The America we knew, the one that held us together, where we put out differences aside to fight for a common right to be, that America no longer exists. America is merely a shell, a dried up husk, a marionette puppeteered by corporate giants with bribes and blackmail too big for those "in power" to do a damn thing besides our damnation.

Been playing Tom Clancy's "The Division" a lot lately. It's focused on the US military taking back NYC after a pandemic. We used to have a protocol, a government contingency, should a viral outbreak enter our nation. This plan, known as "Dark Winter", was practiced in 2001, never to be referenced again, except in 2016 with "The Division", because leave it to Tom Clancy to reference obscure military drills.

My point is, in the 2000s, we were prepared, we were a unit, we were a nation. What happened on September 11th was a travesty, one which took the lives of so many. As much as it hurt us, it brought us together. We were all hit, we were all hurting, but most of all, we were all together. Fast forward 20 years later and we're up at each other's throats, divided amongst ourselves, fighting cultural wars and showing no remorse for our actions against others and for our own selfish gain.

We aren't prepared anymore, we don't work together anymore. The earth is poisoned, the media is lies, our food makes us fat and slow, our drugs numb our minds. People are detached, and those in power are making their move, in broad daylight no less, as we no longer have the strength to fight. 20 years ago, we would have called this as it was, a treasonous attack on our nation. Unfortunately, it's not 20 years ago. If we make it out of this alive, it will be by divine intervention.

Sorry for my nihilistic vent, but after being labeled a "threat to national security" due to circumstances beyond my control, I have lost my faith in the system as it stands. I both need a hug, to cry uncontrollably, and to leave this country. (I'm learning French so I might go there.)

I would actually consider the collective blood lust that was shared by Americans after 9/11 to be alarming, in that so many of them either didn't ask why someone would coordinate an attack of that magnitude or they were cowed into following the majority of their peers that were motivated by revenge. And, later, most of them ended up disapproving of the war anyway. It took them 20 years, but they got there. I understand that we still have troops in Iran now, though. I suppose if anything it's job security for military personnel.

Though, when compared to the American consensus with the war in Ukraine and the genocide in Gaza, yes, it's undeniable that more progressives and conservatives aligned with each other after 9/11. Perhaps it's merely because 9/11 happened here, on our land. One is reminded of Pearl Harbor. Maybe the lesson here is, if you want to keep Americans divided, don't present them with something they can all rally against. They will tear each other apart, eventually. They are very preoccupied with identity politics, and many of them still harbor old world prejudices, discriminating that will take on new forms and seek new targets with the newest generations.

You may be right about our food making us dumb and fat and demotivated as a result, but we did have our first attempted coup not more than four years ago. Which is... I suppose lively? Encouraging, if you were worried about citizens no longer being able to stir up trouble. There was also the BLM riots and the aforementioned CHOP, and Occupy Wall Street was a bit of a hoopla. All unprecedented in our lifetime, not to much the name Luigi becoming a verb. So perhaps we can have faith in our young upstarts. They've done more than burning bras on a college campus, but only seem ineffectual when compared to the likes of Harvey Milk or Daryl Davis. If we're only referring to spectacle? Our current iteration of American hooliganism offers plenty of hysterics and lethal violence.

*offers hug* Please don't move to France. The food is healthy, but I don't think they have much in the way of washers and dryers, let alone air conditioners. Also, wouldn't you rather be living somewhere that's less likely to get invaded by Russia? We could just sit here, not putting a decisive end to the conflict, while test running a little fascism.