The War on Terror 101
an in-depth look
Post 9/11 America
How are the lives of American citizens different now compared to before?
Fears
Following the events that took place on 9/11 mental health workers have seen a rapid increase in the amount of people who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder. The daunting sense of uncertainty brough on by the terrorist attacks has ultimately led to a collectively shared fear among the American people, forever scarring the American psyche.
Prejudices
The inherent fears perpetuated by the 9/11 terrorist attacks has created an ever-growing tendency among many people to hold prejudice view-points towards Arab-American people. This growing discrimination has manifested intself in a number of ways, whether through physical acts of violence inflicted upon people who claim to be of Muslim faith, or the many instances where building permits for the implementation of Mosques in amny American cities are being rejected mainly due to what is now a commonly used term in American culture: Islamaphobia. According to a report made by USA Today News, anti-Muslim hate crimes have risen by nearly 1,600% after the events of 9/11.
Airline Security
Airline security has seen a major change following 9/11 with some new and very stringent policy implementations. The Aviation and Transportation Security Act was passed by congress in 2001 just two weeks following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It has had a major impact on American airline services, federalizing and overseeing their security procedures. Making ones way through airport security is now met with the removal of shoes, the detainment of any liquids, and new technology designed to detect any weapons or harmful materials. Most alarmingly, though, are the overly intrusive checkpoint body scanners and searches that some have called unconstitutional.
A Change in Politics
After the terrorist atttacks took place the United States congress implemented several pieces of legislation, and one of the most notable was the Patriot Act: an act signed into law by former President George W. Bush with the purpose of obstructing terrorism. The Patriot Act gave new power to the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Security Agency, and other federal agencies on domestic international surveillance of electronic communications. The act eventually raised concerns among civil liberties groups regarding the data privacy rights of U.S. citizens. Several other acts that were introduced by congress were the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act, which implemented a new requirement of the State Department and Immigration to share via immigrant data with each other.
Economic Change
The economy was another facet of the United States to be affected by the events centered around the the 9/11 terrorist attacks, some immediate, while others having a long-term economic impact. The attacks had caused the Dow to drop more than 600 points. It also caused the already apparent 2001 recession to deepen. The ultimate goal of the 9/11 terrorists were to cripple the U.S. economy by destroying its centers of power: Wall Street, the Pentagon, and the White House. In its first year, the war in Iraq cost $50 billion, and the costs kept mounting. By the end of Bush's term in office, the War on Terror cost $864.82 billion. The war on terror became one of the biggest government spending programs in U.S. history.
Foreign Relations
A long-time relationship fraught with tension between the United States and China was brought to a lesser degree with the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The United States government had many times stood at odds with China's membership stance in the Untied Nations Security Council, but they were now dependent on China's cooperation as a veto-wielding member. The decline of tension between the two countries can also be attributed to the fact that the costly anti-terrorism efforts have reduced the assets Washington can deploy in the service of any policies to engage a rising China, and address China's growing economic and military powers.
A once close relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia was now being called into qeustion by much of the American people after 9/11. Out of the fifteen 9/11 hijackers, 12 were Saudi citizens. This forced the governments of both nations to take a closer look at their strategic alliance and close economic relationship, and determine if ti is still mutually beneficial.