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You said turning point so I'm going to list what I think caused the most significant change in society. 1. End of Cold War / The Fall of the Soviet Union / Ber

You said turning point so I'm going to list what I think caused the most significant change in society. 1. End of Cold War / The Fall of the Soviet Union / Berlin Wall - because of its massive impact on geopolitics, the ultimate failure of the communism experiment, as pertains to Germany, the reunification of East and West. 2. The Invention of the WWW - this was the ultimate culmination of the information revolution, the 20th centuries version of the industrial revolution. 3. The Maastricht Treaty / Introduction of Euro - Formation of the European Union as we know it today. For western culture this has had and will continue to have profound impact whether the union ultimately succeeds in becoming a USA 2.0 or disintegrates into an economic union (Brexit, Grexit, etc). 4. 9/11 - For what it represents for the 21st century, as regards a global jihad, an ongoing terrorism and counter-terrorism war, and what will most likely become the largest issue of at least the first half of the 21st century.

kafkaesq 10y ago
To which we could add: 5. The introduction of "Socialism with Chinese Characteristics" starting in 1978 (combined with the post-Tienanmen crackdown, which appears to have been largely responsible for cementing the CP's longevity). 6. Putin's appointment as Prime Minister on December 31, 1999 (and the ensuing waves of influence which have not only swept the region... but indeed, with the last election, have significantly impacted politics in the U.S. itself). 7. The Reagan/Thatcher elections in 1979 / 1980 (basically responsible for the rise of neoliberalism as we know it). 8. The Iranian revolution of 1979. 9. The onset of the global HIV epidemic (ultimately leading to far broader recognition of LGBTQ rights, and to loosening of mores with regard to non-reproductive sex in general). We have to stop somewhere, so 1978-1979 seems about as good as anywhere. (Basically, nearly everyone here seems to be "post-Vietnam/Watergate" and "post-deindustrialization"). Other significant changes have had no specific turning point: 1. Major decrease in global poverty. 2. Major decrease in urban crime in the U.S (largely responsible for gentrification and the long-scale housing bubbles we have today), for reasons still not entirely understood. 3. Gradual winding down of armed conflicts in Latin America. 4. And of course, anthropomorphic climate change.

kafkaesq 10y ago

To which we could add: 5. The introduction of "Socialism with Chinese Characteristics" starting in 1978 (combined with the post-Tienanmen crackdown, which appears to have been largely responsible for cementing the CP's longevity). 6. Putin's appointment as Prime Minister on December 31, 1999 (and the ensuing waves of influence which have not only swept the region... but indeed, with the last election, have significantly impacted politics in the U.S. itself). 7. The Reagan/Thatcher elections in 1979 / 1980 (basically responsible for the rise of neoliberalism as we know it). 8. The Iranian revolution of 1979. 9. The onset of the global HIV epidemic (ultimately leading to far broader recognition of LGBTQ rights, and to loosening of mores with regard to non-reproductive sex in general). We have to stop somewhere, so 1978-1979 seems about as good as anywhere. (Basically, nearly everyone here seems to be "post-Vietnam/Watergate" and "post-deindustrialization"). Other significant changes have had no specific turning point: 1. Major decrease in global poverty. 2. Major decrease in urban crime in the U.S (largely responsible for gentrification and the long-scale housing bubbles we have today), for reasons still not entirely understood. 3. Gradual winding down of armed conflicts in Latin America. 4. And of course, anthropomorphic climate change.