Freedoms
Historians for Peace and Democracy
United for Peace and Justice
World BEYOND War
Project Censored
Veterans For Peace
CovertAction Magazine
Military Families Speak Out
On Earth Peace
National Network Opposing The Militarization of Youth
Not enough is explained about why 9/11 happened, if indeed it was organized by that small group of suicide activists who viewed themselves as martyrs for a grander cause. “Blowback” does not begin to cover it. Not enough is said of how the “War on Terror” was actually a War of Terror visited by the U.S. upon innocent populations of several countries who had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11. Not enough is said that the acts of a dedicated private group should not have been defined as an act of war by those nations, whose governments also had nothing to do with 9/11. And nothing is said about the last 70 or more years of U.S. treatment of other countries with invasions, occupations, sanctions, betrayals of contracts, support of rebel groups, arming of militants looking to overthrow their governments, and our overthrow of elected governments in those countries just because we don’t like their leaders who are not willing to be our puppets. Have I mentioned our desire for their resources?
And absolutely nothing is being said about what to do decently with the money that could be diverted from the military. This is money taken from our population in taxes, past and future, regardless of the level of wealth of the individual taxpayers. That money should not stay in the hands of the government but should be returned to the people from whom it was taken. Not given to others who demand welfare for any reason. Their needs should be met by voluntary charity. Don’t tax people into poverty, and there will be enough left for charity. The ever-increasing number of government employees who live off the substance of real working people is obscene. The military and political segment of our population grows like a cancer, exploiting the working people in the private sector. The bureaucracy devours the product of real labor, in the meanwhile demonizing the private individuals who manage to become rich through producing what others want and need and willingly pay for. Stop badmouthing wealth while producing nothing and shamelessly living off the working people’s taxes.