Language of War: How 9/11's Lexicon Still Haunts Us Today The events of September 11, 2001, marked a turning point in modern history.
The impact on human life was devastating, but the way it reshaped the language of conflict had far reaching implications.
The phrase "war on terror" legitimized a new era of militarism, surveillance, and human rights abuses that still haunt us today. The post 9/11 lexicon had a sanitizing effect on torture.