A Quarter Century of Panic
The author reflects on the 25 years since 9/11, arguing that the U.S. government institutionalized a state of panic that led to overreaching policies and military interventions. The piece suggests that the focus on terrorism caused the nation to neglect other critical global and domestic threats.
Why it matters
It provides a retrospective critique of U.S. foreign and domestic policy evolution since the 2001 attacks, highlighting the long-term consequences of fear-based governance.
After 9/11, the U.S. government was over-focused on fighting terrorism, losing sight of other threats. Americans are still living with the consequences.
Illustration by Bina Thorsen. Sources: Three Lions / Getty; PA Images / Getty. September 11, 2026, 6 AM ET Share Save L ike most Americans, I spent September 11, 2001, filled with both rage and dread. I wanted the United States to find and kill whoever had planned this attack on my country. I knew little about al-Qaeda, but whoever did this, I thought, must pay. As the shock of that day wore off, I began to wonder, as so many others did in America and around the world, Now what?
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