What do we name the decade 2000-2009?
We have just bid our farewell to the century’s first decade. Well, technically speaking, the current decade still has another year, but let’s flow with the current and rejoice in the dawn of a new decade. Besides, many people are more than happy to see the curtains draw on the old decade.
Wikipedia says: “The 2000s was the decade that started on January 1, 2000 and ended on December 31, 2009. It was the decade in which the 21st century and 3rd millennium began.”
This was the decade that dawned on the great Y2K (Year 2000 or millennium bug) scare. On January 1, 2000, the world breathed a great sigh of relief as the world’s computers not only didn’t crash as many had feared but the solar system survived the changeover without the dire catastrophes predicted by some.
This was the decade of economic progress for many of the world’s people and at the same time produced a succession of difficult experiences for Americans and for others worldwide. The Western nations politically took a decisive turn to the right as many elected conservative governments, as an example, George W. Bush winning consecutive U.S. presidential elections.
Much had happened during the decade. Financially, it may be best remembered as being book-ended by the dot-com bust or better known in some quarters as dot-bomb and the financial downturn. Technology-wise, it was the decade dominated by Google. At the decade’s mid-point, a powerful earthquake brought destruction to a host of nations along the Pacific and Indian oceans and suddenly the world learned the horrors of tsunami. The decade also marked the rise of the Asian nations’ economic power.
The event of the decade, however, has to be the 9/11 terror attacks. Future historians may classify this as the turning point for the United States and the world. It unleashed the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, spanning most of the decade. The wars drained America’s resources and hamstrung its ability to act in difficult situations elsewhere.
Now, how should we call our most recent decade? We had the famous Roaring 20’s and the 60’s and 70’s.
Will this past decade eventually be known as the Zeros, 00’s or naughts in honour of Google? The double O’s in Google, in common usage, are inter-changeable with zeros. Even its ticker symbol GOOG has the double O’s.
Economist and columnist Paul Krugman is in favour of “The Big Zero,” an era in which the U.S. gained virtually zero jobs, the typical U.S. family made zero economic progress, and stock prices failed to rise.
Some popular online favourites are:
- downhill
- decline
- disappointing
- disaster
- depressing
- difficult
- turbulent
- scary
- crazy
So it seems if the current general mood persists, the likely name for this decade may not describe a positive image.
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