The three most important forces that are influencing the 21st century are technology, fossil fuel energy, and religion. It can be argued that these three forces are driving much of the country’s political, economic, and military decisions. It is interesting to consider that Adam Smith’s insight on economics, Du Bois’ message for civil rights, and President Kennedy’s speech on the Cuban Missile Crisis were in some matter influenced by these same three forces and how advancements in these areas would have influenced each of their messages.
In Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, Smith comments on the origin and the use of money, “One man, we shall suppose, has more of a certain commodity than he himself has occasion for, while another has less. The former consequently would be glad to dispose of, and the latter to purchase, a part of this superfluity” (Smith). Smith is stating that each man has his product that he possesses and can use as a means to acquire other commodities that he may need but does not produce himself. In the beginning people could trade for each other’s goods, then eventually the first money was developed which made the transaction easier. This principle describes the force and influence that fossil fuels, primarily oil, has on the world’s economy today. So much of the nation’s economy is based on the price of oil. If the cost of a barrel of oil is high it costs more to transport goods and it costs more for people to travel. These two examples both lead to people spending less money, which results in an economic downturn.
W.E.B. Du Bois was born in 1868 and died in 1963 during the height of the civil right movement in the United States, a movement that some would consider was still going on today (W.E.B. Du Bois). One can only speculate how the advancement of civil rights would have been different had pioneers like Du Bois had the benefit of the technology we have today. Presently information is literally in the palms of people’s hands in real time. The Internet has is not only an information highway, but is also serves as an avenue for people to convey and debate ideas and messages to millions of people at one time. Messages similar to the one President Kennedy gave about the Cuban Missile Crisis could have been watched and received by the world, in real time, with reactions and opinions assessed on a global platform.
Religion is another force that is influencing the 21st century. Religious tension and extremism has affected not only the United States but also the rest of the world. The events of 9/11 in New York City in 2001 were justified by Muslim extremists call for Jihad. Jihad can be described as, “Jihad uses centuries old interpretations of the Koran to justify violence in the name of God” (“Osama bin Laden”). Based on these acts in the name of their God, our country retaliated with military force. The ripple effects of this one act of “holy war” affected the world’s economy as insecurity rose due to the unknown of the near future and as countries became involved in the fight against terrorism. Homeland security has been around long before the termed has been recently introduced. It is homeland security that required President Kennedy to address the nation concerning the Cuban Missile Crisis. Today, the government is concerned with homeland security protection against religious extremists who want to instill terror in the American people.
Many forces can be considered influential or effective in the shaping of the 21st century. However, technology, fossil fuel energy, and religion have been very prominent in prior centuries and they continue to be the three foremost forces shaping the 21st century presently.
Works Cited
Smith, Adam, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Edwin Cannan, ed. 1904. Library of Economics and Liberty. 13 November 2011. <http://www.econlib.org/library/Smith/smWN.html>.
“Osama (Usama) bin Laden.” September11news.com, Web. 13 Nov. 2011.
W.E.B. Du Bois. (2011). Biography.com. Retrieved 09:57, Nov 13, 2011 from http://www.biography.com/people/web-du-bois-9279924
