The war in Iraq divided opinion between those who thought it was necessary and those who opposed it Books films and online media explored many aspects of the conflict
Pop culture in the face of terrorism Following the 9 11 attacks some Hollywood films were delayed or cancelled because filmmakers felt that people would be offended by fictional terrorism in the face of the horrifying reality of the attacks Films about 9 11 such as United 93 2006 followed a few years later In the meantime U S led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and concerns about human-rights abuses in the treatment of prisoners led many in popular culture to question the actions of the U S UK and their allies Globalization Another feature of world affairs in the early years of the twenty first century was the growing prominence of Asian countries As Western economies struggled with economic crisis the economies of China India and other countries in Asia kept getting stronger With populations of more than one billion people each China and India became increasingly important in manufacturing and other industries As their wealth grew they began to challenge Western countries as consumers including as consumers of popular culture
Economic success has increased the gap between rich and poor among China’s population A wealthy middle class has emerged in China’s cities 2 Technology and industry Technology played a vital role in the development of this new global economy partly because the Internet made instant communication possible with businesses on the other side of the world Developments in technology also meant that computers and other devices became smaller more powerful and also less expensive This meant that high-tech items like large-screen televisions and smartphones were affordable to the mass population Even crime was affected because prices of items such as DVD players dropped so low that they weren’t worth
stealing 3 Clothes toys and other products that were often made in China became so cheap that they were almost disposable Pollution from discarded goods and packaging was one environmental problem affecting the world More disturbing was the continuing evidence that Earth’s climate was getting warmer and that humans needed to do something to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere as a result of industry and the burning of fossil fuels like oil As governments discussed the best ways to tackle this potential catastrophe it became a major debate within pop culture Freedom of speech Many artists in Western popular culture take for granted that they will be able to say whatever they like In many countries this is not the case In China films that criticize the government are not allowed In many countries free access to the Internet is also restricted
