I see eight major events of the 2000s decade in the realm of politics. In chronological order, they are the following:
2000–The Contested Presidential Election Between George W. Bush and Al Gore.
2001–The Attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11.
2003–The beginning of the disastrous Iraq War, based on false intelligence and incompetent management.
2005-Hurricane Katrina and the poor response by all levels of government to this natural disaster.
2006–The return of the Democrats to control of the Congress after 12 years of Republican rule.
2008–The collapse of the American economy beginning on Wall Street and working its way through the entire nation on many levels, including housing, unemployment, and bankruptcies.
2009–The inauguration of the first African American President Barack Obama, and the hope it engendered.
2009–The most significant social legislation (health care reform) since the 1960s in process through Congress as the decade ends.
Also, two other stories in international affairs have permeated this decade we are now finishing, and will continue to be major centers of attention in the new decade: The economic growth of China and India, and the growing menace of Iran in the Middle East and world affairs.
May we hope for a better decade than the one we are ending tonight!
Happy New Year and New Decade to everyone who reads this blog! 🙂