The decade as a whole
The 2000s decade refers to the years from 2000 to 2009, inclusive. Technically, however, the millennium began in 2001. Many individuals do have their own beliefs of when the 2000s decade began. Informally, it can also include a few years at the end of the preceding decade or the beginning of the following decade. Many people feel that the 2000s is no different culturally from the 1990s, or actually began during the late 1990s, most likely around the year 1998 in a pop-cultural sense[citation needed]. Others believe it pop culturally began right on target in 2000 or around 2002[citation needed]. Some also state that the symbolic beginning of the decade (and the 21st Century) was the 9/11 attacks, although others find this view pessimistic. Throughout the decade, the conservative George W. Bush presided over the many radical changes in technology and foreign policy in the United States. But beginning around 2004, the decade started to stray from its 1990s style to more contemporary society, which is reflected in design and technological changes[citation needed].
So far, the 2000s has been marked generally with an escalation of the social issues of the 1990s, which included the rise of terrorism, stress, the rapid, exponential expansion of economic globalization on an unprecedented scale [citation needed], the rapid expansion of communications and telecommunications with mobile phones and the Internet and international pop culture.
In North America and the Middle East, most major political developments in the 2000s revolved around the War on Terrorism and the conflict in Iraq. Elsewhere, the major theme has been the rapid development of Asia's economic and political potential, with China, experiencing immense economic growth, moving toward the status of a regional power and billion-consumer market. India, along with many other developing countries, is also growing rapidly, and began integrating itself into the world economy.
Major events relating to the War on Terrorism include the September 11, 2001 Attacks, the Moscow Theatre Siege, the Madrid train bombings, the Beslan school hostage crisis, the 2005 London bombings, and the October 2005 New Delhi bombings. In the news almost daily, the terrorism and Iraq conflicts dominate headlines with controversy regarding their consequences and justifications.
A trend connecting economic and political events in North America, Asia and the Middle East is the rapidly increasing demand for fossil fuels, which, along with fewer new petroleum finds, greater extraction costs (see peak oil), and political turmoil, saw the price of gas and oil soar ~500% between 2000 and 2005. In some places, especially in Europe could see $5 a gallon, depending on their currency.
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Current Views About The Decade
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It may be argued that the 2000s are so far not a highly regarded decade by most people in the world as many find the 1990s, to have been a much more prosperous time and look fondly upon earlier decades such as the 1960s and 1980s.
Others argue that the 2000's has incorporated several different styles and attitudes from the Eighties into it's culture, such as big beaded jewelry. They also argue that the 2000s have revitalized Eighties "yuppie" culture, focusing on wealth, glamour, and money. Many see the decade's preoccupation with self-awareness and increasing focus on leisure and comfort as a product of oil shocks, economic recession, and relatively turbulent world politics.
Another common complaint of the 2000s has been cultural stagnation. While not a criticism per se as many people share fondness with regards to the culture of the 1990s, some others look down on the decade for upholding too many washed out and tired 1990s fads, fashions, and music genres[citation needed]. The majority of people who are fond of the 1990s dislike the 2000s because they may feasibly perceive them as similar to the 1980s for various reasons, mainly relating to politics but also to the 1980s nostalgia wave that struck in the decade (see 1980s Retro Movement). Some might say the 1980s nostalgia wave is still a regular occurence.
As an example, in the United States, common criticisms of the decade include a poor economy (which started to improve in the middle of the decade, escalation of the use and advancement of technology; although many, if not most, people see this as a positive), loss of civil liberties and increasing censorship, pop music, television, and movies lacking creativity, the Paris Hilton fad, the boom in reality television shows and programs, and of course the War on Terror and perceptions of President George W. Bush.
Many people can factor in all of these issues to express disappointment in a decade, and more importantly a century, which much of the world had high hopes for particularly in the 1990s. For example many people believing the 2000s to be an innovative decade and century for new technology, a better way of life and generally a new and improved replica of the 1990s.
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Names of the decade
In contrast to the decades from 1920 to 1999, which are called "The Twenties", "The Nineties", and the like; the '00s have had no universally-accepted name. Some refer to the decade as "The Two Thousands", but many find that usage awkward and incorrect for a number of reasons, most notably the fact that, formally, the "Two Thousands" (that is, years whose spoken name begins with the words "two thousand") will last for a thousand years and not just the ten years of the "00" decade. Written in numeral form, the decade can be written either as the "2000s" or as the "'00s". But looking for a name that has the same "feel" as 'The Nineties' or 'The Fifties' has been problematic, especially in the United States.
In the rest of the English-speaking world "The Noughties" and "The Noughts" have come to be the most widely recognized and accepted terms.[1] The term "Noughties" has been adopted by the BBC,[2] and while the term may not be quite universal, there is no other term so widely recognized. Probably the only reason that the term "Noughties" has not been completely accepted world wide is the fact that, in the United States (where usage of "naught" or "nought" to mean 'zero' has never been ubiquitous), there is some confusion by those who assume erroneously that the term has something to do with the adjective "naughty".
This decade has occasionally been termed, in historical contexts, as the "turn of the century". But this term—just as when it was used in the early 20th century—does not clearly refer to a precise 10-year period, and indeed, originally carried the connotation of being the last years of a century. The somewhat less wan expression, "turn of the millennium", shares this ambiguity of meaning.
Other proposed names have been almost innumerable, and include, "the zeroes", "double-aughts","the aughts", "aughties", "awties", "2K's", "uh-ohs", "zoogs", "ozies", "abs", "Tommies". But these other suggestions usually represent the wishes of individuals, and do not generally represent any burgeoning consensus.
The United Nations General Assembly declared the decade of 2000-2009 as the "International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World."[3]
