A reassessment of post-2001 geopolitical predictions reveals that the feared "clash of civilizations" did not materialize as expected. Experts who warned of inevitable cultural and religious conflicts in the 1990s now acknowledge the far more nuanced reality that unfolded. The aftermath of the attacks exposed a far more complex interplay of global forces than early forecasts suggested. This analysis challenges long-held assumptions about how civilizations would interact in the wake of major international crises.
After the 2001 attacks, pundits predicted a “clash of civilizations,” a geopolitical theory popular in the 1990s. The reality has been much more complicated.
