The Naughties

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Dan Damon of the BBC, during a discussion of what to call the years 2000-2009, called them "The Naughties." I like it.

Tom Brokaw was asked what, in his opinion, was the “defining moment of the decade.” His answer?

He said it was the moment that the Supreme Court threw the 2000 presidential election to George W. Bush. He said it was at that point, everything changed, and that as a result, we later did things we never thought we’d do.

He, further, wondered about what might have happened if someone else had been in the Oval Office when that National Intelligence Estimate came across the President’s desk in August, 2001, warning us that Osama bin Laden was determined to fly airliners into buildings. Someone, perhaps, who would have been less inclined to ignore such a warning.

Yep, "the Naughties" seems about right as the cognomenon of this decade just passed.

First, a stolen election. Then, before we could catch our collective breath, great skyscrapers fell and fell and fell. Followed by meaningless wars in distant countries--for what? Floodwaters came, destroying a great city. And, then unspeakable: "legally" sanctioned acts of torture in American-made prisons such as could not even be dreamed up by Stephen King.

We have seen the sights and sounds of this decade before. But only in horror movies.

The Naughties: may they rest in peace--as long as they rest and leave us in peace.
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