How is 9/11 viewed internationally?

[John P. Hackworth]

To those saying that Americans should "stfu and get over" 9/11. I'm curious, do you think the Japanese should "stfu and get over" the bombings in Nagasaki and Hiroshima[1]? They have a park to symbolize what happened, and every year memorialize those events. I don't live in Japan so I can't say if it is still as large a rememberance as 9/11 is to Americans toady. But it is much more recent to us. 50 years from now, when the majority of people alive on 9/11 has passed on, it will become more like Perl Harbor is today, where there are only a few left who were alive when it happened, and there are smaller ceremonies, and for most it is a date on a calendar that they might think of for a few moments, and then move on with life. 150 years from now it will be more like the Battle at Gettysburg: taught about in history books, remembered primarily because someone gave a nice speech about it (4 months after it happened), but for most people a date like any other.

But you can't deny that it was a major event in lives of the American people today. If you don't care, hey, whatever. But don't be so callous to other people's feelings. I wouldn't begrudge Japanese for marking important dates in their history, I wouldn't begrudge British people for marking the subway bombings. I won't tell you how to live. But I expect the same courtesy from you.

--
[1] Yes, I recognize the irony of an American using this as a counterexample, but I also recognize the extreme impact that would have on a people. Something some of our international friends on this forum apparently don't.

 

[l3o2828]

To those saying that Americans should "stfu and get over" 9/11. I'm curious, do you think the Japanese should "stfu and get over" the bombings in Nagasaki and Hiroshima? They have a park to symbolize what happened, they every year memorialize those events. I don't live in Japan so I can't say if it is still as large a rememberance as 9/11 is to Americans toady. But it is much more recent to us. 50 years from now, when the majority of people alive on 9/11 has passed on, it will become more like Perl Harbor is today, where there are only a few left who were alive when it happened, and there are smaller ceremonies, and for most it is a date on a calendar that they might think of for a few moments, and then move on with life. 150 years from now it will be more like the Battle at Gettysburg: taught about in history books, remembered primarily because someone gave a nice speech about it 4 months later, but for most people a date like any other.

But you can't deny that it was a major event in lives of the American people today. If you don't care, hey, whatever. But don't be so callous to other people's feelings. I wouldn't begrudge Japanese for marking important dates in their history, I wouldn't begrudge British people for marking the subway bombings. I won't tell you how to live. But I expect the same courtesy from you.

Well,If i were to be totally sincere, biases and all,Japan's situation is far more harsh, people are still being born with horrible diseases and defects all because of that goddamn bomb. United states just suffered a tragedy that is just akin to an earthquuake.
My wording probably isn't the best, but really, America is the one that needs to get over it because it has no right to mope for so much time for something they already took revenge upon.

 

[richardsza]

Well as an American, I think I learned something from this thread today. Don't expect sympathy from the Internet, and don't expect any sympathy from other countries. Especially if your an American.

Sympathy for who? You in particular? Did you lose family/friends? If so, then you have my sympathy. But;

If you expect sympathy just because you are American you are very naive. Does America as a country, have sympathy for the thousands of people who die EVERY day in Africa from malaria...? Nope.

No, I did not lose any family or friends. But I do know a few people who did and the sympathies are with them.
Also you ask me if America as a country has sympathy for people who die in Africa from malaria. Well of course not, because there are assholes in our country who act like everyone should just get over those people's death! People sorta like you.

. <--- That's a point.... My point to be precise. I think you may have missed it.

 

[Sparrow]

Most people over here view it as a pretty sucky event that claimed a lot of lives. At the same time though, most people I know think American goes on about it a bit TOO much. The tube bombings that happened in England are barely spoken about.

I'm from Canada, and I don't really give a fuck about it anymore. In fact, hearing about it pisses me off. Since the twin towers fell, far worse shit has happened, but that shit has been ignored after the customary "month of media attention". Just because it happened to America doesn't mean it's more important.

