Chapter 22

Cold War - In 1991, the last Soviet dictator resigned peacefully, dissolving the USSR , ending the Cold War and leaving the US as the sole superpower. Communism was not viable and could not reform. More countries adopted democracy, and most, like India, reduced restrictions on capitalism (e.g. taxes, tariffs).

Culture Wars – In 1992 a book, “The End of History”, captured the feelings that all historical issues were resolved with the triumph of capitalism and democracy. Another book, in 1996, “The Clash of Civilizations”, pointed to new areas of conflict involving religion and culture. Muslim inspired groups fought Hindus, Jews and Christians, especially the US. The 9/11/2001 suicide plane attacks on the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon dramatized these conflicts.

US as World’s Police - US intervened, without UN approval, in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia, Afghanistan and Iraq, with mixed success. When the US did not intervene, neither did the UN or anyone else, allowing major civil wars in Rwanda, Sudan and the Congo and minor conflicts elsewhere.

American culture – dominance increased in television, movies, food, music, patents, science, colleges, language, etc.

Economic progress - Japan resumed growing, Asian countries, especially China and India, grew at dramatic rates, Europe turned inward while expanding eastward, South America made some progress but Africa grew slowly or fell behind. This growth started lowering

America

’s relative dominance.

Internet, Cellular Phone - Advances in communication meant almost everyone in the world could afford to communicate. Thus college students with internet access were able to form the Student World Assembly, to promote global democracy.

New Concerns – Rapid growth in prosperity caused concern to some about overuse of common resources – water, oil, gas, (CO2). Biological innovations also caused fear and confusion.

Moslem Inspired Terrorist Attacks

Against Hindus

Periodic India Pakistan conflicts over Kashmir

Periodic Moslem/ Hindu riots in India

2006 Simultaneous bombing of commuter trains in Mumbai

Against Jews

1993 & 2001 Palestinian Uprisings

2006 Iran supported Hezbollah attack, called end of Israel

Against US

1993 US troops in Somalia killed, causing rapid retreat

1993 to 1998 Bombings: World Trade Center, Khobar Tower, 2 African US Embassies , USS Cole guided missile destroyer

2001 World Trade Center & Pentagon destroyed by Al-Qaeda

Against Other Christians

1994 & 2000 Chechnyans rebel against Russia

1992 Bosnians fought to secede from Yugoslavia

1997 to 1999 Albanian Ethnics fight Serbs in Kosovo to secede

2002 to 2005 Terrorists bomb bar in Bali Indonesia , kill Australians, bomb Madrid train, and bomb London subways

2006 Moslems riot worldwide over Danish cartoons

Against Other Moslems

2003 to now Sunni/ Shiite war in Iraq