How Did September 11 Change the Life of Societies - Research Paper Example

?The September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, which took the lives of thousands of people, showed that the world is no longer a safe place to live in and that even a super power country such as America is vulnerable to attacks of this caliber. The attacks left a deep wound in the minds of the American population and a sense of insecurity. It changed the way Americans perceived their nation and its safety. It also dramatically changed societies as it revealed the lethality of the Al-Qaeda campaign against Americans and the resulting war against Iraq lead by the Bush admisntration while letting lose the Al-Qaeda terrorists who were actually responsible for the attacks. There have been several changes within the American society ever since the attacks which has literally affected the lives of many people. Civil liberties have been subject to changes and in order to protect the country from further attacks several policies and security measures at airports and other important places have been stepped up which has posed serious restrictions to civil liberties. This has resulted in a changed psychology among the American people about their country, politics, world society and their security (Kelly; Schmidt; 9-11 Social Consequences). Considering the magnitude of the 9/11 attacks such restrictions and societal changes are not surprising as the country is in a dire need to safeguard both its people and resources. No country can afford to lose manpower and property to terrorism and given the potential strength of America, it has been able to overcome the destruction mainly owing to its people who remain unified in their fight against terrorism following the attacks. The American society has indeed become vulnerable to attacks by terrorists mainly owing to its open frontiers, greater allowance to civil liberties, lack of any discrimination towards people, a free market and the rights enjoyed by the people to live a free life on their own terms. All of these were against the moral beliefs of the terrorists and which led them to attack the country and show the American people that their nation was indeed vulnerable and that its security could also be under constant threat. However, while the attacks were made with the intention of creating animosity among the diverse American population, it did, in fact create a more unified America. This has become a reality despite the series of civil restrictions and stricter policies that have been imposed on innocent Americans. This can be mainly attributed to the changes that occurred with the country during the 20th century which made the country more tolerable. This is the same country which had banned the teaching of German language after the First World War and the imprisonment of Germans, Japanese and Italians following the Second World War. Over the years the American people have developed the culture of “not judging the others”. This attitude has allowed people to rationalize the actions of others though there were some incidents targeting Muslims immediately after the attacks. However, these incidents were relatively small in number; even though they are deplorable. In addition the attacks also lead to a social cohesion among the people as those who survived the attacks showed a great willingness to help the wounded and the deceased (9-11 Social Consequences). This indeed has been a positive outcome of the attacks as aid from all around the world poured in and many thousands of people volunteered to secure people from the debris. However, this volunteering has been mainly from children belonging to the upper-middle class background as they have begun to show greater interest in public life, civic engagement, politics and society. However, the same has not been found with children belonging to the working class sector as they know that despite all their efforts they would ultimately land up in some firm working round the clock. Hence the post 9/11 attacks did witness a gap in the social class and many experts see this gap as that between the rich and the poor which has resulted in the formation of two Americas. Only suitable economic policies and education will help bridge the gap. While in the earlier cases people were willing to provide for the required necessities for those affected by war and such terrorist acts. On the positive front it should also be noted that following the 9/11 attacks people have moved beyond providing the basic help to the affected people to actually analyzing the cause or reason for the situation. Hence the attacks have resulted in a deeper understanding of social and political issues rather than mere one-on-one aids. People have gone beyond merely providing the needy with what they want and then returning to their own routine. Sustaining such an attitude however requires the effort on part of both the national and grass root leaderships as only they can keep this momentum going which will result in more people with the sole intention of serving the nation entering the political area. Until 9/11 the trend among the general public was to make money which dramatically changed post 9/11 with people showing more interest in public affairs and services. The future leaders of the country need a sense of deeper understanding and the ability to design and implement the required solutions. The attacks further created a sense of solidarity among the American public as many voiced out that “We are all in this together. We need to pull together. This was an attack on all of us (Putnam).” This sense of oneness will help in the long way to create a more unified nation in which people are bothered about the welfare of their society rather than merely their homes. But despite this solidarity wave, the cutting of taxes for the wealthy which was announced as the nation entered into war was not welcomed by many Americans as they felt that the government was being partial and unjust (Putnam). In addition the war against Iraq that followed the attacks also gave rise to some stark criticism as the Bush demonstration targeted Saddam Hussein instead of the Al-Qaeda. This has indeed led to the new world crisis as jihad groups are constantly targeting innocent people across the world. Bin laden believed that those who were killed in the attacks were not innocent civilians but people belonging to a corrupted culture. All the extremists belonging