The human loss was never the issue. The issue is the symbolism. The loss of a spacecraft that was designed - or at least promoted - as our pickup truck to space took away the notion that we could conquer the heavens. We went from sending up tin cans to sending up pickup trucks, but if those pickup trucks were going to lose cargo and crew then maybe we as a species are not ready to leave those tin cans or even Earth.
Likewise, the destruction of the Twin Towers and a large portion of the Pentagon was a huge symbolic loss for the west in general and the US in particular. That's why the terms 9/11 and "Twin Towers" are almost synonymous yet the crash at the DoD is hardly ever mentioned. The US can suffer the loss of its symbol of the capitalistic market, the Twin Towers. But the bruise to the ego of the DoD is much more sensitive. Today there are full articles that purport to report on the events of 9/11, which do not even mention the Pentagon.
Just ask the guy sitting next to you what happened on 9/11. Any mention of the Pentagon?
Likewise, the destruction of the Twin Towers and a large portion of the Pentagon was a huge symbolic loss for the west in general and the US in particular. That's why the terms 9/11 and "Twin Towers" are almost synonymous yet the crash at the DoD is hardly ever mentioned. The US can suffer the loss of its symbol of the capitalistic market, the Twin Towers. But the bruise to the ego of the DoD is much more sensitive. Today there are full articles that purport to report on the events of 9/11, which do not even mention the Pentagon.
Just ask the guy sitting next to you what happened on 9/11. Any mention of the Pentagon?