If you could change one historical event, what would it be and how would

[GreenPartyVoter]

history change because of it?

------------------------------------
Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/

[SweetLeftFoot]

1. I wouldn't ...

get so pissed on my 16th birthday and I would shag Lise X because I later found out she was totally up for it and she was a major babe.

[Crankie Avalon]

2. If the Supreme Court would not have interfered with Florida's recount...

...than the election of 2000 would not have been stolen and either 9/11 would have been prevented, or, if it still happened, Al Gore would have used the world's good will for some greater purpose rather than squandering it the way The Little Drunk did.

That's the first thing that I thought of, anyway. Maybe if I thought longer about it, I would say the world standing up to Hitler sooner than it did, or something else.

[B Calm]

5. I have to agree with Crankie..

[sinkingfeeling]

24. I think I agree with Crankie as well....I guess I feel that way because

I truly believe it has had more 'negative' impact on my life than anything else. Yes, there are things in far-away times that might have made a difference in the world, but the USSC decision of 2000 has in truth, ruined my life.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. I would have pinned responsibility for Iran-Contra on GWB I and had

film to convince the dense cows in the fly over states.

Well, you asked.

[jdonaldball]

4. The South would win the battle of Gettysburg

and then the South would have won the Civil War, so the Blue states would have gotten rid of them. The north could have made some kind of confederation with Canada, and the South would have become another Banana Republic but without dragging the North with it like it's doing now.

[tjwmason]

23. Interesting, but not the Canadian part

Until recently Canada was more conservative (in the Anglo-Canadian sense) than the U.S., and was strongly tied to us here in merry England. Unless the north was willing to sign up to the British Monarchy again - no real chance.

[yellowcanine]

50. No the war would have just continued on longer.

[Ganja Ninja]

6. If only the Bush clan had never got on the boat to America.

or Ronald Reagen had died in the crib.

[Spider Jerusalem]

8. Nice as the idea of Bush's ancestors never showing up in America is...

I'm afraid I can't endorse it, because if they hadn't come here, I wouldn't be here (Bush is, unfortunately, a distant cousin).

[Ganja Ninja]

20. You have my deepest sympathy. n/t

[Magrittes Pipe]

7. I wouldn't. One never knows what the outcome would be.

Be it personal or on a worldwide scale.

It's easy enough to say something like "I'd kill Hitler in 1932." Of course, who's to say that someone even worse wouldn't have popped up, someone who ended up murdering many more millions than Hitler did? Maybe Stalin would have conquered Europe. Who knows?

It's harder to look at things personally, when people you love have been hurt. There are many things some of my loved ones have gone through that, on some visceral level, I'd like nothing more than to wipe them away. Of course, without having to survive those trials, would they be the same people they are today?

Once you change one thing in the past, you've got to change everything that follows. That's not a path I'm prepared to go down.

[Spider Jerusalem]

9. The first two paragraphs of your response...

are essentially the same thing I was going to say. I agree completely.

[Worst Username Ever]

35. I'd go back 10 minutes, and reverse a bunch of keys on whoisaldeges keyboa

so that no one could read that post.

[HeyManThatsCool]

55. Worst Username Ever

ROFLMAO

Hilarious Post

[HeyManThatsCool]

56. It's a fanstasy excercise, not a moral one

No need to explain why history can't be changed...
I'm sure most of us get it:smoke:

[acmavm]

10. Poppy's parachute wouldn't have opened when he bailed out on his

crew mates.

[ktowntennesseedem]

11. JFK's assassination

I often find myself imaging what might have been different had he lived to serve two full terms.

[B Calm]

12. Good one! It would have changed the Vietnam War

and future presidents..

[lpbk2713]

28. And the RFK assassination as well.

America would certainly have changed for the better if he had been allowed to live and become president. He certainly would have been elected.

[Left Is Write]

48. I keep thinking that's true -

had he lived and sewn up the nomination, surely he could have won the election.

[Left Is Write]

46. That was my first thought on reading the original post also.

And if I could do two - I'd prevent Bobby Kennedy's assassination also.

[Paradise]

13. hiroshima and nagasoki. n/t

[mark414]

38. but don't you think

that the destructive power seen in those events caused other nations to think twice about using nukes? because only then did they know the true power of that weapon...

just playing devil's advocate...

[Paradise]

51. you're absolutely correct but it was one HELL of a lesson! n/t

[mark414]

59. i say better that

than an all out nuclear war

[Paradise]

60. can't argue with that. n/t

[rox63]

14. Reproduction in the Bush clan

I would have prevented Prescott Bush from reproducing. That takes care of both Poppy Bush and *.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

15. Prevent the assassination of Lincoln

So that he could set Reconstruction on a correct path instead of Johnson letting it get pissed away.

[NoPasaran]

33. That's my choice too

Reconstruction was going to be a difficult period regardless of who the President was, but it seems probable that it would have turned out better under the direction of our greatest President instead of one of the worst.

[American Tragedy]

16. Nothing.

It would be impossible to accurately gauge the total effects of making any change in history as we know it. Events and people are immeasurably interconnected. How could you ever make a value judgment of which outcome would be "better" or "worse"?

You theoretically could cancel your own causality without knowing it.

