Posted on by Californiacontrarian

The Next 9/11 Equivalent ?

On September 11th and 12th  my son discussed 9/11 and its aftermath in his world history classes. Keep in mind that most, if not all of these high school students were not alive when 9/11 happened, so it doesn’t stick out in their minds like the day JFK was assassinated sticks out in the minds of us older folk. Putting 9/11 in a historical perspective he said that he believed that 9/11 was the most important event since WWII. (In his mind the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union was a close second.) Close to the end of class one of his students asked, “What do you think has been the most important historical event since 9/11?” Before he could give his thoughtful erudite answer, the bell ending class rescued him. Later in the day he asked me the same question.

Now before you read on, think about the question:
“What event or general occurrence has been the most important historical event since 9/11?”
Give it some real thought, keeping in mind that a single event or group of events has the potential to have very long-lasting world-wide consequences. What are your contenders? What is your top choice?
My initial reflexive thought had to do with the outcomes of recent presidential elections in the U.S.A. However, on reflection, I felt that my initial thought process was self-serving and oozed with conceit. It’s hard to imagine that the rest of the world would  ever consider the U.S. elections of lasting world-wide consequence. However, I suppose if one looks back, was the appointment of Winston Churchill as Prime Minister of England in 1940 the event that changed the outcome of WWII?
Nonetheless, I do not feel at this point that the election of President X or President Y would be considered the most important event since 9/11. If this question is re-asked in 20 years, perhaps the answer will be different.
As my son and I talked this through, in our minds there were a few major contenders:
The Arab Spring
The civil war in Syria
Brexit
Mass immigration into Europe
The rise and subsequent fall of ISIS
The explosion of the internet
The invention of the Smart Phone
What is your answer?
Email me your thoughtful responses at dc6255@yahoo.com

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