Geopolitics: The Spoils of Empathy

Whirlwinds: 9/11, Iraq, and Al-Qaeda

The 19 men from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other places in the Arab world who attacked the U.S. World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, gave human beings worldwide an opportunity to witness both the best and the worst of what it is possible for individuals to do. For one exceptional moment, diverse individuals from Africa to Asia tried to process the enormity of the situation. Ever mindful of horrific images of plunging debris, tornadic-like rings of billowing smoke, and fresh memories of lives taken, goodwill for Americans stood at unprecedented levels. Empathy reigned. And people vied for ways to express their fellow-feeling for Americans despite the powers of ...