This kind of comes to mind, though. "Thousands of people are dying in Africa!", "BUT THIS HAPPENED IN AMERICA!"

 

[richardsza]

Well as an American, I think I learned something from this thread today. Don't expect sympathy from the Internet, and don't expect any sympathy from other countries. Especially if your an American.

Sympathy for who? You in particular? Did you lose family/friends? If so, then you have my sympathy. But;

If you expect sympathy just because you are American you are very naive. Does America as a country, have sympathy for the thousands of people who die EVERY day in Africa from malaria...? Nope.

No, I did not lose any family or friends. But I do know a few people who did and the sympathies are with them.
Also you ask me if America as a country has sympathy for people who die in Africa from malaria. Well of course not, because there are assholes in our country who act like everyone should just get over those people's death! People sorta like you.

. <--- That's a point.... My point to be precise. I think you may have missed it.

I see that point. So let me make my own. If you don't understand why it's such a big deal, don't talk about it. ---> .

Ermmmm. Kinda missing the point of a public forum there mate. Maybe you should go to page one and read the topic header again...

 

[Grakyl]

Even though this thread isn't quite intended for me, as I'm an American, I have to agree with the general mood of 'get over it' going around. You think your being sensitive and helping those who lost loved ones in this tragedy by making them relive the pain of it every year? If you want to be nice, yes, building a memorial is good. If you have to, every decade or so hold a moment of quiet contemplation. But don't track down all the survivors and try to interview them for 'How do you feel after losing someone in the towers?' which is what our local papers seem to have done. Here's a hint: Losing someone you love in the Towers hurts the same as losing someone you love to pretty much any random act of violence or accident. The time to actively show support in this manner has passed, if it ever existed, now it's just a morbid re-opening of old wounds.

 

[Warforger]

As an American, I guess I can't say much without sounding a bit biased. So I apologize if I offend anyone.

However, to those comparing the deaths of other tragedies to ours: don't you think it's somewhat disrespectful to the victims of both? The value of human life in my opinion shouldn't be determined by numbers or who specifically died. What matters is that on both ends, people died. On both ends, people have lost their loved ones to forces out of their control.

Why do we need to fight about this kind of thing? Why can't we just stop only looking at what's different and instead focus on what we have in common?

That's kinda what made the attacks on 9/11 occur. No one in America gave out any sympathy about what was going on in the ME in the 70's unless they were fighting the Soviets and their allies, no one was outraged when footage of the bombing of Lebanon was out because hey complaining about it is un-American and it's just some foreigners in a destabilized country dying happens everyday. And yet to OBL when he saw two Lebanese towers bombed he was immediately sympathetic and started plotting how to make Americans feel what he felt for them.

But yah it doesn't matter how many people died, would Hitler be less evil if he killed 600,000 Jews instead of 6,000,000? The attack was an attack to hit our national pride and safety in order to draw us into a war we cannot win in order to rack up so much debt that we stop being a Middle Eastern influence and well it's working.

 

[richardsza]

Even though this thread isn't quite intended for me, as I'm an American, I have to agree with the general mood of 'get over it' going around. You think your being sensitive and helping those who lost loved ones in this tragedy by making them relive the pain of it every year? If you want to be nice, yes, building a memorial is good. If you have to, every decade or so hold a moment of quiet contemplation. But don't track down all the survivors and try to interview them for 'How do you feel after losing someone in the towers?' which is what our local papers seem to have done. Here's a hint: Losing someone you love in the Towers hurts the same as losing someone you love to pretty much any random act of violence or accident. The time to actively show support in this manner has passed, if it ever existed, now it's just a morbid re-opening of old wounds.

Zigactly!

Death in any form, at any time, in any quantity is a tragedy. Especially senseless death at another persons hand. Rubbing the worlds nose in it every September for the past 10 years has not healed the wounds. All it does is increase ratings and keep the fear alive. And the longer you keep the fear alive, the longer the perpetrators enjoy their "victory" as that was the whole point. Fear.

