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Originally Posted by DanaC
My only disagreement is that i think it can serve a useful function to hang reflection onto an anniversary like this. ...
There are lessons to be learned. Now that some of the political voices have quitened down, we can breathe a little and take a closer look at some of those lessons.
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Unfortunately, many will use the example to hype misguided reasons. Did Pearl Harbor prove we must pre-emptively attack our enemies? Of course not. But so many "learned" that lesson.
While morning the loss of so many lives, also learn what was created because so many used "11 September" emotion to surrender Afghanistan to the Taliban and to waste 4,500 American lives in Mission Accomplished. That is the lesson to be learned.
Also spend more time examining where we are rather than dwelling on emotions. From the Economist of 3 September 2011:
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Fawaz Gerges, a professor at the London School of Economics ... argues that the West has won, but doesn't realize it. Al Qaeda, he suggests, was never the monster many imagined it to be, and is now a virtually spend force. The only thing that keeps it alive is fear stoked by self-serving politicians and ignorant media. ... "over-reaction is still the hallmark of the US War on Terror."
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Did we all learn that lesson on 11 September? Probably not. Extremists who gain power by promoting fear actually 'fear' we might learn that reality. Did they celebrate the resulting victory? Or just wallow in emotions?
Why did we not celebrate victory? For the same reason George Jr all but protected bin Laden. Emotion is how to manipulate a majority. Emotion means many refuse to learn we have won. Move on. Stop bathing in those emotions. Instead, celebrate the victory.