# Foreign Policy Magazine - 10 events from Last decade that were bigger than 9-11



## Kalatzi (30 Aug 2011)

Timing seems apt 

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/08/29/the_black_hole_of_911

Not sure I agree with all. 

Though I could add two more, The Acah Bana Tsunami.

An an event, that I pray I'm wrong, will be far worse, the congoing mismanagement at Fukushima
www.fairewinds.com


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## TangoTwoBravo (30 Aug 2011)

Seeing "Abu Ghraib", "Guantanamo" and "failure to prevent global warming" in the piece gave me some insights on the writer. Putting political views aside, comparing an actual "event" such as the 9/11 attack with more general trends as he did in some cases is comparing apples and oranges.

9/11 is assuredly one of the most important events of recent times. It defined the last decade and continues to have an impact today.


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## Kalatzi (30 Aug 2011)

I see your point

Two more - Russian Georgian War

Fighting in Kashmir. 

We in North america tend to assume that the sun revolves around us.


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## frank1515 (30 Aug 2011)

That list is stupid. Social media was bigger than 9/11!!! Come on, I know people who aren't on Facebook or MySpace and they seem to be doing just fine without it. How about replacing social media with let's say

-Sinking of a South Korean Submarine by the North Korean
-Independence of South Sudan
-Libyan War (Could be included in the Arab Spring, I suppose. Then again, not an individual event, but a collection of many)

I'm sure I'm missing some, but hopefully my point is made. Some of the items on that list are either put their because of a biased writer, or poor journalism or a combination of both.


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## mariomike (31 Aug 2011)

I wonder if the author took the psychological impact of 9/11 into consideration? In addition to the terrible, but more measurable, loss of life and property.
I read that 9,000 grief counselors descended on Manhattan in its aftermath. I stood and watched people evacuated out of the Toronto-Dominion Center that morning. Even though no one was injured, many were visibly upset. 
I don't know how it rates in the top ten list. That's for the experts to decide.


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## Journeyman (31 Aug 2011)

mariomike said:
			
		

> I stood and watched people evacuated out of the Toronto-Dominion Center that morning. Even though no one was injured, many were visibly upset.
> I don't know how it rates in the top ten list. That's for the experts to decide.


[My emphasis in colour because the entire paragraph is RTFO.]

OK, I'm not an "expert," and believe it or not, I try to actively avoid your posts.

But seriously, are you suggesting that: a) uninjured _but visibly upset_ people evacuated out of the Toronto-Dominion Centre on Sept 11th; or that b) you "stood and watched," is REMOTELY worthy of inclusion in *any* list of the most horrific events of the past decade?

 :


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## Container (1 Sep 2011)

I think the point he trying to make is that the "gravitas" of that event was so overwhelming for people not even connected to the event that it affected them. I too recall calls of people fainting etc. It was an extremely emotional even in the isolated places far removed from New York. To be honest I have never seen anything like it, before or since. I am not an exaggerator by any means- I think people having fainting spells in Toronto office building is a huge over reaction. But it did happen. 

Like a collective shaking of everyone's knees in North America. It was a strange time in the emergency services- especially combined with the Anthrax letters that were not known to be unrelated at the time. None of these other events have had the effect of the psyche of our society like 9/11 did. Not even close. 

I didn't even really think much of it myself. I didn't know myself until the 12Th sometime- it was a huge tragedy but I wasn't personally affected. But some folks were terrified- like real fear of ridiculous things. It was too close to home I suppose.

But I do think MarioMike's post was just trying to express the same thing....


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## Journeyman (1 Sep 2011)

OK, so read the thread title: "....*Bigger than 9-11*" and go from there. It presupposes that any other event you choose is _beyond_ that day. 

I acknowledge that the article itself is actually pretty lame with some serious overlap....but you've got a whole decade if you want to play this game -- that's 3652 days (yes, I counted leap years). Get over what some people were doing/watching on that one day.


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## Container (1 Sep 2011)

Im not trying to be a nag- but the problem with the article is that in my experience- those other items didn't have the type of the effect that 9/11 did. Therefore they haven't been bigger than 9/11- perhaps from a north american perspective. Last word from me on the subject- I dont agree with the article. I will gracefully bow out since Im not sure I understand your point- which usually means that the person Im speaking with is more informed than I.  ;D


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## mariomike (1 Sep 2011)

Container said:
			
		

> But I do think MarioMike's post was just trying to express the same thing....



You said it much better.


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## FoverF (7 Sep 2011)

Meh. 

The most important event of the last decade is likely to be something that flew well under the radar of the general public. 

As one example, I would say that Israel's decision to apparently destroy Syria's nuclear research facility could well have been the most important event of the decade. 

Or their decision NOT to attack Iran's nuclear facilities could well prove to be the most important.

Give it 10-20 years, and then come back to this list.


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## Edward Campbell (7 Sep 2011)

I tend to think that 9/11 will retain a special historical place, but not for the event itself. Rather it will become code for the real beginning of the "hot war" between _radical Islam_, _‘Islamicism’_ as Prime Minister Harper put it and the secular world, represented, mainly, by the relatively religious USA.


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