History Will Not Look Kindly on the First Decade of the 21st Century

Addressing your original question: you have assumed this debate to focus on the United States. Not unreasonable of you, by any means, but not what I had in mind. I had meant world history. Chiefly Irish history, in fact. I'm Irish, and the debate that I'm preparing for is being held, of course, in Ireland, so if anything, Irish history will be most closely scrutinized, but for the purposes of the debate, we should focus on world events. The USA played a very big part in the decade of course, so focussing on it is not wrong, and indeed, is an ideal starting point. However the debate should ultimately brach out into other aspects of the history of the 21st century. You have started your argument at what I believe I had established as my 2nd point, Establishing what noteworthy events took place in the decade, which of course, I had intended to focus mainly on in round 2 anyway. I would contend that your 3 main themes are not sufficient to cover the decade. I would add a 4th: economic meltdown. I would put it to you that reformative changes are nothing significant or special about this decade, and I would argue that history will not remember our scientific advancements in the context of the decade, as it never has done in the past. Essentially, what I am proposing to you is that while your 1st point stands, as there is no precedent for the war on terror, legislative and scientific advancements have not been so radical as to stand out in our cultural memory, and that instead the massive failure of our economic system is a much more identifiable theme of the decade. What this would leave us with is two main themes: 1. The war on terror 2. The economic crisis I welcome any counter argument made to my negation of the legislative and scientific advancements of the decade, but in order to prove that these points are memorable, you must prove that these advances were significantly greater than in other decades. In my view, you have not done this. I concede that there have been advancements, but as of yet, you have made no argument for why they will be remembered above the negative events. The first point I made, which I feel, still stands, is that history will either remember the bad, or the good which has come of the bad. You have offered a lot of good from the decade, but war on terror aside, (which I will be dealing with) none of it came from bad. Until you negate this argument, we must logically assume that History will forget what positive events you have made, and remember only the War on Terror, (which I will attempt to prove as a negative event) and (unless negated) the economic meltdown. (obviously bad) 2. My second point: Thusfar, we have identified 4 noteworthy events of the decade; the war on terror; the culmination of the civil rights movement; (in the election of Barrack Obama to the office of President) Scientific innovation; and the economic crisis. On the first of these events, the war on terror. 9/11, and the response to it, will most likely become this decades defining point, as much as world war 2 was to the 1940s or the civil rights movement to the 1960s. We have always had terrorism, but in 2001 with the attack on the world trade centre, it became a much more real and terrifying problem. It has been said that there was a surge in patriotism, but this was not qualified as being a good thing. Why is patriotism a good thing? Patriotism to what end? To prevent more terrorist attacks? An entire country quivering in fear together? If there has been a surge in National pride, this is its extent. The so called "pride" led the nation and the world to excessively curb civil rights in the name of counter terrorism. Surveillance has become all-pervasive and we live in an era of fear because of the threat of terrorism. Is this a good thing? What has the fight on terror achieved? It is as I said, the war on terror stemmed from a tragic event, and whatever good may come of it has yet to emerge. Even the staunchest Republican argues that the war on terror will only come to fruition in the future. Progress, perhaps, but no noticeable benefits. The United States and the world would be better off without 9/11, and this is unquestionable. The onus is on the Con to prove the contrary. On the second event, this advance is negated by my expansion on the first. For all the advancements, civil rights in this decade have emerged at a deficit from the last. 1 step forward, 2 steps back. The third instance I concede, but I will go on at length in my third point in round 3 to prove why these advances, divorced from any other significant event, will not raise the standing of the decade over all. On the fourth main event identified, the economic crisis. The end of the decade saw the collapse of the financial world. The only historical precedent for this crash was the Great Depression in the 1930s. In Ireland, future generations will remember this as the decade where their futures were remortgaged. The IMF has had to come to Ireland to help them arrange their finances. Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Iceland and Spain are all either bankrupt or at bankruptcy's door. I would suggest that this will forever be remembered as the decade that capitalism went too far. We have seen shocking rises in extreme Leftist parties worldwide. Not a horrible thing in itself. However we have also seen a shocking rise in extreme Right-wing party membership as well. The middle ground is thinning. This will be the decade where we forgot how to manage money. This will lead to the same kind of austerity which only ended with World War 2 in the 30s. Unemployment and crime soars. No good has come of this crisis. We have nothing to show for it, and I believe it will define the decade. I eagerly await my opponent's rebuttal. Thank you.