Fourteen years after 9/11, the United States is still marching, undeterred by the millions killed and trillions of dollars wasted, towards something beyond grim, according to Riley Waggaman of Russia Insider who writes: “Let us consider the way in which we spend our lives.” So begins Thoreau’s greatest treatise against trains and fools with too much money, Life Without Principle. (And not to spoil the gripping plot, but Thoreau argues that we do not spend our lives particularly well. Why does Henry David Thoreau hate Facebook?) Since it’s September 11, the day we are supposed to Never Forget, we thought it would be instructive to ask: Do we really want to remember the last fourteen years? Or to cannibalize Thoreau: Let us consider the ways in which we have terrorized the entire planet (and ourselves) since September 12, 2001. Since September 12, 2001, we’ve invaded and/or bombed Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, Syria and — wait for it — the goddamned Philippines. But these are only the humanitarian interventions and freedom bombings that have been made “public”: The United States Military is currently operating in at least 120 countries around the globe — a world shadow war shielded from public scrutiny and debate. [...]