Spencer Ackerman’s Reflection on the 9/11 Era and Its Role in Shaping Contemporary America
As the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks approaches, the U.S. reflects on the devastating toll of two wars, with 6,700 American lives lost and over 53,000 others injured. The country still wrestles with the legacy of a divided political landscape following Donald Trump’s presidency and the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, where the Taliban is once again gaining ground. Despite Saddam Hussein’s death, Iraq remains in turmoil, presenting a stark reality of the war on terror.
In his book, Reign of Terror, Spencer Ackerman examines how the era following 9/11 has destabilized the U.S. and, in his view, set the stage for Trump’s rise. A former Guardian journalist who won a Pulitzer for his reporting on Edward Snowden’s leaks, Ackerman is known for his thorough research and understanding of the security state, a system that has thrived under both major political parties.
Ackerman explores the political and legal ramifications of the NSA’s surveillance programs and the resistance from figures like Rand Paul and the ACLU, who critiqued the vast power of government surveillance. Yet, he also highlights how most leaders, from Nancy Pelosi to Harry Reid, supported the status quo. Even as revelations about privacy violations emerged, political elites remained largely indifferent to the public’s concerns.
The book delves into domestic terrorism, emphasizing the significant role the far right has played in the U.S. before and after 9/11. Ackerman ties this to Trump’s rise, pointing to events like the January 6 Capitol insurrection, which Trump falsely blamed on Antifa, despite evidence to the contrary. The attack serves as the latest chapter in a larger narrative of extremism and racial tension in America, issues that have worsened in the wake of the war on terror.
Ackerman also critiques the social forces, particularly immigration, that have intensified existing divisions within American society. He points out that figures like Joe Biden have, at times, used inflammatory language, such as calling the Boston Marathon bombers “knock-off jihadists,” even though the Tsarnaev brothers were granted asylum. These tensions have been exacerbated by the changing demographics and the immigrant population’s increasing size, which some on the right view as a threat.
While Ackerman successfully traces the connection between the war on terror and Trump’s emergence, he argues that racism, nativism, and Islamophobia were not the sole factors driving Trump’s success. The uneven economic recovery and the burden of war disproportionately borne by less affluent Americans also played crucial roles. The correlation between areas with high military casualties and Trump support in the 2016 election points to broader discontent with America’s foreign policy and its toll on working-class communities.
Despite Ackerman’s insightful analysis, he tends to let his personal biases shine through, particularly his class-based criticisms of those he deems “undesirable.” His portrayal of Trump as a product of “outer-borough white racists” and “wealth vampires” in New York seems to oversimplify the complex factors that fueled Trump’s support base.
Nonetheless, there are glimmers of hope in Ackerman’s analysis. He acknowledges that under President Biden, there has been a shift away from the aggressive stance toward the press that characterized both the Obama and Trump administrations. The U.S. is withdrawing from Afghanistan, a significant break from Trump’s stance, and the Senate is taking steps toward ending military authorizations in Iraq. While the security state’s grip remains strong, there are signs of potential change.
