Do we get to go back to how we lived? Is everyone safe now? Who won?
Ten years ago, Osama bin Laden led the attack on the US soil. The famed 9/11 attack brought down the World Trade Center twin towers in New York. Estimated 3,000 people died from that attack and the trauma left many scarred. President George Bush launched the war on terrorists, created Homeland Security, and changed US air travel forever. After the 9/11 attack, there were an episode of Anthrax threat, UniBomber, shoe bomber, mysterious liquid bomber, underwear bomber, etc. As we try to get to wherever via air-travel, we would submissively take off the shoes, put many things through the machine, stand with our hands touching the forehead, and imagine whoever watching the scan would see. For all practical purposes, we got used to this now. Airport security is now part of the life.
And I feel safe traveling. I worry more about my laptop getting sufficient power than someone trying to bring down my airplane. I watched the news, in fact in Frankfurt airport on my way to Athens, with a detachment. Sure he is dead, but look at that weird hat someone wore at Kate’s wedding.
Several weeks ago, I finally watched the final series the TV program 24. It was the 8th season that Jack Bauer fighting terrorists. It was still a very watchable series, but ended. I don’t think people in the US care anymore on terrorism. That was so last decade.
The conclusion is that US won. We are not terrorized anymore. We don’t even watch TV programs about terrorism. Naive we may be, bin Laden failed.
And we don’t care anymore.