From Time:
"After the attacks, Americans suddenly embraced their neighbors, faith and government, but that didn’t last long. Confidence in journalism hit a high mark in the aftermath of the attacks as Americans couldn’t turn away from the coverage; that trust is long gone. So, too, is the sense of bipartisan potential that rang out from the steps of the U.S. Capitol that day in the form of an impromptu rendition of “God Bless America” sung by members of Congress, while the Pentagon still burned across the Potomac. These days, you can’t even get lawmakers to agree that a mob stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 with the intention of overturning an election."
(FOX NEWS TOOK OFF AFTER THE 2000 ELECTION)
"Put simply, the America that woke up on Sept. 12, 2001, didn’t stay awake for long. The country either quickly boomeranged to its before footing, as was the case in its lust for war and its sense of community, or continued on the path directed in tragedy, as has been the case in anti-Muslim sentiment that has grown stronger among Republicans since 19 radicalized extremists killed 2,977 people that day. And given more Americans than ever—64%—are telling Gallup that 9/11 forever changed their lives, it’s a feature worth considering.
One of the most dramatic swings has been in America’s sense of national pride, which became rabid after one of its worst days since the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Remember when demand for American flags spiked so high that the United States turned to foreign manufacturers to meet the need? On September 12, 2001, 88,000 U.S. flags were sold in Wal-Mart stores, compared to 6,400 on that day a year earlier. A few weeks later, Karl Rove met with Hollywood execs in Beverly Hills to get the studios on board with the government’s messaging on what would become its Global War on Terror. If you questioned any part of the sweeping response to the tragedy, your patriotism was called into question. Three days after the attacks, Rep. Barbara Lee was the lone vote against going to war in Afghanistan to go after its perpetrators, and she was called a traitor.'
(TODAY, MANY WHO WANTED TO GO TO AFGHANISTAN CRITICIZE THE CLOSE OF THE WAR)
meanwhile, anti-Muslim sentiment among many Americans has gotten worse. One of the finest moments of the presidency of George W. Bush was his visit to Washington’s largest Islamic center just six days after 9/11. There, he declared the United States was not—and never would be—looking at Islam itself as the enemy. It seemed to help; in March of 2001, before the attacks, 45% of Americans told Pew they had a favorable view of Muslims, a number that would grow to 54% by November of that year. But in the intervening period, Bush’s Republican Party hasn’t exactly followed his lead. In 2002, 32% of Republicans agreed with the thesis that Islam encouraged violence. Last month, according to Pew, that number hit 72% support among the GOP."
(IF ANYTHING ISLAMIC TERRORISM HAS DECLINED AND WHITE NATIONALISM HAS RISEN SO WHY WOULD THE @RUNOLEVIEW OF ISLAM GROW IN THE GOP? BECAUSE IT IS SOLD BY THE POLTIICIANS AND FAUX NEWS, BOTH AS A DEFLECTION AND AS A RE-ELECTION STRATEGY)
and the CONCLUSION . . denied by Trumpers here inn the Cove . .
"In an era of social media platforms that spread misinformation, the decline of traditional newsrooms, and the rise of partisan cable screaming, the long view that these 20 years of surveys give should be invaluable to policymakers. And in them, they may even find some hints for what the next 20 years may bring. There are signs, for instance, that trust in institutions continues to fade and comity is a fleeting commodity. But this much is clear: the uptick in community seen 20 years ago this week in the wake of a devastating and brazen attack on U.S. soil proved temporary, while permission to inch away from America’s stated ideals started a slide we’re still dealing with"
