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]