to the Muslim world insist that the US is targeting people of Islamic origin and is therefore engaged in practices that will help to radicalize the Muslim world against the West (Kelly). In addition the other negative effects of the war have been the unfair privileges that were granted to the rich while the poor were made to suffer the consequences of the war. If such differences exist it is more likely that different generations will be formed with one part suffering extreme social and economic consequences compared to the other generations. This could result in people having lesser ability towards civil compromise and a careless attitude. However, the increased participation of people from all classes during the time of crisis has given the belief and hope that America will function as a unified entity in its fight against terrorism (9-11 Social Consequences). The 9/11 attacks left the United States in a very bad shape with undesirable effects on the economic, political and social front (9-11 Social Consequences). In the weeks following the attacks the American people had a great sense of insecurity as is evident in the survey conducted by the Institute of Social Research, Michigan which revealed that a large number of people felt insecure and suffered from problem such as insomnia after the attacks. People also became more cautious while opening mails or going out in the public. There have been many reports about people having overreacted to even normal occurrences due to a constant fear of threat (Schmidt). Brain scans conducted in people who were near the WTC and children ho lost their parents in the attacks have shown that the attacks have caused long-term psychological and neurological repercussions on their minds. The same tests were normal in people who were a few miles away from the ground zero area. Children also suffered from both post-traumatic stress and the bereavement of a parent which has resulted in a greater incidence of psychiatric illnesses among these children (Frenkel). However, the Americans will nevertheless be able to overcome the changes that have been imposed as a result of the attacks as the adaptability and their willingness to cooperate to the changes is proof enough for this. There has been an increased involvement in public activities as many people from all classes and religions have shown considerable interest in protecting the country. With the attacks many experts also believe that the interest towards world politics and happenings around the world will interest Americans more than before and that it would help then to realize the need for the civil liberties and policies that have been imposed after the attacks. The generation of people prior to the 9/11 had a tendency to help those who needed an aid such as the homeless or the uneducated. However post 9/11 people have moved beyond such specific It has also not lost its sense of moral integrity which is extremely vital in shaping the country and the future generations (9-11 Social Consequences). The 9/11 attacks have definitely changed the moral standards and civic liberties of the American people. It has brought along with it several political, ideological and military issues which will be debated for years to come. The future has indeed become very unpredictable as America may not be able to completely stop terrorist’s attacks and the people will have to put up with the traveling and other civic restrictions that have been imposed on them as there is no room left for compromise of any kind. A tendency of powerlessness and frustration might also prevail among the Americans until they become used to this changed way of life. However, it has brought about changes in the public life of the country for the betterment of the nation and its people and has also allowed policy makers to reflect about the country’s priorities and devise suitable foreign policies that would help the society as a whole. While politicians will build their party through campaigns that strike a moral association with the American public, economists will hence frame policies that are suited to the community as a whole rather than being focused on individual entities or people (9-11 Social Consequences). Thus in conclusion, the 9/11 has brought definitive changes within the society, law and order, politics and its people. People have become more sensitive to world issues and are no longer concerned only about themselves and their immediate surroundings. Though the civic restrictions imposed on traveling and other activities of the general public are tough to get accustomed to, the will power of the people and their moral responsibility towards safeguarding their country against terrorists can help them to cope with the changes. This broader concern will help to create a more congenial society and a better America. The attacks have also had a mental bearing on the minds of those who witnessed the attacks. Though it can be tough for them to put back the memories of that horrific day, suitable medical interventions can help to make them feel better. And for those who have directly suffered the consequences of the attack through the loss of a dear one, it can take a long time before the incident can be overcome. However, these changes brought about by the 9/11 attacks have exposed the vulnerabilities of developed countries and other societies can also learn from this and take all the vital precautions necessary in order to improve the security of their countries against terrorists and to further prevent the loss of innocent lives. References 1. Kelly, Paul. “How 9/11 changed the world.” TheAustralian.news.com.au. Sept. 8 2006. Web. 30 May 2011. http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/paulkelly/index.php/theaustralian/comments/how_9_11_changed_the_world/ 2. Schmidt, Brad. “Anxiety After 9/11.”Pychologytoday.com. Dec.12 2007. Web. 30 May 2011. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200201/anxiety-after-911 3. “9-11 Social Consequences”. Angelfire.com. n.d. Web. 30 May 2011. http://www.angelfire.com/nt/informemex/9-11social.html 4. Putnam, Robert. “The future of US Civil Society.” hir.harvard.edu. Apr. 17. 2007. Web. 30 May 2011. http://hir.harvard.edu/academy-and-policy/the-future-of-us-civil-society?page=0,0 5. Frenkel, Karen. “Continuing Effects of 9/11.” Scientificamerican.com. Aug.23 2007. Web. 30 May 2011. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=continuing-effects-of-9-11 Read More