Considering current events with the war in Gaza escalating with uncontrolled incriminate violence and complete disregard for civilian life combined with ongoing conflict in the Ukraine the world is teetering on an edge. It seems like things would only take a couple of ill-conceived actions or some ridiculous posturing to grow into something greater. It means that once again we might be standing on the precipice of moments in world history that change our way of life, moments where we speak about a before and after. Considering this I thought it might be worth reflecting on the last major world event in my experience that sent reverberations around the world, September 11.
A young child’s perspective
As a 10-year-old it is hard to process the scope of events and understand such a monumental act of violence but the reaction of my parents when they woke me up that morning was enough to impress upon me the seriousness of what was happening. Even with the distance of living in Australia the impact on my daily routine was immediate at school that morning the idea of a normal lesson was forgotten. Instead, our teacher attempted to discuss what had happened, why and what it meant for the world. Looking back as a history teacher I can deeply appreciate how difficult a task that would have been but somehow our grade 6 teacher held it together and we all seemed a little more informed and comforted.
The days that followed were filled with news broadcasts replaying footage of the planes crashing into the twin towers or the dramatic and horrifying collapse. Even today teaching students about 9/11 and those images take me back and make shudder, more so now as maturity and knowledge brings the understanding of such events that my younger self lacked.
The response
As we all know 9/11 set in motion a range of responses globally that impacted billions to varying degrees. The most drastic of which was of course George W Bush’s “War on Terror” with the US led forces swiftly attacking Afghanistan, removing the Taliban from power and hunting Osama Bin Laden. As a history teacher the sad irony here is that this stemmed from the events of the cold war and western interference in the middle east as both a driving force of Bin Laden’s beliefs but also circumstances that gave him control of a militant group. This conflict promised to a lightning fast war, the might of the US and their allies quickly achieving its aims, but 20 years later it was Joe Biden pulling out that signaled an end American commitment and then promptly returned to Afghanistan to the Taliban, a harsh realisation that in many ways it had been for nothing.
However direct action did not end here, and Bush’s war quickly spread to Iraq with the old enemy Saddam Hussien. This time the pretext was quickly revealed to be the false narrative of ‘weapons of mass destruction” which did not materialize and as a result saw the USA rely on a smaller group of allies including Australia while the rest of world condemned the action but did nothing. Now, I doubt many would weep over the execution of Saddam Hussien as a tyrant that had killed so many, but the cost continues to send reverberations in people’s lives. The thousand dead and those fleeing the war-torn countries of Iraq and Afghanistan create a humanitarian crises that spread to every corner of the globe.
The result of these conflicts continues to influence current events as it helped shatter the trust people had in the USA and their motives. It emphaised the tension between the Middle East and the West through rhetoric on both sides as well as the natural response to American interference in the region. Additionally, the conflict in Afghanistan especially like Vietnam highlighted the smaller nations can withstand and frustrate US Military might. All of which creates a dangerous prospect for our current situation.
Cultural change
As a result of both 9/11 and the American response their has also been significant cultural change. In the first instance the security and carefree attitude of the 90s especially in Australia was shattered. Security at Airports changed forever, public bins were replaced with new transparent ones and the prohibited items listed at major events became like you wanted to fly overseas. This was the visual representation of the notion of being “Alert not Alarmed” and some of the messaging was like the cold war era ‘red scare’. This time however the target of these campaigns created a clear stereotype and one that was reinforced by TV shows, government advertising, and Newspapers, to them the threat was Islam. A movement that has given rise to an increased level of Islamophobia which continues to be seen in actions around the world to ban specific cultural dress and in the portrayal of current events in Australia and the rest of the western world.
The complex thing about this cultural change being driven in the western world is that the actions of the US response create many people that sort refuge. Not only did this lead to yet more unspeakable acts of inhumanity thanks to things like offshore processing but also it means the demographic of society changed. The Islamic population increased which has helped many dispel the stereotype and help adjust our sympathies shown in the large protest filled with a cross section of people in favor of free Palestine. Yet, it also exaggerates the fear created by the rhetoric of those with influence as their concerns of encroaching Islam corrupting our way of life seem justified through the observed change. This therefore creates division between those in society that embraces cultural change and learn from others compared to those that greet difference with mistrust. It is these two opposite viewpoints that threaten to destroy our way of life that creates political opportunity for the wrong sort of people.
Where to next
This is impossible to guess as any one of a hundred situations could eventuate, especially if we aren’t prepared to stop and think about how we got here. These moments like September 11 which spark a series of events that change things, if we don’t properly recognise and understand the line of cause and effect, often give credibility to dangerous ideas. Understanding these forces, us to properly take stock and look for different solutions to avoid similar consequences.
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