curated video essays

Intelexual (2:01:32) What were the major (and not-so-reported-but-still-major) world events of the early 1990s? The USSR was dying, the economy was suffering, and problems abounded. Observers theorized on America's future role in a post-soviet world. First, we look into America's foreign policy and George Bush's New World Order speech before noting the role of the United Nations. Then we travel to dozens of locations around the world (from the UK, to France, to Afghanistan, to Palestine, to Rwanda, to South Africa, to Cuba, to Peru, to Japan, to China-- and lots of places in between. How did structural adjustment, the World Bank, and the international monetary fund impact developing nations? How did George Bush lie about Iraq? How were revolutionary governments neutered by globalization and neoliberal politics? How did some governments, like China and Cuba, adapt? How did the world fail Rwanda and other nations struggling from genocide?

TIMESTAMPS 0:00-New World Order Intro 2:42- Lexual Does The 90s Theme Song 3:25- Worldwide Disease/Virus and The UN 6:06- The UK and Thatcher's Fall 9:38- The Woes of The Royal Family 12:07- Modern Advancements in the UK 13:16- The Troubles and Stephen Lawerence 14:30- Mary Robinson and Sinead O Connor (Ireland) 16:53- Americanization and Nationalism in France 18:25- Racism and Xenophobia in France 21:08- Racism and Xenophobia in Germany
22:48- The Fall of the USSR 27:01- Boris Yeltsin and Russia's Shock Therapy 30:46- The Breakup of Yugoslavia, Croatian War For Independence 33:06- The Bosnian Genocide 40:23- The Invasion of Kuwait and Sadaam Hussein 42:50- The Nayirah Testimony 44:34- The Gulf War 47:09- Saudi Arabia 48:33- Afghanistan and The Rise of The Taliban 51:25- Zionism, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon 54:03- Sierra Leone, Liberia, Libya 56:37- Nigerian Coup and Oil Strike 57:43- Congo, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea 58:19- Somalia 1:01:37- The Rwandan Genocide 1:10:57-Zimbabwe and Robert Mugabe 1:11:51- Nelson Mandela and South Africa 1:15:47- Noriega and The Invasion of Panama 1:17:12- Aristide and Haiti 1:21:00- Jamaica 1:21:22- Cuba's Special Period 1:27:00- NAFTA, Mexico, and the Zapatistas 1:28:50- Nicaragua and the End of Sandinista Programs 1:30:59- Colombia 1:33:47- Peru and Alberto Fujimori 1:38:09- India 1:39:38- Black May in Thailand 1:41:00- Unrest in Indonesia, Violence in East Timor 1:42:57- Problems in the Philippines 1:45:01- Japan's Bubble & Gender Dynamics 1:48:00- Aum Shinrikyo 1:49:00- North Korea 1:49:18- China and Deng's Southern Tour 1:54:07- The Bush Presidency 1:58:45- Conclusion

Cheyenne Lin (1:13:23) The U.S. is known as ‘the best country in the world’, but where does this notion even come from and why is it so persistent despite the fact that the U.S. seems to be inferior to many countries, specifically other wealthy nations in the imperial core when it comes to walkability, third places, car culture, and public transport? In addition, is the U.S. only inferior to their ‘first world’ equals or to countries in the global south as well? And lastly, how does first world privilege come into play when moving abroad and romanticizing one’s life there? In this video essay I talk about imperial privilege, as well as U.S. privilege and ‘first world’ privilege and how its tied to race and class, as well as the global hierarchy of countries and U.S. imperialism. I also talk about the decline of the U.S., no third spaces, car culture, and the romanticization of your life abroad trend as an American.

TIMESTAMPS Intro: The Best Country in the World? 0:00 Part 1: The Rise of a Superpower and The American Century 09:20 Part 2: U.S. Privilege 34:04 Part 3: The U.S. vs. The Rest of the World 46:07

• no third spaces
• car culture
• schooling
• healthcare
• dress
• food quality and food deserts Part 4: Romanticization of Life Abroad 1:05:42
• romanticizing life abroad
• passport bros Conclusion 1:12:35