 

[Techno Squidgy]

I view it as a terrible tragedy, but you know, I'd be a lot more sympathetic if people would stop rubbing my fucking nose in it. It was a horrific loss of human life I get that, I just wish that Americans would stop bloody harping on about it. I genuinely used to care but now I'm just sick of it. It happened over a decade ago, and there are atrocities occuring around the world right now that are being overshadowed by the US shouting off again about how bloody sad it is and getting all patriotic and I just couldn't give a flying fuck anymore.

phew. that is a lot off my chest.

 

[muffinatorXII]

in Israel were kinda trying to be like America and were trying to care but me personally without anyone i know being involved in anyway in 9/11 i just dont care that much to pay attention to all of the media crap

 

[Death Wolf113]

this is what i don't understand hear in america we put so much time into these thing that happend in the past. where thing happen in the world everyday and we as a country don't give a shit so why should other countries care about what happend hear

 

[Yopaz]

So because people don't know any of the 3000+ people killed, they shouldn't care and feel bad for those that lost their lives? I find it pretty distasteful that you don't think it wasn't a big deal considering it was a LOT of civilian deaths. Not trying to give you "This is 'Merica!" speech but seriously dude.

A lot of people were affected by it in a lot of emotional ways regardless of knowing any of the victims just like how Pearl Harbor affected the people that were alive when that happened. I'm sure other people feel the same for tragic attacks in their country as well.

I agree with you there, if it was maybe a dozen or so killed in a car bomb or something, I wouldn't really give two shits. But 3000+ after planes flew into the highest buildings in the world? Yeah, that's not something that is easily forgotten, even if they wanted to forget.

OK, so you both need to get your facts checked. There were less than 3000 causalities, and World Trade Center was not the tallest building and had not been since 1973.
When you're not American it wasn't a big deal. Most of us don't know anyone involved, most of us have never seen the buildings except for in movies and on pictures. It was a tragedy when it happened 10 years ago, but it's not a big deal today. Sure even here we pay our respect now that it's been 10 years, but there's also so much else that's happened that's bad.

Tsunami in the Indian ocean with almost 200000 causalities, London Bombing with about 50 deaths, The war in Iraq with more than 60000 civilian deaths, the earthquake in Japan, conflicts in Syria and Egypt, the recent terror in Oslo.

I lived close enough to feel the building I was living in shake, it's a case that affected me personally, but I wont assume that you or any foreigner should feel the same as anyone of us who were actually there. All of these incidents I have mentioned and the September 11 attacks have been tragic. I am sure you don't feel grief over those who were killed in the tsunami or the London buildings. It's not relevant. It happened a good while ago and far away. We feel the same about those who died 10 years ago. Though we have lost a lot of sympathy due to the war started over it.

 

[SeeIn2D]

I'm American but I'll still put my thoughts into this. I think it should be remembered. In New York and DC especially where the attacks had such a direct effect, but it doesn't have to be remembered outside of the United States. If internationals choose to have a moment of silence for it then so be it, but it should not be forced upon internationals. And to be fair, it isn't. In very un-American fashion we have not forced any countries around the world to remember this in anyway, barring the TV show they aired on all A&E channels this morning. However one TV show is not forcing people to remember. You didn't need to watch it. It was aired mostly for American audiences. And anyone complaining that they're taking up your TV time or something, I really doubt anyone actually had any TV shows on Saturday morning that they had to watch. But long story short, it does not have to be remembered internationally, I think it should be remembered domestically because it was a horrible event. However internationals should not joke about it. It's not something to joke about. I can't count the times I've gone online on a game and had some british asshole make some comment about 9/11 and laughing about it. People saying "Oh you're a fat fuck American" or "Yeah, your british teeth are yellow, go eat crumpets" is very different than saying "9/11, haha, 3000 innocent people died. Sucks to be you". Also a little off topic, a youtube comment I read last night which read "39 people's families died in 9/11" was completely uncalled for and was probably some eight year old trying to be funny and trying to get the top rated comment on a Call of Duty video to show his friends. 3 people liked that comment and they all make me sick.

