GRC - Epilogue, 2001 and on... (Lesson)

Epilogue, 2001 and on...

Moving into the 21st Century, a number of global challenges have been identified—the War on Terror, Islamic Militancy, global economics, global stirrings, global warming, anti-immigration sentiments, and sectarianism. And while most of these challenges are not new to the world stage, their wide-ranging effects have increased—especially within the topics of terrorism and environmental changes.

Terrorism

On September 11, 2001, nineteen hijackers took control over four American planes. Two were flown into New York City's World Trade Center's Twin Towers, one was flown into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the last plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field. Those responsible for this act of terrorism claimed it was in response to American imperialist policies in the Middle East and for the American military's presence in Saudi Arabia. U.S. President George W. Bush announced that these acts had been a declaration of war and responded with a declaration of a War on Terror.

Watch the video to learn more. 

 

Environmental Changes

In recent years, there has been more international pressure to examine global warming and environmental changes. This has led to an increase in international discussions and agreements creating international standards and goals on conservation and environmentally-sustainable economic development.

Watch the video to learn more.

 

What Do You See?

Charlie Wilson's War is a 2007 movie depicting the events that increased American involvement in the Afghan resistance to Soviet troops during the 1980s. Toward the end of the movie, the CIA character played by Philip Seymour Hoffman cautions Tom Hanks' character over whether or not their actions in Afghanistan will lead to something glorious. He says,

Theres a little boy and on his 14th birthday he gets a horse... and everybody in the village says, how wonderful. The boy got a horse And the Zen master says, well see. Two years later, the boy falls off the horse, breaks his leg, and everyone in the village says, How terrible. And the Zen master says, Well see. Then, a war breaks out and all the young men have to go off and fight... except the boy cant cause his legs all messed up. And everybody in the village says, How wonderful. Now the Zen master says, Well see.

The moral here is that nothing is all one thing or the other when it comes to past, present, and future events—and it is very difficult to know what the effects of one thing will be on another. The 21st Century has many things in common with earlier centuries but one of the main differences will be your generation. You will become the new leaders—of governments, of industry, of medicine, of charity, of education, of religion, of families—therefore, what you see is very important. And don't forget what Spanish philosopher George Santayana wrote in The Life of Reason— " ...those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

 

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