Conflict and Cooperation - 21st Cent.

==The Internet: Pros and Cons==

Pros:

• possibly the greatest tool for communication
• 2014: 43% of the population was connected to the internet
• social media helps connect businesses with their customers
• it changed the workplace (telecommuting)
• development of wikis
• crowd-sourcing for funding projects

Cons:

• computer viruses can disrupt our daily lives and economy
• dependence on the internet
• social media is addictive
• wrong information on the internet
• scams and frauds

9/11:

• Al-Qaeda coordinated the attack (Osama bin Laden)
• almost 3,000 people were killed, and over 6,000 were wounded
• the US government launched the war on terror and Afghanistan Invasion
• Bin Laden was captured and killed in 2011
• Al-Qaeda shifted into ISIS --> operation inherent resolve

European Union:

• The political and economic community made up of 28 countries
• these countries are generally high on human development indices
• EU developed a market so the policies encourage the free movement of people, free movement of goods and services, and free capital throughout Europe
• maintain common trade policies, agriculture policies
• establish a monetary unit of currency called the Euro

Arab Spring:

• Began in 2010 in Tunisia, where people overthrew the government and brought in democracy
• This spread across the Middle East, sparking protests in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Bahrain, and Yemen
• The results were mixed and Egypt struggled
• It led to the current Syrian refugee crisis

Brent:

• In 2016, Britain held a divisive referendum on whether it should remain or leave the EU
• the majority voted to leave the EU
• GB negotiates what the exit will look like