9/11 was the beginning of the end of American democracy

Live updates

1. 54m ago

   Legacies of 9/11 persist as legal battles over surveillance and voting emerge

   The 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks highlights a lasting geopolitical and domestic shift. While nearly 3,000 people died in the initial attacks, the aftermath saw the Bush administration advance police-state legislation. Current tensions manifest in Minnesota, where churches are engaged in legal battles over ICE surveillance and the right to protest. These developments reflect a continued struggle over civil liberties and government oversight decades after the start of the war on terror.

   Why it matters

   The attacks on symbols of American power triggered a global war on terror and prolonged military occupations. This era introduced legislation that critics argue weakened democratic institutions and expanded state surveillance. These policies continue to influence how federal agencies interact with faith communities and residents.

   What is confirmed

   • Nearly 3,000 people died during the September 11 attacks.
   • The Bush administration advanced police-state legislation following the 9/11 attacks.

   Still unconfirmed

   • The federal surge in Minnesota has led to an acrimonious debate within faith communities regarding ICE surveillance.

   What to watch next

   • Court rulings on the legality of ICE surveillance in Minnesota churches
   • Further assessments of the long-term impact of post-9/11 legislation on US civil liberties
   Sources used for this update (7)

   1. www.yahoo.com — Spare us the righteousness, Ed Miliband. You’re a disgrace
   2. www.inquirer.com — A man and a woman were shot and killed in North Philadelphia Saturday
   3. www.wfmz.com — Minnesota churches roiled by legal battle over ICE surveillance and right to protest
   4. www.kmbc.com — Alaska drops voter misconduct cases against American Samoans who checked 'US citizen' box
   5. www.wsws.org — This week in history: September 14-20
   6. www.europesays.com — 9/11: Geopolitical Legacy 25 Years On
   7. www.inquirer.com — Russian drone hits train near Ukraine-Poland border soon after visiting dignitaries passed through
   confidence 90%
2. 1d ago

   Twenty-five years after 9/11, analysts debate the democratic legacy

   Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, memorials take place in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania as commentators assess the long-term cost to American democracy. The resulting war on terror sparked decades of conflict, fueled extremism, and weakened faith in democratic institutions globally. Former President George W. Bush issued a warning that Americans fail to heed the lessons of 9/11. Meanwhile, Afghans live under Taliban rule nearly twenty-five years after the initial United States-led invasion, grappling with the long shadow of the prolonged military occupation.

   Why it matters

   The twenty-fifth anniversary focuses attention on how the response to the 2,977 deaths on September 11 reshaped global geopolitics. Western nations dropped numerous liberal principles to wage prolonged wars, which critics argue fostered instability and authoritarianism rather than eradicating terrorism. Observers continue to debate whether this era began the erosion of democratic norms.

   What is confirmed

   • Twenty-five years ago, 2,977 people died when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania.
   • Memorials are underway in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary.

   Still unconfirmed

   • The United States-led war on terror systematically bred terrorism, extremism, and civilian deaths through military intervention and occupation.

   What to watch next

   • Further statements from political figures regarding the lessons of 9/11
   • Developments in Afghanistan under Taliban rule as the long-term impact of the twenty-year war unfolds
   Sources used for this update (4)

   1. www.peoplesworld.org — 9/11 legacy: A quarter-century of endless war
   2. www.presstv.co.uk — The farce of ‘war on terror’: How US military-industrial complex systematically bred terrorism after 9/11
   3. www.cfpublic.org — The other side of 9/11: Afghans reckon with America's long shadow
   4. ca.style.yahoo.com — George W. Bush says Americans ‘don't pay attention to lesson of 9/11'
   confidence 90%
3. 2d ago

   Twenty-Five Years After 9/11, Democracies Grapple With Post-Attack Legacy

   Marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, memorials are underway in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania as commentators and analysts debate the long-term impact on global politics and American democracy. Western democracies abandoned many liberal principles in the wake of the attacks, triggering two decades of war and feeding the rise of far-right movements, immigration conflicts, and authoritarian exploitation by leaders such as Putin. Observers note that the era transformed global security, weakened faith in democratic institutions, and ushered in an illiberal world order that persists today.

   Why it matters

   The quarter-century milestone brings renewed scrutiny to how the United States and its allies responded to the 2001 attacks. Pundits and journalists argue that the ensuing conflicts and domestic security measures eroded democratic norms from within, creating enduring fractures that still shape domestic and foreign policy.

   What is confirmed

   • Memorial ceremonies are underway at the Pentagon, New York, and Pennsylvania to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
   • The 2001 attacks unleashed two decades of war and altered global security systems.
   • Western democracies abandoned many liberal principles in the wake of September 11.

   Still unconfirmed

   • The 9/11 attacks served as the direct beginning of the end for American democracy.

   What to watch next

   • Further statements or political addresses from figures attending the 25th-anniversary memorial ceremonies.
   • Subsequent political debates concerning the long-term domestic and foreign policy consequences of the post-9/11 era.
   Sources used for this update (19)

   1. The Independent — 9/11 unleashed two decades of war. Now Putin is exploiting the damage
   2. Proshare — Twenty-Five Years After 9-11: How Security Reordered the Global System
   3. thehill.com — 9/11 was the beginning of the end of American democracy
   4. newarab.com — How the US post-9/11 overreaction built today's illiberal world
   5. Black Agenda Report — 9/11 and the Great American Decline
   6. The Colorado Sun — Littwin: You can draw a straight line from 9/11 to the loss of faith in Donald Trump’s world today
   7. The New York Times — Did 9/11 Really Change Everything?
   8. Bloomberg.com — We Are Still Living in the Broken World Sept. 11 Created
   9. Slow Boring — The 9/11 attacks and the crisis of global liberalism
   10. National Review — How September 11 Changed American Politics Forever
   11. The Argument — Liberalism after 9/11
   12. yahoo.com — How China, BRICS, and a new balance of power emerged from 9/11’s shadow
   confidence 90%