--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What happened after 9/11 - and I think…" description: "\"What happened after 9/11 - and I think even people on the right know this, whether they admit it or not - was deeply shameful. The atrocity should have..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/013/paul-krugman-2255_atrocities_what-happened-after-9-11-and-i-think-eve_1556067.png" --- # What happened after 9/11 - and I think even people on the… ![“What happened after 9/11 - and I think even people on the right know this, whether they admit it or not - was deeply shameful. The atrocity should have been a unifying event, but instead it became a wedge issue. Fake heroes like Bernie Kerik, Rudy Giuliani, and, yes, George W. Bush raced to cash…” quote by Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/013/paul-krugman-2255_atrocities_what-happened-after-9-11-and-i-think-eve_1556067.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/013/paul-krugman-2255_atrocities_what-happened-after-9-11-and-i-think-eve_1556067.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/013/paul-krugman-2255_atrocities_what-happened-after-9-11-and-i-think-eve_1556067.png) > “What happened after 9/11 - and I think even people on the right know this, whether they admit it or not - was deeply shameful. The atrocity should have been a unifying event, but instead it became a wedge issue. Fake heroes like Bernie Kerik, Rudy Giuliani, and, yes, George W. Bush raced to cash in on the horror. And then the attack was used to justify an unrelated war the neocons wanted to fight, for all the wrong reasons…The memory of 9/11 has been irrevocably poisoned; it has become an occasion for shame. And in its heart, the nation knows it.” [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The aftermath of 9/11 was exploited for political gain, turning a tragic event into a divisive tool rather than a unifying moment. **In simple terms:** 9/11 was politicized and divided. Key Takeaway Beware of political exploitation of tragedy. Themes politics media war memory Mood critical analytical Type opinion commentary When to use this quote - public discourse - policy making - media analysis - historical memory Key Concepts propaganda national trauma Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports this view? - How can societies heal from politicized trauma? A Different Perspective Complex motives may be oversimplified. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atrocities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atrocities/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Occasions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occasions/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Unifying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unifying/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [The President? 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