A moment before we finish the second decade of the 21st century, stop, close your eyes, and try remembering the lives we had before this decade began:
In those days we could hail a cab without a smartphone; go to the movies or buy a DVD instead of lying on the couch and searching for the latest hit show on Netflix or Amazon; men and women flirted with one another in bars or parties without Tinder or the threat of #MeToo; there were no iPads.
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The world was in the midst of the worst financial crisis since the 1930s. Governments on the verge of collapse imposed severe austerity measures. The Democrats, who had just ushered the first Afro-American president into the White House, were certain they had sealed the fate of the Republicans forever; al-Qaida was still the most pressing security threat facing the world; the European Union was expecting a glorious future; Muammar Gaddafi was still curbing the gigantic waves of immigrants from Africa to Europe; Hosni Mubarak had started planning the transfer of power to his son; the "two-state solution" was still the accepted mantra for resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict; Iran under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was isolated.
And now, open your eyes; the world has changed immensely over the past decade: The economy has stabilized again, but is now subject to the "trade wars" of Republican US President Donald Trump, among the most vociferous opponents of globalization; the Arab Spring toppled dictators and gave birth to the Islamic State group; Europe was flooded with refugees fleeing the Middle Eastern turmoil and immigrants who "hitched a ride" on the tragedy in Syria and Iraq; the British decided to leave the EU; Russia went back to being a superpower; the idea of a Palestinian state dissipated while many Arab countries are seeking closer ties with Israel; Iran was temporarily removed from its exile, but is presently being sent back.
It's no coincidence that the decade's final year is culminating in a fight between Russia and Poland about the historical narrative of responsibility for starting World War II and collaborating with the Nazis. After years of convincing ourselves that technological advancements were turning the world into a borderless "global village" without identities, the last decade came along and showed us this was an illusion. Although people today can fly on the cheap, change apartments or efficiently rent them out online at comfortable prices, ultimately they feel there is no alternative to national identity and cultural and religious traditions – and that when they are at home, they want to feel at home rather than like guests on eggshells. They want their governments to invest in economic development and national infrastructure instead of in other countries. The virtual worlds created in the wake of the digital technological revolution are increasingly perceived as social, educational, and behavioral threats. More and more people are finding their way back to the real world.
The 1920s are remembered as a joyous time, a period of cultural growth and progress following the horrors of World War I and the downfall of the "Old World" monarchies. But, it was also when Communism and Nazi fascism established their power, laying the groundwork for the calamity they inflicted upon humanity in the ensuing decades. We can expect the 2020s to be no less tumultuous. One thing is for sure: It won't be boring.
