Originally published at Associated Content
In compiling this list, I tried to consider different fields of endeavor, and different parts of the world. However, I am an American, and one should not be surprised that my focus is largely on this country.
It was tempting to include people from the past. For example, Richard Nixon's rise and fall had a huge influence of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, who turned it into a call for a more powerful presidency supported by a veil of secrecy. In the end, though, I decided to stay with those active during the decade.
Here is my list of the ten most influential people of the past decade, presented in no particular order:
Osama bin Laden - With the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden set in motion the main events of the decade. He set two wars in motion, created an environment in this country that allowed the government to undo decades of civil liberties progress in the name of safety. Further attacks in England, France and Bali increased the feelings of terror. The decade would have looked completely different without these attacks.
George W. Bush - I considered putting Cheney or Rumsfeld or even Karl Rove on the list instead of Bush, but in the end, his is the name that history will put on the policies that followed 9/11. In fact, the foreign policy based on unilateral action began before then, with the withdrawal from the Kyoto treaty, other international accords, and the cessation of talks with North Korea, which under Bill Clinton had progressed almost to the point of Presidential meetings. If these talks had continued, North Korea might not have developed the nuclear weapons it tested during the decade. The United States began two wars which continue into the next decade, and which have caused great instability in South Asia. In addition, his policies in the "War on Terror" will haunt us for a long time. His judicial appointments will impact justice in this country long into the future.
Alan Greenspan - One of the major events of the decade was the financial collapse in this country which caused a world-wide recession unlike anything since the Great Depression. Alan Greenspan, during his tenure as head of the Federal Reserve probably had more to do with the policies that set this in motion than anyone else. He has admitted that he believed in market forces that would self-regulate, and that he was wrong.
Hu Jintao - China has emerged as an economic force, and the current President should be included on any list of influential people. China has launched space vehicles during the decade, continues to have a strong military, and hold much of the U.S. debt. It also hosted the 2006 Olympics, an acknowledgement of its place among the nations of the world.
Ariel Sharon - Ariel influenced events in the Middle East as much by the stroke that incapacitated him and led to his death as by his actions. He separated from Israel's conservative Likkud party to form Kadima, a party more moderate, and more focused on working towards peace. As Prime Minister, he initiated the 2004 withdrawal from Gaza, and started the blockade. If he had remained healthy the wars in Lebanon and Gaza might not have been fought.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin - Larry Page and Sergey Brin started Google while students at Stanford. They first incorporated in 1998, and went public in 2004. Google is responsible for the way we use the internet; its goal has been to organize knowledge and make it widely available. It has become the accepted word for searching for information on the internet. It also is highly rated as an employer, with policies that encourage creativity.
The Human Genome Project - Although the Human Genome Project began in the 1990's, the genome was mapped in 2000 by the UCSC Genome Bioinformatics Group, composed of Jim Kent (then a UCSC graduate student of molecular, cell and developmental biology), Patrick Gavin, Terrence Furey and David Kulp. This has opened doors to a new kind of medical research. For example, researchers in England recently analyzed healthy and cancer cells from two cancer patients, and for the first time were able to map genetic mutations caused by environmental factors (cigarette smoke for lung cancer, and sunlight for skin cancer). (Turkana wrote a rec'ed diary about this.) This holds great promise to revolutionize medicine over this century.
Pope Benedict XVI - The new Pope was highly influential during the reign of Pope John Paul II as far as Church policy, and has continued to maintain strict hierarchy and central control, undoing much of the local responsibility delegated by Vatican II. He did continue developing relationships between the Church and Jews, even visiting Israel. He encourages conservative elements within the Church, which has effects all over the world. Some of it is controversial, as when he said that condoms do not prevent AIDS while he was in Africa.
Rupert Murdoch - Creating and running a media empire imparts influence, and Rupert Murdoch is well aware of this. In this decade perhaps most significant is his use of talking points in delivering the news, especially on the Fox News Network. Fox leads other cable news channels. Fox watchers still believe that Saddam Hussein was responsible for the attacks of 9/11.
Sandra Day O'Connor - Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was on the majority side of almost all Supreme Court decisions until her retirement. Hers was a voice of moderation and specificity of decisions, but her experiences as a woman brought a new perspective to the Court, and her retirement changed the Court dramatically.
Not a complete list by any means, and I look forward to your ideas in the comments. Barack Obama is not on the list, as I did not want two American presidents, and his influence will be felt more in the next decade. So far his is a transformational presidency, but he is not so far a transformational president.
Honorable mention goes to Muhammad Yunus for the micro-loan concept, Tom Delay for what he achieved as Republican leader in the House, which fortunately was not as permanent as he meant it to be, Al Gore, Howard Dean for using the internet for fundraising and organizing, and for the 50-state party that won the past election. Please add your own.