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A New Millennium SSWH21

A New Millennium SSWH21. Time and Geography. INTELLECTUAL. A Short and Violent Century. Ethnic hostilities around the world Uncontrolled, misguided nationalism a menace to solidarity Technology and political culture Mass communications, instantaneous transfer of data and ideas

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A New Millennium SSWH21

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  1. A New Millennium SSWH21

  2. Time and Geography

  3. INTELLECTUAL

  4. A Short and Violent Century • Ethnic hostilities around the world • Uncontrolled, misguided nationalism a menace to solidarity • Technology and political culture • Mass communications, instantaneous transfer of data and ideas • Technology has outrun ethics and political culture • Advances have made physical distance nearly irrelevant Amateur radio station with multiple receivers and transceivers

  5. ECONOMIC

  6. A Short and Violent Century • Rich and Poor • Extremely steep difference in income between rich and poor • Failed attempts to raise standard of living of poor • West was on brink of longest sustained economic advance in modern history • Income disparity is extremely dangerous A visual depiction of income disparity

  7. Decline of Appeal of Communism • After World War II, communism seemed destined to spread in Third World • Saw it as best hope for material progress • Did bring some social, economic justice to masses • Willing to give up freedoms for better economic prospects

  8. Decline of Appeal of Communism • Not true in West • Rejected political, economic, intellectual sacrifices demanded of communism • Reformism, gradualism have replaced revolution White Russian anti-Bolshevik poster, c. 1932

  9. Decline of Appeal of Communism • Decline in appeal • American concept of making bigger pie to share rather than slicing it differently won out • By 1970s, only Cuba, China still adhered to Marxism

  10. SOCIAL

  11. Prosperity in Developed Societies • Social changes continued as long as economy was booming • Workers working fewer hours for more pay • Job security, wage increases, insurance, unemployment pay etc., helped workers • But some gains have been slowed by problems • Higher energy costs • Increased world competition in markets • Job outsourcing • Higher education more available • Material living conditions have improved • Extensive upward mobility of working classes A concrete worker

  12. Prosperity in Developed Societies • Losing ground in developing countries • Slow, uneven move to technology-driven economy • Productivity has actually declined in some places • Social mobility has increased, but only for small minority • Downward mobility much more common

  13. Prosperity in Developed Societies • The other half of humanity – women’s liberation • Steadily closing gap between men and women in West • Legal, if not always de facto, economic equality • Fewer young women are married, more are single parents • The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir’ The Second Sex, by Simone de Beauvoir’

  14. Family and the Individual • Traditional family is only one of several alternative lifestyles • Women worldwide generally unmoved by political feminism • They do have potential political power • More concerned with daily survival • People no longer identify with family as they used to, but individualism has also led to stress, alienation

  15. Infographic tracking decline of traditional family

  16. POLITICAL

  17. United Nations and National Sovereignty • United Nations founded 1945 • Predecessor: League of Nations • Mandate: to guarantee peace • Wide authority in Security Council to take military action • General Assembly can only debate issues, recommend action • Non-military scope: labor, cultural affairs, public health (International Labor Organization (ILO); United Nations Educational, Scientific, (UNESCO); and World Health Organization (WHO) • Ultimate power rests with individual nations not UN

  18. United Nations and National Sovereignty • US/Russian collaboration has aided UN in maintaining peace and redressing justice International Crises: • Iraq in the Gulf War of 1991 • Universal condemnation of the terrorism - al-Qaida, Afghanistan • US unilateral campaign against dictator Saddam Hussein • Yugoslav, Somali, Rwandan civil wars and Darfur crisis

  19. Clockwise from top: USAF F-15Es, F-16s, and a F-15C flying over burning Kuwaiti oil wells; British troops from the Staffordshire Regiment in Operation Granby; camera view from a Lockheed AC-130; Highway of Death; M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle

  20. Darfur refugee camp in Chad, 2005

  21. Control of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) • Proliferation of such weapons is pressing problem • Nuclear capability originally limited to few countries (US, USSR, Britain, France) • Newcomer nations to nuclear club: China, Israel, India and Pakistan, North Korea, Iran • Fear that Cold War weapons stocks accessed or stolen • Fear that nuclear power plants vulnerable to attacks • Concern of atomic—or biological—blackmail

  22. Looming ProblemsTerrorism • “Holy war” – jihad, takfiri • Sacred duty to fight “unbelievers” non-Muslims, • Violent gangs: Islamic Jihad and al-Qaida declare war against whole governments, Muslim states, and civilians • Martyrdom in carrying out bombings Al-Zawahiri and Bin Laden in 2001 interview with Hamid Mir in Kabul

  23. Looming ProblemsTerrorism • Sept. 11, 2001 brought this threat into focus • So far, international surveillance, collaboration have succeeded • But al-Qaida or similar takfiri organizations succeeded attacks on civilians and governments in Spain, Indonesia The Twin Towers burn after Sept.11 attacks

  24. ProblemEnvironmental Deterioration • Probably most urgent problems • Excessive, unbalanced consumption of non-renewable resources • Global warming: Debate overrate of increase, nature of cause (greenhouse gases) • Declining food production in Africa – famine • Pollution and radioactive wastes • Two choices: • Conservation to retain resources • technology to develop alternatives

  25. REVIEW

  26. Discussion Questions 1. The 21st century will probably be as conflict-ridden as the 20th. What do you see as the principal sources of tension and conflict today? What are the historical roots of these problems? Is it realistic to think that they can be solved? Why or why not? 2. Environmental issues are some of the most complex facing modern humanity. Environmental destruction seems to always go together with modernization and industrialization. What do you think about the argument that developed nations which are trying to slow or un-do environmental destruction have no right to push the less-developed world to forego modernization unless it can be done without such destruction? For example, does the US have the right to tell tropical countries not to cut down their rainforests?

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