Rip Van Winkle in the Essay

The second Iraq war was ordered by George W. Bush, who became president eight years after the end of his father's presidency11, and Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. forces and eventually hanged by an Iraqi court12. The U.S. was attacked by Islamic Terrorists who destroyed the World Trade Center in new York City in 2001 and the U.S. armed forces have been simultaneously engaged in two wars (in Iraq and Afghanistan) practically ever since13. Since then, a new cabinet position of Homeland Security Director was added to the president's cabinet14, in conjunction with ongoing counterterrorism as a national focus15.Racial issues have improved enough in the last twenty years that an African-American was elected to the presidency in 200816, and the U.S. seems to have made equally impressive strides in other areas of civil rights and equality, judging by the new laws about discrimination and even same-sex marriage in several states17......