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9/11: The Arc of History

Barack Obama talked often about an 鈥渁rc of history鈥 that put the US 鈥渙n the right side鈥. But 20 years after 9/11 does that arc now look bent out of shape?

It was Barack Obama, borrowing a phrase from Martin Luther King, who talked often about an 鈥渁rc of history鈥 that could be 鈥渂ent towards the hope of a better day鈥. And he illuminated what he meant when he described the United States being 鈥渙n the right side of history鈥. Behind that rhetoric lies the idea that history is driven by values; that it is not just economic and military power that makes some nations winners in history鈥檚 game but what they believe in and stand for. After recent events in Afghanistan - 20 years after 9/11 - that arc may be bent out of shape. That鈥檚 the framework for this discussion chaired by Edward Stourton with contributions from: the historian Margaret MacMillan; Mark Malloch-Brown, formerly of the UN; Richard Haass, president of America鈥檚 Council of Foreign Relations; and David Richards, who commanded NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Producer Smita Patel
Editor Carl Johnston

Available now

43 minutes

Last on

Sat 11 Sep 2021 22:15

Broadcasts

  • Wed 8 Sep 2021 20:00
  • Sat 11 Sep 2021 22:15