Quote Originally Posted by Thorne View Post
I don't like that comment. I agree with your assessment of trading civil rights and freedoms for security, and indeed, post 9/11 was chaos. But other than those people living in NYC and DC, was fear that pronounced? Oh, certainly, politicians were terrified! A plane hitting the pentagon, one apparently targeting the White House? Their own lives might be on the line! Failing to act on intelligence information? What about their careers! They were certainly afraid. Personally, while horrified by the acts and the results of those acts, I can't say that my level of fear went any higher just because of 9/11. And that despite the fear-mongering of the American (primarily) press and TV news media.

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I was on the west coast in an airport when this came down. Long story that's not different from a lot of others but I ended up driving across the country from California to South Carolina. I listened to a lot of talk radio and to a lot of news. I stopped each night and chatted with people in hotels and restaurants. Fear was rampant. While I didn't observe anyone running around like their hair was on fire, there was a great deal of anxiety and unease immediately after the attack. The entire air travel system shut down, guards on chemical plants and nuclear plants, etc. that good old all-American practice of price gouging worked on Mr and Mrs America because of fear. Anyone who lived in the U.S on 9/11 and wasn't afraid for their family members, friends, co-workers, or themselves is in a very small minority.

Fear isn't a bad thing. Panic is bad, fear can keep you alive. I've been shot, I've been blown up, I've ambushed and been ambushed. Fear has worked very well for me.