In one of many exit interviews Gen. David Petraeus has given as his command in Afghanistan ends, he said: “No country has suffered more from Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda than Afghanistan.” This comment stopped me. It was the gratuitousness of the flip-side demotion of the American experience since Osama bin Laden and his gang first struck here nearly 10 years ago.

The catastrophic terror attacks of 9/11 caused, and still cause, some extremely deep and aching degree of suffering, it seems odd to have to say. They also marked the beginning of a decade-long American crackup, a self-ignited meltdown of reason and judgment that has blinded us to the markers of global jihad across the Western world.