2011 - The Year That Was
Revolution was in the air as dictatorial and authoritarian regimes fell in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya. There were uprisings and protests in several other Arab countries.
The spontaneous protests that mushroomed into the Occupy Wall Street Movement sharply brought into national focus the issues of wealth and income inequality and a democracy under siege by big money interests.
The killing of Osama Bin Laden closed one chapter, the Iraq War drew to a close, and American troops remained in Afghanistan with the future of that country very much in doubt. The release of several sensitive and classified documents by WikiLeaks generated a great deal of controversy.
The earthquake in Japan along with a devastating tsunami and nuclear meltdown brought large-scale death and destruction while highlighting the dangers of nuclear reactors as a viable and safe source of energy.
Protests in many European Union countries threatened the status of the Euro as its official currency and unwelcome austerity measures sparked a great deal of resistance.
The American economy muddled through without significant improvements in the unemployment rate and an economic future as uncertain as the country has seen in recent decades.
As the 2012 Elections near, domestic politics largely saw a stalemate between the two political parties with many questioning the deadlocked nature of our system of government.
The famine in the Horn of Africa, the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and the Penn State sex abuse scandal shocked our senses.
Steve Jobs, Elizabeth Taylor, Al Davis, Andy Rooney, and Vaclav Havel all left us with a strong legacy of accomplishments.
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