22 Years Later, And Still No Sign of Justice
Sometimes, one forgets how differently politicians view the world, and make calculations on what's right and wrong. One never has to wait too long, though, before they give you a sense of just how different their weighing of morals and political calculations clearly are from most citizens. Monday was the 22nd anniversary of 9/11, a day which permanently changed the trajectory and collective psyche of America and its people. We remember and mourn the lives of not just the thousands of Americans killed in an act of hate and terror in 2001, but also the hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi and Afghani citizens who lost their lives in the devastating aftermath of our “retaliatory” invasions of these countries in response to that fateful day. Yet despite the public proclamations of sorrow, the trillions of dollars of American treasure wasted in misguided wars, the hundreds of thousands to millions of lives lost throughout the globe, and the relinquishing our privacy and many freedoms within our borders for the sake of “National Security” our leaders have yet to hold the country most responsible for these attacks accountable.
Strong evidence suggests, that both the vast majority of funding for the attack, and many of the hijackers themselves who perpetrated it, hailed from Saudi Arabia. Instead of seeking justice and accountability for those behind the attack, American leaders have continued to grant favored and sometimes evening fawning status to the Saudi elite. Case-in-point, the Biden Administration announced, on 9/11, that it was publicly thankful for a donation of $20 billion dollars by Saudi Arabia in support of a Biden initiative, the Partnership for Global Infrastructure. Instead of keeping his campaign promise to make Muhammad bin Solomon a global pariah, Biden spent the weekend shaking hands and thanking MBS.
It is precisely this amoral elevation of money and power among our ruling class that allows our politicians to become so disconnected from the profound struggles and deep pain of so many Americans. Actions speak louder than any words, and in the decades since the attack, our government has shown far more interest in lining the pockets of defense contractors and cozying up to Saudi billionaires than investing in its people and seeking justice on their behalf. Such actions make it clear that regardless of which side of the aisle politicians hail from, their true North Star is money and the power and prestige that it brings.
We, the living, and the dead, deserve better leaders than this. The American people are tired of the wars, tired of the non-representation, tired of the corrupting influence of money which allows even the most blood drenched to wash away their misdeeds with showers of gold. We need a government and leaders willing to stand by the American people, and hold fast to the values of freedom, democracy, and justice that we ostensibly stand for. Moving our politicians away from worshiping this proverbial “golden calf” of donor money will take more than just political entreaties or even crisis writ large, it will take concerted, consistent economic power, wielded on behalf of the 99% against those who would terrorize and neglect their populations in pursuit of power. So, join us each Tuesday in growing solidarity as we seek to truly honor the memory of all those lost, and make sure that justice will one day find even the powerful, when they act against the people. Don't shop on Tuesday!
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