... the seemingly impossible happened; we persevered an unimaginable horror, had the goodwill of the entire world on our side, and then squandered it by also committing unspeakable horrors on innocents (women, children, civilians) for years on end, including a war we were so obviously lied into... At least 408,749 civilians in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen died as a direct result of the post-9/11 wars. And... As of May 2023, more than 7.6 million children under five in post-9/11 war zones suffer from acute malnutrition.
Fifteen of the nineteen hijackers were citizens of Saudi Arabia, where most if not all of the funding came from- and yet, somehow, it was never even scratched. And as if the loss of life wasn't enough, the wars also cost the US an estimated $8 Trillion. To this day, we are the only wealthy Western nation that does not guarantee universal healthcare for all its residents. We're repeatedly told we-just-can't-afford-it!
This year we initiated yet another war, this time with Iran.* It was presumably done to prevent them from acquiring a nuclear bomb... after we purposely reneged on an agreement that prevented Iran from obtaining one! Under the JPCOA, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors received continuous, 24/7 access to Iran's declared nuclear sites, supply chains, uranium mines, and centrifuge manufacturing facilities; and- Iran agreed to implement the IAEA Additional Protocol, allowing inspectors to request access to undeclared or suspicious locations anywhere in the country. Not a bad deal!
Today, Iran is on its way to acquiring some kind of nuclear device for the same reason no one attacks North Korea, scary- but can't say I blame them. Meanwhile, the whole world has lost trust in us as we've torn up treaties and threatened allies- even picked a fight with the friendliest country any neighbor could ever possibly ask for! We have lost old friends, and made more enemies...
As we remember the tragedy of 9/11, let us also strive towards the realization that in eventually eliminating that villain past, we've created the breeding ground for many more from the children whose innocent family members we've killed at school, in hospitals, at wedding celebrations and in their very homes having dinner. It is a ritual we've already carried out yet again, in yet another country...
*The direct military cost of the war with Iran has reached at least $37.5 billion according to Pentagon estimates, while independent economic and energy tracking pushes the total cost past $100 billion.
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