1. George W Bush becomes the President of USA in January 2001:
The US presidential election in late 2000 saw George W Bush come to power. His entourage comprised a bunch of neo-conservatives that included Dick Cheney as well. It was a keenly contested election which saw the likes of Al Gore vying for the top post. The decade thus started with a bang and we all know what happened after that.2. America devastated by 9/11:
If Pearl Harbor changed the course of World War II in 1941, 9/11 compelled United States to make a dramatic change in its foreign policy that resulted in more complications for the world’s most powerful nation. America invaded Iraq in the aftermath of 9/11 and till today it is paying the price for that invasion.3. The Beijing Olympics:
The Beijing Olympics showcased China as an emerging power in world politics and the Chinese government left no stone unturned to put across this message to the world. China made its approach in a self-assertive tone rather than demonstrating a subdued one which it was doing in the past. The great Asian country has begun to give feelers that it is on its way to become a great power as it was in the past.
4. The economic crash of 2007:
The world witnessed its stock exchanges plummeting to an all time low because of the financial slowdown that started in 2007. It affected almost all the nations of the world and many blue chip companies, banks, financial institutions went bankrupt. This economic meltdown will go down in the annals of 21st century history as the worst financial debacle. The economic crash resulted due to the speculative machinations of leading financial institutions and it is hoped that they don’t repeat something even worse in the near future.5. A resurging Brazil under President Lula:
Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil has propelled his country to new heights. Brazil has carved an important position in the international arena on the strength of budget surpluses and strong economy. The new acronym (BRICs) which is given to countries considered as emerging powers now has another member- Brazil. All this credit goes to Lula, a man who learnt to read at ten but never joined any college.6. Turkey on a new high under the AKP:
The foreign policy of Turkey has undergone a massive change under the AKP government. The economy of the country is also witnessing a fast paced and effective liberalization. Ankara has now become an important diplomatic centre with lot of clout. So far these have been concrete achievements and one hopes that in the coming years the country is able to realize its goals. However there are internal problems that need to be checked. Still Turkey’s recent growth is good sign for global politics.7. Peace process in the Middle East comes to a naught:
The Middle East Peace Process which began in the 1990s was perhaps one of the most promising strategies to defuse tension in the volatile region. A nurturing attitude from the US and EU would have taken it to the next level. However during the last decade things became depressing with Israel failing to implement its ‘unilateralism’. The wars that began in Lebanon and Gaza further worsened the situation. Moreover Israel has taken a rightist tilt. More problems came to the fore when the Palestinian community as well as other Muslim countries went for polarization and expansion of settlements set up illegally. Though the US came up with its peace efforts it failed repeatedly. One thing is clear and that is it will be very difficult to achieve the initial objectives of the peace process and a distressing scenario is bound to come up in the future.
8. Arctic Sea ice shrinks signifying a major climate change:
The ice on Arctic Sea is gradually melting which is leading to two probabilities. The important one is that the climate is changing which will lead to long term effects in the future and global leaders are already showing their concern. Another probability is that as the ice is melting on the Arctic Sea it can herald in a new shipping route in the hitherto unexplored polar region as far as shipping is concerned.
9. Nature demonstrates its destructive fury:
Nature struck in full force reminding humans that it is a force to be reckoned with. There was massive destruction in Pakistan and Haiti because of earthquakes. The Gulf of Mexico was pounded with hurricanes. The Indian Ocean belt had to face a giant tsunami that uprooted almost all human settlements. This destruction of course ignited the spirit of humanity when people irrespective of geographic differences came out to help the doomed.
10. Blogging makes its entry:
It was in the 90s that blogging came on the internet. However it was during the last decade that blogging emerged as one of the most sought after medium for communication and commentary. The popularity of online news sites has soared and so has its influence. With information technology becoming a global industry world politics has become tech-savvy.
