11) The Electronic 1990s

Events and Policies

- George H. W. Bush (b. 1924, in office 1989-1993, 41^st President)

- Bill Clinton (b. 1946, in office 1993-2001, 42^nd President)

Gulf War (1990-1991)

- Iraq under Saddam Hussein invades Kuwait, a former province of Iraq, to get hold of the Persian Gulf oil fields

- Operation Desert Shield: the US army transported to the border of Saudi Arabia to defend it if Hussein attacks it

- Operation Desert Storm: Hussein did not respond to the UN demand to withdraw and to economic sanctions, the US Congress authorized the offensive operation, bombing of Kuwait and Baghdad and a field operation, succeeded

- the US forces remained in Saudi Arabia, the launching pad for the operations, regarded as occupants by Saudis

- the war was supported by public opinion, was broadcast live, there were relatively small casualties

- dubbed Nintendo War, became the basis for a number of computer games

Balkan Wars (1991-2001)

- after the fall of communism in the area a civil war broke out over ethnic and religious rivalry

- Bush ignored the conflict, Clinton engaged the US as peace-keepers but later ordered bombing on Bosnia (1995)

- Dayton Agreement (1995) purported to bring peace to Bosnia and Herzegovina, signed by the Serbian President Slobodan Milošević who promised to create a multiethnic state

- Albanians started a guerilla war against Serbians in Kosovo, a part of Serbia before the dissolution of Yugoslavia, NATO authorized an air strike in Kosovo (1995) and US joined the forces

Somali Civil War (1991-present)

- Battle of Mogadishu (1993): an unsuccessful US raid aiming to capture Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid

Society

- European Union established in 1993

- World Trade Organization (WTO) established in 1995 to supervise and organize international trade

- a massive anti-globalization demonstration occurred during the WTO Ministerial Conference in Seattle in 1999

Bombings and Shootings

- World Trade Centre, 1993: an Al-Qaeda bomb exploded in the underground garages, the first terrorist attack from outside the US and the first attack on the WTC

- Waco Massacre, 1993: FBI raided a farm of sectarians on the basis of unfounded suspicions, killed 76 civilians

- Oklahoma City, 1995: a bomb by disaffected US army veteran Timothy McVeigh killed 168 in a federal building

- Atlanta Summer Olympics, 1996: a bomb laid by a recidivist in the Centennial Olympic Park killed 1 person

- Columbine High School Massacre, 1999: two Colorado students killed 1 teacher, 12 students, and themselves

Culture

- mainstream population starts using information technology

- introduction of web, email, e-commerce, etc.

Music

- introduction of CD burners, downloading and sharing music online

- grunge: an alternative rock genre inspired by hardcore punk and heavy metal (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam)

- gangsta rap: a new hip hop genre reflecting the violent city lifestyle (Ice-T, Beastie Boys, N.W.A.)

- industrial metal: inspired by industrial rock, noise rock, or trash metal (Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Godflesh)

- boy bands

Film

- Oscar films: Dances with Wolves (1990), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Unforgiven (1992), Schindler’s List (1993), Forrest Gump (1994), Braveheart (1995), The English Patient (1996), Titanic (1997), Shakespeare in Love (1998), American Beauty (1999)

- cult films: Thelma & Louise (1991), Pulp Fiction (1994), Scream (1996)

- topical: Black Hawk Down (2001), on the Battle of Mogadishu

Television

- TV series: Beverly Hills 90210, Baywatch, Friends, Cheers!, X-Files, Twin Peaks

Literature

- postmodernism: John Cheever (‘The Swimmer’, 1964), Philip Roth (Zuckerman novels, 1979-1985), Don DeLillo (White Noise, 1985), Toni Morrison (Beloved, 1987), Tim O’Brien (The Things They Carried, 1990), Cormac McCarthy (No Country for Old Men, 2005), Thomas Pynchon, Joyce Carol Oates, Raymond Carver, Paul Auster

- after 9/11 writing: Art Spiegelman’s In the Shadow of No Towers (2004), Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2005), John Updike’s Terrorist (2006), Don DeLillo’s Falling Man (2007)