The globalized world

After the 1990s, capitalism reached almost the world.

• This wide spread of capitalism, marked by its contradictions, is called globalization or globalization and affects countries in different ways.

• While some assimilate new technologies and have commercial advantages, others are more vulnerable to the negative impacts of this process.

In the transition from the 20th century to the 21st century, two other points became quite significant:

• The first concerns the consensus that arose around the idea of democracy. Because of few stand against it.

• The second is related to scientific and technological changes, such as the advent of computing, robotics, microelectronics, biotechnology, and innovations in telecommunications.

Economic field

• In the economic field, among the various crises that followed after the Cold War, one of the enormous proportions was initiated in 2008, based on speculation about the American real estate system.

• The consequences of this crisis led to the growth of nationalist, neo-Nazi, and xenophobic movements, movements against neoliberalism, and cuts in social spending and wage increases.

International politics

• On the topic of international politics, in the United States, George Bush's Republican administration was marked by the fighting against Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, and Iraq, accused by the U.S. government of sponsoring terrorism.

• On September 11, 2001, one of the most shocking terrorist attacks in history occurred: the twin towers of the World Trade Center were destroyed by militants of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing 3,000 people.

• The Bush administration then declared war on Afghanistan. Shortly after, in February 2003, the United States invaded Iraq. Officially defeated in 2017, ISIS was involved in the war that took place in Syria.

• The conflict was triggered in the context of the Arab Spring, left half a million dead, and made more than 5 million refugees. It is necessary to resume 2011 to understand what the Arab Spring was. During that time, several uprisings targeted dictatorships that occupied power and caused considerable changes in the scenario of North Africa and the Middle East.

• It is important to note that Europe and, above all, the United States, in general, supported most of these dictatorial regimes.

• Tunisia entered a period of consecutive dictatorships and, in 2010, began protests against corruption, joblessness, and police violence, which led the dictator to flee the country.

• The revolution in Tunisia became known as the Jasmine Revolution.

• In Egypt, in 2011, demonstrations led to the fall of dictator Mubarak, avoiding a protracted conflict.

• Libya, an Arab country with the largest oil reserves on the African continent, was under the dictatorship of Muammar Gaddafi.

• In February 2011, an uprising began after the arrest of human rights activist and lawyer Fathi Gerbil, and in August, after some 50,000 deaths, the rebels took over the capital, Tripoli.

• In Egypt and Libya, coups and civil wars continued, even after the Arab Spring.

• Syria borders Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey. And is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea.

• The border area means that instability in Syria can expand into neighboring countries. Since 1970, the country has experienced dictatorial governments. And the country is made of different ethnic groups.

Unfolding

• In 2011, the protests began, and the bigger they got, the more violent the government responded.

• The crisis was considered (by the NU, in 2012) to be a civil war – which extends to the present day.

Final considerations

• In 2000, half of the world's population was urbanized. Health, education, housing, and reform issues, thus, become more crucial than ever.

• The transition from the 20th century to the 21st century was marked by phenomena such as terrorism, drug trafficking, social exclusion, environmental problems, migratory movements, the emergence of new diseases, and unequal globalization.

• The expansion of the global market and the absence of national and global regulations have allowed the growth of illicit and inhuman activities, such as international crime, sex tourism, the resurgence of slavery, and child labor.

• Xenophobia in various parts of the world, exacerbated by the conflict in Syria, casts doubt on the idea that we are moving towards a "borderless" world.

• Besides that, the environmental problem is also one of humanity's biggest challenges.