Although the September 11 terrorist attacks took place more than twenty years ago, their aftermath and impact are still being felt today. Yet few Americans are aware of how 9/11 continues to affect their lives, U.S. domestic and foreign policy, and the way the world views our country now. In his new book. CREATING AND FAILING THE 9/11 GENERATION (Routledge Press; July 2024), historian Matthew Warshauer presents a fascinating assessment of what he calls “the most momentous event in history since World War II,” framing his study on 9/11’s sustained impact on America’s youth. He joins the Security Clearance Careers Podcast to discuss.
“Ten years after the attacks, in an attempt to explore my own feelings about September 11, I researched and began teaching a new history course called “The 9/11 Generation,” he writes. “Students who enroll in my course arrive with a variety of conceptions and misconceptions about what September 11 means. They discover that the true story of September 11 is much bigger than they imagined.”
The insights Warshauer has gained, dealing with each new class of students, have deepened his belief that the alienation and fear that young people experience today can easily be traced back to the fall of the Twin Towers and its aftermath. “No matter the variation, 9/11 profoundly impacted the youth of America . . . Trailing and intimately connected to Millennials, the 9/11 Generation was already destined to hold a distrust of government and an unsettling sense that much of life was out of their own control. What could confirm this feeling more than the chaos of the attacks, both on that day and the dysfunction that followed?”
Throughout CREATING AND FAILING THE 9/11 GENERATION, Warshauer explores the topics that he shares with his students, showing how decades of U.S. foreign policy set the stage for the attacks, and how the senseless war in Iraq that followed further destabilized the Middle East, leading to today’s crises. “The American invasion of Iraq changed the fundamental nature of international relations throughout the world. The traditional post-WW II U.S. alliance with Europe was shaken to its foundation, but there were – there are – far more devastating effects . . . Whether it was the spread of violence and civil war, or a refugee crisis unlike any seen since WW II, Iraq was the epicenter for chaos . . .”
Overall, though, CREATING AND FAILING THE 9/11 GENERATION is a book of hope, focusing on the possibilities for America’s global leadership role. Warshauer’s purpose, throughout, is to help the 9/11 Generation (and others) understand the “why” of what happened and to debunk the myths and unfortunate policies that followed. He concludes the book by writing, “The 9/11 Generation is only beginning to exercise its power – in protests – and hopefully in elections. They are readying themselves to take the reins of leadership, and if they can learn the difficult lessons of September 11 maybe they can help rebuild America and reclaim its reputation as a nation that is a force for good in the world. U.S. economic and military power may be unmatched, but it’s our unique optimism, our sense of justice, even if delayed, and our willingness to seek change that provides hope.”
MATTHEW WARSHAUER, author of CREATING AND FAILING THE 9/11 GENERATION, is a professor of history at Central Connecticut State University. His previous books include Andrew Jackson and the Politics of Martial Law, Andrew Jackson in Context, Connecticut in the American Civil War and Inside Connecticut and the Civil War. He is the author of numerous articles, book chapters, and essays. You can learn more at https://themindfulprofessor.org/9%2F11-generation-book.
