Historian Viet Thanh Nguyen reflects on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, considering their impact on the American empire and its citizens. The essay suggests that 9/11 marked a turning point in the decline of the US empire, revealing both its power and vulnerability. According to Nguyen, imperial privilege allows Americans to deny their role as part of an empire and often leads to a desire for revenge or retribution. Nguyen argues that acknowledging America's own vulnerability is a form of different kind of power that can be difficult but necessary.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On October 8, 2024, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was killed, an event that has become a significant marker for young conservatives in America, akin to September 11, 2001 and the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. The day of his death is now referred to by some as 9/10, symbolizing its impact on political activism among students. Meanwhile, the small Canadian town of Gander played a pivotal role during the September 11 attacks when U.S. airspace was closed, leading to 38 international flights landing there, doubling the population overnight and necessitating an impromptu humanitarian effort by locals to aid around 7,000 stranded passengers and crew members for several days. This act of kindness inspired the Broadway musical "Come From Away," which highlights Gander's generosity and humanity in times of crisis.
Written for “9/11 Anniversary Reflections” on 2026-09-12,
grounded in this article and the 167 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.85, but every quote it verified points left, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 7728: score contradicts its own evidence · logged 2026-09-11
Note from our Editor-in-Chief: Friday marks 25 years since the horrific attacks on September 11, 2001.
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Friday → mark → September
If you’re not already a paid subscriber, become one today to get full access to all of Zeteo’s 9/11 anniversary coverage and more.
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you → ’re → coverage
When historians and storytellers look back on the decline and fall of the American empire, they might identify 9/11 as the beginning of the long end.
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they → look → end
The American empire did not collapse immediately, but 9/11 was the spectacular fulcrum, revealing the simultaneous power and vulnerability of it and its imperial citizens.
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9/11 → collapse → it
Part of imperial privilege for average Americans is to deny that they are a part of empire.
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they → deny → empire
Another part of imperial privilege is to react with misguided fury and hubris, whether through demanding revenge for 9/11 or calling to make America great again today.
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America → react → 9/11
A different kind of power can be found in renouncing empire and domination, but are Americans willing to embrace a power that acknowledges its own vulnerability?
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that → find → vulnerability
It may feel impossible to do so after a tragedy like 9/11, a terrorist event and a human catastrophe so shocking that images of people waving from their windows or falling through the air are still deeply disturbing.
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images → feel → air
The dead included the wealthy and the working-class, citizens and undocumented, drawn from the vast diversity of the country.
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dead → include → country
Their deaths induced many reactions, including a solidarity that allowed Americans to forget, for a while, their differences and unite as a grieving country.
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Americans → induce → country
In commemorating 9/11, we should remember not only the dead, but also that fleeting moment of possibility where we believed in ourselves as a country.
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we → commemorate → country
Unfortunately, that sense of solidarity, grievance, and vulnerability that provided a sense of community also led many to demand retribution.
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that → provide → retribution
Speaking out against that impulse can still be difficult now, 25 years later, but it was incredibly daunting back then.
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it → speak → impulse
