Six months ago yesterday, the world virtually halted when three hijacked jetliners were crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

It may be hyperbole to say that day changed the world forever, but there is no question that the world today is a different place.

Since then, the United states and the world have been forced to take additional security measures, some of them unimaginable before September 11.

A war in Afghanistan has been fought. Osama bin Laden, the world's most wanted man, has not been captured, but his ability to cause mayhem has been severely limited.

On a human level, life has returned to something approaching normal, but the personal cost of the tragedies, and the ensuing economic downturn means that the meaning of life for many people has changed as well.

Bermuda has been touched by these tragedies at a personal and national level.

At the personal level, it should never be forgotten that Bermuda lost two of its own in the tragedy. Their deaths have affected dozens, if not hundreds, of people in the community.

Their memories should not be forgotten. Indeed, scholarship trusts have been set up in their names and deserve the community's support.

Thousands more Bermudians know victims or relatives of victims of the attack, especially those who work in the insurance and financial industries.

Nationally, the effects of the attacks have varied.

Economically, there is no question that the attacks badly hurt the tourism industry, which was already in trouble. That has trickled through the economy, putting some already struggling businesses and hotel properties out of business or on the brink of it.

In spite of Tourism Minister David Allen's unquenchable optimism, there is no sign yet that the industry will recover.

For international business, the position is mixed. The formation of a new wave of reinsurance companies and an enormous injection of new capital is a testament to the Island's standing as a safe haven and insurance centre and may go some way to offsetting the effects of the downturn in tourism.

But the collapse of Enron and Global Crossing has seen the US put offshore financial centres like Bermuda under the microscope. The effects of the "profits versus patriotism" argument have still to be felt and they may yet have a profound effect on the Bermuda economy.

More broadly, as has been noted elsewhere, the attacks and their aftermath may change people's mindsets.

The upsurge in patriotism in the US and elsewhere, the renewed determination to stop terrorism, are all very well, but in the longer term, a loss of optimism and a loss confidence about the future may not bode well for the US or the world.

At the same time, the Western democracies must recognise that the problems they face pale in contrast to the problems in the developing world where the Osama bin Ladens of the world find fertile ground for their poisonous beliefs.

Until the world finds ways to narrow the wealth gap and to bring about true democratic institutions, it will always face the risk of another September 11.