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The immediate period after 9/11 was characterized by the emergence of two
conflicting discourses. On the one hand, there unfolded a political-affirmative
discourse that followed the official narrative. The Bush administration consid
ered 9/11 a historical moment of change and the birth of a new era – the era
of terrorism⁸ –, based on the victimization of the United States as opposed to
the demonization of the terrorist, personified by the Arab/Muslim or those
who differed from the American way of life. (Gonçalves, 2016: 6)
On the other hand, a critical discourse emerged which questioned the role of
the American government in the attacks, portraying them as somewhat expected
and even deserved.⁹ These writers were accused of being unpatriotic or even
anti-American. That was the case of Susan Sontag, who, the very next day
after 9/11, wrote an article condemning US foreign policies and explaining why
the attack, although reprehensible, was understandable: (Gonçalves, 2016: 7)