9/10'ers & 9/12'ers

15 years after the terrible day of September 11, 2001 and our country is more divided than it has been since the Civil War...One of the biggest reasons is because we are split between 9/10 Americans and 9/12 Americans.

9/10 Americans believe the 'real world' is as it was on September 10, 2001 - before the attacks...9/12 Americans believe the 'real world' is as it was on September 12, 2001 - after the attacks.

"Our nation rose so valiantly in the immediate aftermath of September 11th. We came together in ways not seen since the second World War. American flags flew on every corner and we became united through both sorrow and anger. Nowadays, displaying the American flag at certain universities is considered offensive, while refusing to stand for the national anthem as a professional athlete is glorified. What happened?" - Brigitte Gabriel

I am a 9/12 American, and I admit I don't understand anyone who isn't as well.  9/10'ers feel the same about their worldview, however...These differences are almost irreconcilable.

"We don’t live in the world the 'liberal internationalists' have imagined exists; we live in a world where, more and more, the law of the jungle applies." - Walter Russell Mead

Mead's statement is the perfect explanation of why I'm a 9/12'er:  Because I have no doubt the world is brutal.  There are many more Russias, Chinas, North Koreas, Irans, etc., etc., etc., than there are Utopian, 'Western', idealist nations...Even worse, the 'decent' nations are going through an extended period of economic, societal, and moral collapse - along with having a general feeling of apathy, while at the same time the not-so-decent-nations are taking advantage of their weakness.

History has always proven this to be true, and we are hardly living in a post-history world...Why?  Because the world is made up of humans.  As such, our history will often be our future.

This is why I am a 9/12 American...This is why 9/10 Americans don't understand or appreciate me - and vice versa.

The events which led to the outgrowth of these almost irreconcilable differences are the ultimate success of the 9/11 attackers.