Thomas L. Friedman clumsily connects a victory for freedom with an attack on freedom:

A few weeks ago, Americans “observed” the eighth anniversary of 9/11 — that day in 2001 when the Twin Towers were brought down by Al Qaeda. In a few weeks, Germans will “celebrate” the 20th anniversary of 11/9 — that day in 1989 when the Berlin Wall was brought down by one of the greatest manifestations of people power ever seen.

To begin with: both events are not about freedom but about competing state, economic, and religious systems. None of these ideological systems are about freedom but control—neoliberalism or Stalinism or Islamofascism (all of which amount to the same thing).

To middle with: The fall of the Berlin Wall is far more significant than the set of spectacular terrorist actions that happened on American soil. The first event closes the short 20th century (to use the language of Eric Hobsbawm—though he ends the 20th century in 1991) and opens the 21st century. The terrorist actions only intensified the 21 century, or closer yet, accelerated it, in the way Hiroshima accelerated but did not inaugurate, the 20th century—which began with the end of World War I and began the ideological contest between what LKJ called "Di Eagle An' di Bear."

To end with: The 21st century will not terminate in the land of the eagle, or the bear, but the panda bear.