I get the memes and all that, but am I wrong in thinking it's a tad more complex? In any context, I can't help but regret such loss of life. As I think about it, though, I guess we wrought all manner of havoc in the Middle East, and we didn't spare civilians, so why should we expect any different. All the horrific things we did there... I see clearly why it happened. I just can't see myself supporting such an action. If they flew planes first into government buildings (which I know they tried) or military bases I could understand better. I just can't in good conscience support either what we did there or what happened here. I also won't say the US didn't deserve it; we totally did, but was actually doing it the correct move? How is it entirely different from going out and shooting random finance bros or billionaires. Sure they deserve it, sure it'll make us feel better, but I don't think it'd bring about real change. It's the argument against adventurism. And it helped fast-track surveillance fascism here, though I don't blame them for that, that was our own ghoul-ass politicians and scared people.
I guess this could be a common sentiment, and people just like memeing, which is all right, I suppose, so long as it doesn't get you in prison for making an ill-advised joke.
EDIT: I guess I still have some pacifist brainworms. I keep wanting our "good guys" not to use such violence, when comparably it is a drop in the bucket of the violence used against them. Also, of course, the responsibility for what happened to the US is lies within themselves. I do regret the loss of life, but I need to remember to keep in mind the many many many more lives lost due to US imperialism. Thanks for the replies!
Other people already made political arguments. I'll go crude.
But look if you are sad about mass death in NYC here are some things to be sad about https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_disasters_in_New_York_City_by_death_toll
I am not going to even get into AIDS (84,000 NYC deaths and counting) except to suggest read And the band plays on published a decade prior to 9/11 it is basically an excruciating detailing about the question of why america cares about certain tragedies and not others. 9/11 fits perfectly into Schultz's analysis.
9/11 = 2,753
Covid 19 dead nyc 2020-2023 = 38,795โ45,194
First NYC covid death was March 14. April 3 was the date 9/11 death toll was passed (3,132 deaths)
citation
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_New_York_City using the Data interactive graphLatinos dead in NYC from COVID March-May 2020: 5,200 (more than double 9/11!!)
citation
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_New_York_CityWhere are the memorials.
All of us have so much pain from our lives and contexts to see the reification of these particular "martyrs" and "hero's" it pokes ones heart with a needle each time.
To make space for our own griefs and those of others instead of displacing on this nationalistic militaristic fake ass bullshit.