How the war on terror primed America for autocracy
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By Invitation | America at 250<br>How the war on terror primed America for autocracy<br>The road from 9/11 leads directly to January 6th, writes Rosa Brooks<br>Share
Illustration: Dan Williams
Jun 2nd 2026|5 min read
LIKE VIRTUALLY every American over 40, I remember where I was when I learned of the 9/11 attacks. I was driving to work, listening to National Public Radio. When I got to the office people were wandering about, shocked. Some were crying. Others were huddled around computer monitors. Every screen showed the same things, over and over: the planes flying into the towers, the tiny shapes that were human beings leaping into nothingness, the towers collapsing, the clouds of smoke and debris rising.
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