rant · moment 2 of 17
9/11 vs. Boston Bombing: Which Tragedies 'Work'
from What Does Your Brother Do In The Navy · #82
Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.
2 minThey debate whether a 9/11-scale tragedy would galvanize the country the same way today, discuss the iconic 'This is War' photo, and compare how 9/11 led to two wars and endless War on Terror expansion while the Boston Bombing and Sandy Hook produced comparatively little political mobilization.
- 3:40Tim describes the visceral impact of 9/11 imagery—people jumping from buildings, destroyed monuments—that made the event feel different from other tragedies.
- 3:57Someone wrote 'This is war' on a dusty car after 9/11, presumably Giuliani, which Tim finds absurd given the chaos people were running from.
- 4:44The Boston bombing had fishy elements, but 9/11 was the only attack that actually got things done—two wars and a color-coded threat system.
- 5:23Tim notes that 9/11 led to starting ISIS and ongoing interventions in Yemen and Somalia, calling it 'a lot of bang for your buck.'
- 5:50Death and atrocity aside, 9/11 delivered massive geopolitical results compared to other domestic attacks.
9/11ISISSomaliaBoston Marathon bombingYemenRudy GiulianiSandy Hook