Top 10 Ways the September 11 Attacks Changed the World

September 11th, 2001, or simply 9/11 is a mark on American history from the darker days. With its anniversary right around the corner, let's reflect on how it changed the world.
The Top Ten
They Were the Reason for the War on Terror

Let's state the obvious: This was George W. Bush's faulty response to the September 11th attacks. What is not obvious is that this was the first time the United States was fighting more against a force than a specific nation.

We were just fighting terrorism. Geography was most prominent with Afghanistan and Iraq.

The single biggest impact. War in the Middle East is still ongoing because of it.

They United America

The fact that this is what it took to unite an ironically divided USA saddens me, and yet it is a time I'd want to see myself.

Americans didn't judge each other by race, political affiliation, religion, or background. We were all just proud Americans.

It shouldn't have to take a tragedy to unite a nation. But these days it seems even that won't unite us, will it?

That's what it takes to unite a country. Except now not a single thing could hope to unite us.

They Increased Airport Security in the USA

Pre-9/11, you could just hop on a plane and you're in. That's how at least four airplanes were hijacked, and 3/4 of them hit their targets.

The aftermath of 9/11 brought in security, from guards to technology, to the "No Fly List," which was made because terrorists have a horrible but amazing ability to turn anything into bombs, from perfume to toothpaste, and everything else in between.

To be fair, it probably increased security everywhere.

That's a very good thing so no one can carry threatening weapons in their suitcase or luggage!

Movies Were Delayed so Scenes with the Twin Towers In Them Could Be Removed

Spider-Man (2002) and Sidewalks of New York are good examples, as they're set in New York. Most opted to get rid of these scenes because they'd inflict pain on their audiences by showing them who and what was lost.

It's a respect thing.

I don't know, something about this screams cancel culture, or at least an early version of it. Especially when you consider the fact that there was a petition to rename the second LOTR movie merely because "The Two Towers" was apparently deemed "offensive."

That's very sad! Also, Seth MacFarlane nearly died but thankfully didn't!

Americans Developed Fears of Traveling via Airplane

This has long since been overcome by some traumatized Americans who were understandably paranoid about flying in an airplane because they'd witnessed a day of sacrifice and terrorism on September 11th.

Even with the extra security and the No Fly List, they couldn't help but wonder if they were next, for a while. Depending on the individual, "a while" can be a few months or a few years.

At First, They Created a Set Date for Terrorists to Attack America

I believe if we didn't make such a big deal of the date of the attack, terrorists wouldn't have cared to attack the embassy on that certain day.

Islamophobia Increased
Other Ominous Days Followed the Month/Day Format

Honestly, one of my biggest problems with the reactions to this attack is the need to kidnap a day of the year merely because it happened on that date. It could've been called the "WTC Attacks," but people just had to kidnap an entire date because "it was the worst event in history."

No one remembers the day WW2 started, even though it's arguably worse. Then there's also the issue of people never moving on from it, but that's a different story.

Let's take into consideration the London Bombings of 2005. Many simply call it 7/7, as it was on July 7th.

And in Britain, September 11th would be 11/09 pre-September 11th, 2001, but from then on, even in Britain, 9/11 is 9/11.

They Created Conspiracy Theories about 9/11

You were probably expecting the conspiracy theory that Bush and Cheney created 9/11. Sorry to disappoint, but I'm gonna roll with "Back to the Future Predicted 9/11."

A good example of that is Marty shows up at the Twin Pines Mall, and it's 1:16. 911 upside down. When he comes back from 1955, it's the Lone Pine Mall, and there's much more to pick from.

Major Impact on Religious Americans

One impact that the World Trade Center attacks had on the United States is that the non-religious (who had been pariahs since the days of Joseph McCarthy) started to become more vocal and prominent in the United States.

The number of non-religious Americans has increased since 2001 and is expected to become the majority by the mid-21st century. Two US cities, namely Portland, OR and Tampa, FL, already have a plurality of non-religious residents.

The religious faith of many Americans grew stronger, as they found consolation in coping with the loss of loved ones and overcoming their grief.

Other Americans, not so much. They started questioning their faith or lost it entirely because they could not reconcile it with their view of religion. If God let this horrible day go on, how could He be real?

The Contenders
It Kidnapped the Date of 9/11

Now you can't walk around randomly talking about a harmless date because of a terrorist attack that happened decades ago.

They Were Metaphorical Attacks on America's Wealth and Military

This may seem like a random inclusion, but the Twin Towers symbolized our wealth, according to my research, and the Pentagon symbolized (and symbolizes today) our military power.

So, when you think about it, Al Qaeda attacked the United States to scar our economy and military strength.

Theme Parks Were De-Intensified, Even During Halloween Events of the Same Year

Honestly, this is kind of stupid, not gonna lie. Why go to a theme park if you're still traumatized? Let the others enjoy.

They Increased Government Surveillance
They Led to the Increase of Conservatism
In a Roundabout Way They Ended the Service of Concorde
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