By Daniel DePetris
Twenty years ago this week, then-President George W. Bush stepped up to the podium during a joint session of Congress and delivered an ultimatum: If you weren't with the United States in fighting the scourge of international terrorism, you were effectively against the United States. "Every nation in every region now has a decision to make," Bush told the nation that day. "Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists."
At the time, Bush's address was widely applauded as an honest, heart-felt, emotional appeal in front of a nation nursing the wounds of the worst terrorist attack the United States witnessed in its history. The president received multiple standing ovations that night, including from lawmakers who ordinarily opposed his policies. "In a firm and forceful address, Mr. Bush rose to the challenge of making what may be the most critical speech of his life," a New York Times editorial observed a day later.
This piece was originally published in Newsweek on September 22, 2021. Read more HERE.