EDIT: Also I do agree that we should stop harping on about it. We should remember it around and on september 11th, but beyond that we shouldn't talk about it. And people posting on this saying "I don't give a fuck then some American had to remind me about it", you don't have to click on the link, there are plenty of other threads to post on here, and if you really don't care then it shouldn't be such a burden to be reminded of it. Just saying.

 

[SpaceBat]

Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but the people I know never talk about 9/11 anymore. Sure, it was horrible what happened and everyone felt bad for the innocent people that died on that day, but it didn't take long before everyone moved on entirely (a year or so, I suppose. I actually stopped hearing and reading about it altogether after a few months).

Some get irritated that the US still hasn't been able to get over something that happened a decade ago (not forget, mind you, just move on) and regularly happens on a lot of other (even western) country's in the world which don't even see the light of the day in the news.

Same with me, really. I don't get irritated when I see tons of 9/11 threads, articles, video's, shows or whatever show up everywhere (Because I'm pretty sure tons of people had friends or families who died on that day and the country as a whole constantly bringing it up must make it hard for these people to forget and move on), but I won't spend my time on a single terrorist attack that happened a decade ago.

After having posted this message, of course.

 

[richardsza]

Well as an American, I think I learned something from this thread today. Don't expect sympathy from the Internet, and don't expect any sympathy from other countries. Especially if your an American.

Sympathy for who? You in particular? Did you lose family/friends? If so, then you have my sympathy. But;

If you expect sympathy just because you are American you are very naive. Does America as a country, have sympathy for the thousands of people who die EVERY day in Africa from malaria...? Nope.

No, I did not lose any family or friends. But I do know a few people who did and the sympathies are with them.
Also you ask me if America as a country has sympathy for people who die in Africa from malaria. Well of course not, because there are assholes in our country who act like everyone should just get over those people's death! People sorta like you.

. <--- That's a point.... My point to be precise. I think you may have missed it.

I see that point. So let me make my own. If you don't understand why it's such a big deal, don't talk about it. ---> .

Ermmmm. Kinda missing the point of a public forum there mate. Maybe you should go to page one and read the topic header again...

Sometimes I wonder (like I'm doing now) why I even bother with these forums. There usually just filled with assholes talking about how much people deserve it or at least just one person saying it.
Alright fine, I missed your point. But I guess I just don't care anymore.

Never stop caring. You have the right to voice yourself.

 

[Xzithelost]

http://www.youtube.com/user/DontFarkWithHoboZ?feature=mhee#p/a/u/0/TGYPjqMVjjs
My thoughts to 11/9 are in this link

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

there is a reason Americans write the date differently
if you were to pronounce every word in the date (today being 9/11) it would go like this
American- 9/11/11- when pronounced it says september 11th 2011
Europe- 11/9/11- when pronounced it says 11th of september 2011
the fact is Americans are just writing the way they pronounce it.
Honostly Ive never heard someone pronounce the date then the month then the year. (seen it written but never spoken)

It's probably been said, but the only date I know of said month-day is today. Sept 11. And only because it's practically a band name now. Also, it's an American tragedy, makes sense to use American date format.

I say all dates (as does every single person I know) in the correct, day-month-year format.

My birthday, for example, is the 28th of August. In August I say the 28th and people know it's this month.

It works quite well.

For reference, I live in Australia.

the reason i have known that we do it that way, is because of the number formatting

(smallest amount of numbers)/(second smallest amount)/(largest-infinite amount)
month/day/year
(1-12)/(1-31)/(1-99999999999999999999999999999999999999999)
also for computer purposes, dating them that way is much much handier when you are going through documents by date.

now i'm not saying that is the CORRECT way, as so many people besides americans seem to dictate, i'm just showing the reason why, at least i was taught, as to why we do that.

