Defining the Decade: Mission Accomplished

Synopsis

Who would have thought, when the Millennium dawned, that it would end with both British and American troops dying in Afghanistan.

Would you have believed that millions would be communicating and doing business over the world wide web? And would you have agreed that climate change was a greater threat than terrorism?

This has been a decade when history has been on fast forward. Now, as we near the end of the decade, Edward Stourton looks at the big picture, charting the revolutions in science, technology and politics.

What are the underlying themes of the past ten years and what does it all add up to?

The decade began with China being awarded the Olympics in 2001, then two months later came 9/11.

President Bush turned from being a daddy’s boy to America’s Commander in Chief, heading a global coalition dedicated to fighting terror.

There would be a new world order, but not in the way many had imagined - defined as much by China and its rise, as it is by America and its struggles.

Edward Stourton speaks to Francis Fukuyama; former Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage; Robert Kagan, and Professor Timothy Garton-Ash.