The War on Terror: A Podcast

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The War on Terror

The War in Afghanistan came to a close last week. Its legacy is complicated. Many who opposed the invasion of Iraq supported the invasion of Afghanistan. Its mission was more closely identified with the War on Terror. Nonetheless, its purpose lost focus over twenty years as it became known as America’s Forever War. Many sympathetic to the original mission became opposed to the ongoing presence of American troops in Afghanistan. Still, the shift in public opinion did not mean the conclusion was any less tragic. Americans found themselves horrified as the Taliban seized control of city after city, often without any meaningful resistance from the Afghan military. 

This week the Democracy Paradox explores the subtle tools developed in the American response to 9/11. Karen Greenberg shows how a long shadow was cast on American politics. So, this week’s primer will focus on the policies and legislation of the War on Terror. Greenberg highlights three policies during this period with lasting effects in her book, Subtle Tools. They include the Authorization for Use of Military Force, the Patriot Act, and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. It’s easy to overlook this period after the drama of the Trump era. However, Greenberg argues this legislation and these policies “fixed the country on the course it has pursued to this day—away from liberalism and toward self-serving greed and the perpetuation of injustice and inequality.”