Optimism Flees Before the Chaos of the 1990's

Although I remember the occasional event from the 1980's, it was really in the 1990's that I began to really become more aware of the wider world. The events of that time period had a major impact upon my perception of that world, lessening my optimism.

During the 1990's, Americans angry at their own government and agents of that government killed and wounded job lots of citizens. Ruby Ridge and Waco were phenomenal examples of governmental overreaction to well-armed people who were paranoid about the government. Although they held beliefs I totally disagree with, maybe they weren't so paranoid afterall, since the government definitely did come after them, in the end. Angry over these incidents, a couple more paranoids killed nearly two hundred people in Oklahoma City.

Some people think that abortion is morally wrong, the murder of children. Some people protest or push for legal changes. Others think that to prevent what they see as murder, they'll commit murder themselves, by shooting abortion providers or bombing abortion clinics.

While all of this was going on here in the United States, the former Yugoslavia was melting down in a civil war, with mass ethnic cleansing taking place on a scale not seen since the post-WW2 "ethnic realignment" of central and eastern Europe. The United States' attempt at providing relief in strife-ridden Somalia and stabilizing the situation there turned into an embarrassing debacle, despite good intentions and the bravery of the American soldiers involved. The US military was worked hard and underfunded while attempting to provide humanitarian relief around the world and enforcing upon Iraq no-fly zones and sanctions.

Meanwhile, back in the United States, Paula Jones compalied of sexual harrassment by then-governor Bill Clinton. Although eventually settled out-of-court, during the trial he nevertheless perjured himself. His subsequent impeachment by the House of Representatives and acquittal by the Senate was a global mockery. Clinton's lying under oath and Congressional Republicans insistence on impeachment were an embarrasment to this nation.

And then came the election of 2000, which I'll cover in my next post.