 

[hideomgskojima]

Right, here's my 2 pence...

America and its allies caused a bombing of a mass scale against themselves through a large chain of events which included the first gulf war.
Bin Laden and his Wahhabi friends offered help during the first gulf war to the Kingdom of Saud and were refused, because somebody else who had interests in the area (oil fields and petro dollars) had already gave them a better offer of help known as the US Military and co (AKA some UN countries and Arab league nations). The intervention of the Western militaries on Saudi soil was seen as an afront to the Wahhabi sect of Islam, which sees Saudi Arabia as Holy Land, not fit for infidel shoes to stand on.
This deepened the rift between Bin Laden and the Kingdom of Saud, also causing more hate for the Western Nations, didn't help that Afghan training camps that the CIA helped to set up in the 80's were hit by cruise missiles and other sites killing innocent civilians were hit at the same time.
Many attacks by Al-Qaeda against US soil and Sovereign soil have happened over the years, Embassy bombings, USS Cole bombing, 93 world trade centre bombing. This wasn't helped by the fact that the state that every "good" Islamic person "needs" to hate is supported by a large lobby in the US senate and Congress, Israel. Land stolen in '47, given to Jewish people from across the world, out of "guilt" and left to fight over it against the people who have been settled there under British rule for years, all under a UN mandate.

Can you see why some poeple hate the west and cause incidents like 11/9/2001 and the 7/7 bombings? Because they are treated like crap and taught in Wahhabi schools which tell them that the west is bad because we do everything that is not halal, that we are infidels, etc. this allows people like the now deceased Bin Laden to appeal to them and effectively brainwash them to their cause, not that they need much of it because the Wahhabi Imams have already done most of it.

11/09/2001 is a day that is infamous, but so is any day that mass amounts of people die, 26/12/2004, Natural but infamous, Oslo bombings and shootings, Columbine, 7/7, Lockerbie, Moscow Metro bombings, ETA Madrid train bombing. All are infamous and have cause and effect. Remember them but don't go over the top because 2,500 odd people died, look at what happened afterwards, many more people dead and just as innocent as the people in the towers that day, are their lives worth a countries revenge and money invested in contracts?

EDIT: realised I had a typo of the date of Asian boxing day quake and tsunami.

 

[thespyisdead]

my personal opinion is the people should honor the people who died, but when it all comes down to it: we should be moving on, because it happened, and there is nothing we can do to chance the events that happened 10 years ago

 

[richardsza]

there is a reason Americans write the date differently
if you were to pronounce every word in the date (today being 9/11) it would go like this
American- 9/11/11- when pronounced it says september 11th 2011
Europe- 11/9/11- when pronounced it says 11th of september 2011
the fact is Americans are just writing the way they pronounce it.
Honostly Ive never heard someone pronounce the date then the month then the year. (seen it written but never spoken)

It's probably been said, but the only date I know of said month-day is today. Sept 11. And only because it's practically a band name now. Also, it's an American tragedy, makes sense to use American date format.

I say all dates (as does every single person I know) in the correct, day-month-year format.

My birthday, for example, is the 28th of August. In August I say the 28th and people know it's this month.

It works quite well.

For reference, I live in Australia.

the reason i have known that we do it that way, is because of the number formatting

(smallest amount of numbers)/(second smallest amount)/(largest-infinite amount)
month/day/year
(1-12)/(1-31)/(1-99999999999999999999999999999999999999999)
also for computer purposes, dating them that way is much much handier when you are going through documents by date.

now i'm not saying that is the CORRECT way, as so many people besides americans seem to dictate, i'm just showing the reason why, at least i was taught, as to why we do that.

I can't believe this has turned into a date format debate. LOL.

FYI - For "computing" purposed, YYYYMMDD makes the most sense as it sorts numerically and there is no ambiguity.