The 20th century was known both as the age of incredible progress, and of unprecedented bloody and violent conflict. Judging by the first official year of the 21st century, which comes to an end tonight at midnight, the trend seems to be continuing.
Pundits have been calling 2001 the year that changed the world. Specifically, they are referring to the horrible events of Sept. 11, in which evil and determined terrorists managed to hijack four U.S. airliners almost simultaneously and hurl them at important and populated targets.
True, many things have changed since then. The attacks launched the United States into a war, with the backing of most of the rest of the world. Security measures increased dramatically here and elsewhere. More importantly, the world learned a lesson about the lengths to which terrorists will go to score a victory.
But did the world really change? It may help to look at conditions a century ago.
One hundred years ago, the nation was reeling from the assassination of President William McKinley, who was shot to death by an anarchist, a self-proclaimed disciple of Emma Goldman who told police he didn't think it was right for a man such as McKinley to have so much power when others had none. That was how the 20th century began in America, and it was a devastating attack on the nation and its ability to remain secure.
Today, anarchists frequently upset economic meetings of world leaders. They spout the same ridiculous slogans that motivated Leon Czolgosz, McKinley's assassin. Terrorists have similar political agendas, always talking about the need to empower certain people or groups, and always hiding their real agenda, which is to empower themselves. The difference today is that the agitators have grown more violent; their skill at killing large numbers of people more proficient.
It would be easy, then, to feel gloomy this New Year's Eve. Has the world really come so far only to discover that it hasn't really gotten anywhere at all? Perhaps, but only if viewed through dark glasses.
On this night 100 years ago, our predecessors on the editorial page had this to say:
"During the year that has reached its last hours, many events of great importance have occurred. . . . Grim-visaged war has spread its horrors in many countries; flood and flame and earthquakes in divers places have swept off their victims and destroyed much property; and death has been busy among the notables of the world. But peace has had her triumphs also, and the nations are coming nearer together. The way has been smoothed by the convulsions and tumults that have taken place, and the trend of events is, on the whole, in the right direction.
". . . While there has been much of sorrow and tribulation, discord and disaster, calamity and death in the year that is dying, there have also been blessings not a few."
It is a tradition of this newspaper, then, to dwell on blessings rather than tragedy, and to view the future with optimism. That is an American tradition, as well. It was grandly manifest in the way the nation rallied to the aid of the victims of Sept. 11, and in the way millions of people turned toward faith and patriotism, rather than despair and hopelessness. That tradition has borne fruit again and again as freedom here and abroad has spread, living standards have increased, education levels have soared and inventions and discoveries have multiplied.
There are many reasons for thankfulness and optimism as 2001 comes to an end. Yes, the economy is bad. Millions of people are out of work and facing uncertain futures. But the signs of recovery already are in view. The stock market appears to be on the mend, and the resilient American system of enterprise appears healthy and ready to rebound.
War never is good, and this one may be long and costly. But so far the United States appears well on its way to destroying terrorist networks and establishing freedom. Ask the residents of Kabul tonight whether 2001 was a good year. Judging by their smiling faces when Northern Alliance troops, aided by Americans, liberated them from the Taliban a few weeks ago, they may not have felt this kind of optimism in years.
Each year, the Wall Street Journal and the Heritage Foundation publish the "Index of Economic Freedom," which calculates and ranks the levels of freedom and prosperity worldwide. This year, the index showed that freedom is expanding. Out of 156 nations surveyed, 73 granted their citizens more liberty during the past year.
The index also revealed one of the biggest success stories of the age: Estonia. It became the first former Soviet republic to break into the top-10 among nations in terms of economic freedom and prosperity; and some other former Soviet states are not far behind.
Has the world changed? Most assuredly, it has. But it has changed in more ways for the better than the worse. The overall trend, as it was 100 years ago, "is, on the whole, in the right direction." The historical record bears that out.