The war in Iraq and Afghanistan are ongoing thanks to American adventures abroad, Western Europe is having neoliberal reforms across the entirety of the continent and Socdems are starting their terminal decline. There are coups in Haiti, Ukraine, as well as the war in Darfur. Terrorism is thriving and will continue to do so for the next 14-years-ish and of course there's the huge earthquake in Indonesia. Not to mention the popularity of communism was in the same terminal decline it's still in today.

Because most young people were completely oblivious and more interested in what good video games came out that year (which is a constant, most people are libs), doesn't mean it didn't suck too.