Best of 2001: Winners and Losers
By Jackson Murphy
web
posted January 7, 2002
Two-thousand and one was shaping up to be pretty quiet until September 11th. It is that date which shapes most of what we'll remember about the year. Even with everything being dominated by that day and the war since, there were good and bad things, winners and losers, and angels and deadbeats.
Politics
Winner: Patriotism
The events of 9/11 have revived many things in the world but none more
powerful than the return of patriotism. When every baseball game replaced
"Take me out to the ballgame" with "God Bless America"
suddenly loving one's country was cool again.
Winner: International Relations
Last year the world got a big lesson, thanks to the 2000 election cliffhanger,
on civics. This year we have had a crash course in the geopolitics of
nations, religion, and areas we never really cared about before. The 2004
US election may be the first election in some time in which international
relations is the top issue. It's not just the economy, stupid-and that
is another Clinton myth that is over and done with.
Loser: Bill Clinton
The biggest loser of the year has to be the 42nd President of the United
States. The man who spent eight years searching for his legacy found that
the attacks of 9/11 erased any real sense of gain from the prosperous
1990's. And don't forget the pardon of Mark Rich. The 1993 WTC, the 1998
embassy bombings, the 2000 USS Cole bombing went virtually unpunished.
In the words of President Bush, all the Clinton's did was lob some million-dollar
missiles at some empty tents and a few camels. Touché.
Technology:
Winner: The US War Machine
There wasn't any doubt before, but the war so far, with unmanned planes
dropping "Hell Fire" missiles on targets, and the sheer power
of Air Power has repudiated once and for all the problems with Air bombing-as
in, there isn't one.
Loser:
New age scooter
The Segway personal transport device is obviously stupid. Is this the
answer to all our traffic problems? Hardly, more likely it will be the
next tickle me Elmo craze.
Entertainment & Sports:
Winners: The World Series
The 2001 World Series was by far the most entertaining sporting event
in years. Drama, quality, and heartache it may save baseball yet. And
Bush's first pitch in the Kevlar was awesome.
Losers: Survivor; XFL
The first two Survivors were very entertaining, but as soon as the terrorist
attacks would anyone care about reality television anymore? The medium
may not be dead, but these people were mildly annoying before, and are
now just ignorant-who cares about some bratty losers playing this game.
On the other hand it still stands out above such terrible entertainment such as the Extreme Football league (XFL). Wrestling tried to take on the football industry-it lost. The "wrestlization" of football was DOA and seems even less desirable and frivolous now.
People:
Winners: Rudy Guiliani, George W. Bush, and Donald Rumsfeld
These three guys are what is meant by 'government by grown ups'. Rudy has become mayor of America, and gave the world reassurance, grace under pressure, and proved something that Clinton could not. That if you are a great leader, people will ignore your private life, but if you are just a pig, then you are just a pig. George W. Bush became the perfect president for a time of war and the world found out why he was not just his dad's son. And finally Donald Rumsfled became the most respected and according to some, sexiest, cabinet official in years for give straight talk. He is the king of No Spin-Bill O'Reilly would have to agree.
Fire
Fighters
The brave men who ran up the Twin Towers to help save lives have reemerged
as the real heroes in society.
Losers:
Gary Condit
Prior to 9/11 the cable news spent every waking hour trying to figure
out what Condit's part in the Chandra Levy disappearance. Looking back
it seems slightly out of place that we could be so absorbed something
like this-it may mark the end of these media frenzies and the return to
quality international reporting although that is probably too much to
ask.
Al Gore & his beard
The man who would be king returned to the US sporting a silly beard. Speculation
on whether or not he had joined the Taleban was the running joke beginning
in October. The question on everyone's mind was what would he have done
had he won the presidency? We'd rather not.
Anne Heche
The breaking news that actress Anne Heche was actually possessed by an
alien being named 'celestia' was a grim reminder of what is wrong with
many of the freaks in Hollywood. Hey, Anne, you're a talentless bimbo
and your 15 minutes is up. But perhaps this is the answer to another post
9/11 question: why do 'they' hate us?
John Walker
Who could have thought that anyone would replace Timothy McViegh as the
most hated person in America? And he may end up being the most famous
traitor since Benedict Arnold.
Finance:
Loser: Enron
On the one hand, Enron's fall from grace (read: daisy cutter) is going
to send shock waves throughout the investing world. One minute: Fortune
500 company, and riding high. Next minute: pathetic penny stock filing
for bankrupsy. Ouch.
Winner: Free Markets
On the other hand, Enron's meltdown is an example of how vibrant the system
is. How? If a company so large can be let to fall on its face and the
system, the market, and investors carry on then we must be freer than
we sometimes realize.
In the end 2001 will mark a watershed in politics and in history. It
is equal parts Pearl Harbor, World War Two, Kennedy Assassination, and
Cold War. But even with a big showing of losers, 2001 made 2000's ups
and downs look like a warm up. 2002 is looking good: war, elections, and
economic recovery. Stay tuned. 
Jackson Murphy is a commentator from Vancouver, Canada. He is the editor of "Dispatches" a website that serves up political commentary 24-7. You can contact him at jacksonmurphy@telus.net.
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