Hey Packard, you are correct that most of us didn`t sacrifice because of 9/11, we were told to "donate blood and go shopping" to which most of us gladly obeyed. The cost of the war was put on credit cards and we didn`t even feel the sting of the complete cost. Politically, something had to be done and anything less than success would hurt the future electability of those in office at the time.
Bush was in a spot where if he didn`t respond quickly and effectively, a future attack wouldn`t be forgiven by the public. the Democrats even understood and stuffed their pacifist base into the broom closet with a taped mouth... ask a Dixie Chick. Now that "the coast is clear", the Dixie Chicks are cool once again. A war and all that goes with it can be forgiven, but another 9/11 wouldn`t have been, now maybe that`s good politics. But it isn`t perhaps the best course of action for the country. Just my opinion is the Iraq war should`ve been financed with a $1 tax on fuel, when people got tired of paying it, voila! they`d "bring the boys back home" ...hey this revenge thing was fun, but now it`s getting awfully expensive.
9/11, seems to be a turning point morally for the US. "Good girls" started getting tattoos, open gay relationships weren`t seen as Uff-dah, marijuana was seen as "harmless" and should be legalized....Grandpa died, let`s party! I don`t know if enough spoiled people just happened to come of age in the early 2000`s and or too many of the old guard moral compasses passed away, but it did so happen that socialism was and is not seen as a bad thing anymore by a sizable chunk of the electorate.
The 40-something mother that hasn`t yet gotten a tattoo and drinks too much, is chastised by her kids instead of that bad behavior encouraged by them. I guess there has to be an "adult" in the situation and if the actual adult is incapable, then the young teen will have to grow up early. Too many 30 yr old 40 yr old 50 yr old persons still believe themselves to be 16 again and want the "fun" of making teenage poor judgments.
