Pariah

Plus, 9/11 was the first direct attack against the US since Pearl Harbor...and while that was horrific enough, it was 60 years earlier.  Plus, it got no live coverage, of course.  We got the news second hand and much later.  How many of us saw one or both planes hit?  One or both towers fall?  Plus, while Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack, it was one against a military target.  So in that sense, it fit with many other, similar attacks like the Cole.  9/11 *used* civilians, and targeted civilians.  For better or worse, terrorist attacks in Britain and France have targeted civilians.  They also remember much more deeply the devastation of WW II.  So they may be more emotionally resilient.
 
It's a combination of many things.  Demonizing goes back to the 50's with Communism.  Can also argue that this was the start of distrust of government, due to McCarthy's tactics, and the damage it did.  It showed that governmental abuse of power was a Real Thing, on a scale we'd not seen.  Then there were the lies of Vietnam, and the first clear schisms on ideological grounds.  Watergate.  Carter...a Democrat...let an embassy be sacked, and Americans held hostage (!!!)  Reagan could be painted as the paragon of normalcy and a return to Good Old American Values.  Then the tawdry, pathetic lies of Clinton...another Democrat, another embarrassment.  9/11 happened on Bush's watch...but he had an acceptable response.  Hit the bastards back HARD.  And even Iran...HECK no, we're not gonna let Saddam pull off another 9/11.  
 
On issues:  Democrats support women's rights, gay rights, immigration.  While "kinder, kuche, kirche" might not literally hold, I suspect it's a LOT closer to what's comfortable for too many American men.  And there's much more resentment, I think, when a man loses a position to a woman, compared to losing it to another man.    Immigration...the narratives here are obvious.  They're cash sinks, they're job stealers, they're criminals.  Gay rights...they're all sinners and fornicators and damned to hell.  They're anti-family.  The perceived threat to family strikes at something very basic.
 
The lesson of McCarthy and Nixon is, you can't trust government.  The lesson of the Democrats is their values are wrong.  So government should do NOTHING...but protect us.  The Wall.  More defense spending.  Strong military.  Don't tell us what to do because your motives are BS to begin with.
 
It's a total mess.

I think it was just as much a blow to the American ego. We never considered it was possible for us to get hit that hard at home.

Ah, Bloodstone. There's a name I haven't heard in a while.
 
Fun tangential thought: The Deadpool movies were a big success. How about a big screen (or even Disney+) adaptation of "Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E."? We've got Monica Rambeau in the MCU now...

You're just trying to make me feel better. And it worked

Very well put. The loss of the Communist "threat" might have been one reason why the US at the time seemed so eager to get back into an open conflict.   But terrorists aren't the same kind of threat as a peer nation, and aren't viewed or reacted to the same way. And unfortunately, the majority of Muslims being brown-skinned people fanned the smoldering embers of racism in the West into a flame.

Ah, but the United States DID have a Great Enemy to define itself against ... Islam! When those dirty Muslim terrorists dared to blow up buildings on our soil, we couldn't get into their countries and start shooting stuff (and people) fast enough. And we've been doing it for a full generation now.
 
And thus began the longest, most expensive war in American history. And the repercussions will be felt for at least another full generation, I expect.

or 2-5 at once (and yes, you have to roll one of them and add 1 to determine how many you have to step on, its in the rules).
 

Ah, but the United States DID have a Great Enemy to define itself against ... Islam! When those dirty Muslim terrorists dared to blow up buildings on our soil, we couldn't get into their countries and start shooting stuff (and people) fast enough. And we've been doing it for a full generation now.
 
And thus began the longest, most expensive war in American history. And the repercussions will be felt for at least another full generation, I expect.

Jaguars gonna jag....

The problem isn't Jesus; it's his fan club. 

d4 caltrops. Outstanding.

Ultimately the only movie review that matters to me is mine. I've been at odds with critics, and even the fans of a given franchise, on many occasions. I'm going to see this one, because I was a fan of the comics, including after the Eternals were integrated into Marvel continuity. I'll make up my own mind then.

1d4 damage!

Call your local station. If enough people in their market clamor for a certain team then they can show it. As long as it's decided in advance and there are no mandated blackout issues, the stations do have a choice in the games shown. That "Check local listings for the games in your area" disclaimer really does mean something.

Empirical data supported by peer review is a good place to start.

This year we've been celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Civil War, and the 50th anniversary of the beginning of World War I, and the 20th anniversary of the end of World War II. So all in all, it's been a good year for the war buffs, and a number of LPs and television specials have come out capitalizing on all this nostalgia, with particular emphasis on the songs of the various wars.  I feel that if any songs are going to come out of World War III, we'd better start writing them now. I have one here. You might call it a bit of pre-nostalgia.  This is the song that some of the boys sang as they went bravely off to World War III:
 
So long, Mom,
I'm off to drop the bomb,
So don't wait up for me.
But while you swelter
Down there in your shelter,
You can see me
On your TV.
 
While we're attacking frontally,
Watch Brinkally and Huntally,
Describing contrapuntally
The cities we have lost.
No need for you to miss a minute
Of the agonizing holocaust.
Yeah!
 
Little Johnny Jones he was a U.S. pilot,
And no shrinking violet was he.
He was mighty proud when World War Three was declared,
He wasn't scared,
No siree!
And this is what he said on
His way to Armageddon:
 
So long, Mom,
I'm off to drop the bomb,
So don't wait up for me.
But though I may roam,
I'll come back to my home,
Although it may be
A pile of debris.
 
Remember, Mommy,
I'm off to get a commie,
So send me a salami,
And try to smile somehow.
I'll look for you when the war is over,
An hour and a half from now!

Sure he is.
 
I'll even second this

I just got done watching an 8-year-old basketball game, and it's a lot like the NBA: they never call traveling, nobody plays defense, kids are constantly throwing up improbable shots, and there's one guy from each team who has the ball two-thirds of the time.

https://www.costumerealm.com/alligator-loki-costume/

Gone, but not forgotten:
 
With the latest payout, former Sheriff Joe Arpaio has cost Arizona taxpayers $100M

But if you're drafted by, say, the Cowboys, you have no leverage.  A draftee can, I believe, choose not to sign and re-enter the draft the next year, but that's extremely risky and very likely expensive.  This may influence some free agents;  we can hope so.  But that's probably not enough pressure to be all that meaningful.
 
What might have been better is to address...not the pro athletes...but the high school athletes.  Because top recruits ARE free agents until they've signed, and even after for a while.  It's possible but NOT guaranteed to back out of a letter of intent.  I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Texas universities' women's sports programs have a MUCH!!! harder time recruiting.