The legacy of 9/11

    The eighteenth anniversary of 9/11 has come and gone and once again, instead of introspection, most Americans look out at a hostile world and thumb their collective noses.   Most of us either don't realize or don't care enough to acknowledge the fact we are the inheritors of a bloated world spanning empire and events like the twin tower destruction and the associated terrorist acts are warning signals we have ignored at our peril.
    We are simultaneously a beacon for immigrants escaping harsh conditions we are partially responsible for and a lightning rod for criticism of the present administration's horrific foreign policies.  The sun is setting on the American Empire and we don't seem to be handling it any better than the British did when their colonial possessions revolted.  We don't have as many physical trappings of colonialism as European countries did in the 19th century, but our economic imperialism is just as disliked the world over as previous attempts to subjugate native populations.
     Sorrow for the families of the more than 3000 people who perished in 9/11 is fully justified, but the reasons for the attack need to be addressed also, or there will be more memorials to terror in our future.