If I overlooked that, I suppose I would will that Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points had been actively embraced by Great Britain and France. That would radically change world history.

There are other little things, certain personal decisions made by certain public figures in recent American history. I wish Teddy Kennedy had been a more careful driver. I wish Bill Clinton had been more discreet in his private affairs. The reasons for this should be obvious.

[Bouncy Ball]

17. I would normally say nothing

for the reasons others here said nothing, but I can't help it: I'd make the Holocaust go away.

While we're at it, just make Hitler non-existent. Never even conceived. Or maybe when he was wounded in WWI, it could be a fatal wound.

[jdonaldball]

18. August 1914, the German Ambassador to Russia would

hesitate for a few minutes before handing over the declaration of war to his Russian counterpart. Instead, he would get on the phone to Berlin and tell them that he can get a compromise from Russia if he gets one more hour to negotiate.
The Great War started because nobody hesitated.

[NewJeffCT]

19. Lots of choices

Personal history - I would not have been so shy in 8th grade when a young girl called me up on the phone, as she later turned into a major babe in high school. I was so shy for years that one dating event in 8th grade probably would have changed my life, as I didn't have another good opportunity until well into my college years.

Recent history (past 5 years) - stopped the Supreme Court from interfering in the recount in 2000.

Less recent (1980s) - advised Mike Dukakis to keep his foot on the throat of the Republicans when he had an 18 point lead in the polls, instead of taking the month of August off. That way, there would have been no Iran-Contra pardons and we'd have Bush Sr sitting in jail with several others.

From the 1960s - prevent the JFK assassination. JFK, MLK and RFK being killed really started the downslide the Democratic party, as they could have led us to a fairer & more just country.

Farther back - stopped the Lincoln assassination, as somebody had said above, he likely would have done Reconstruction much better than Johnson.

Pre US History - did something to stop the Crusades and all the evils they caused.

Ancient history - I wonder what would have happened if the Romans had a competent general leading them against Hannibal in Canae, or if Alexander the Great had led a full life and died in his 60s instead of in his early 30s? Or, if the great Khan of the Mongols, after a big victory in Eastern Europe hadn't gotten drunk, fallen off his horse & died - causing the Mongols to withdraw back to Mongolia to elect a new leader?

[tjwmason]

26. R.E. Alexander the Great

I believe that a book has been written about that very possibility. I forget the details, and the references I have are not at work with me. I seem to remember the premise that he converted to Buddhism and institued a pretty world-wide benign rulership which lasted to the present day (as it were).

[NewJeffCT]

27. I'd be interested in the book

I'm always fascinated by those "What if..." stories.

[tjwmason]

32. I'll look it up when I get home

which is not long as I'm in England 5 hours ahead of you. (ha ha ha I get home from work earlier than you)

[tjwmason]

42. Arnold Toynbee, Some Problems of Greek History

appears to be the book, according to this site http://www.uchronia.net/bib.cgi/label.html?id=toynalexan

It looks like this is out of print at the moment though. A.B.E. Books has 4 copies referenced - all over $50.

[NewJeffCT]

45. Thanks

The "What if..." series edited by Robert Cowley seems really interesting. I may pick that up via amazon.com or see if my local B&N has it.

[GreenPartyVoter]

21. I think I would see about changing the course of Christian history...maybe

find a way to have kept it from getting so nutty? (Perhaps I could sit in on the Council of Nicea?)

-------------------------------------
Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/

[hippiechick]

22. Poppy Bush and his 'shootdown' in WW II

... think of all the evil deeds, deaths, and corrupt policies that would never have happened if he hadn't made it out alive.



:hippie:

[lpbk2713]

31. Good one.

He let his crewmen (man?) die unlike JFK.

[Modem Butterfly]

25. November 2000

YOU know what I'm talking about. And I don't have to tell you what it would change, either.

Barring that, November 2004.

[barb162]

29. many things, like stopping Hitler's rise, but Bush's election would

be the immediate one. Gore as pres would have meant no Iraq War

[madinmaryland]

30. If the Iranian hostages had been released in Oct. 1980.

providing Jimmy Carter with the "October Surprise". Jimmy Carter goes on to win the 1980 election with over 350 electoral votes.

Ronald Reagan fades into oblivion, and no-one ever hears of the following people:

Bush Family
Oliver North
David Stockman
Newt Gingrich
Rush Limbaugh
Fox News

[loudestchick]

34. Paul...as in the Christian Paul...trips over a rock, hits his head and

dies, quickly and painlessly...thereby stemming the woman-hating tide that followed in the early christian church...more female influence was needed.

[GreenPartyVoter]

58. I have a love/hate relationship w/ him... some of what he says

is like fingernails on a blackboard, and other things are just beautiful.

[sniffa]

36. i'd save biggie smaLLs

for the seLfish reason of wanting to hear more music by him.

[bloodyjack]

37. I'd take that bullet for Gandhi

and then I'd shank the old bastard

[qwertyMike]

39. The burning of the Library of Alexandria

So much of ancient history, literature and learning was lost forever.

[ImpeachBush]

40. The blue dress would have been dry cleaned ....

The alternative-fuel powered auto engines would have been mass produced...

AIDS research would have begun before the disease got out of control ...

My father would have quit smoking when he was 18 ...

Reagan would have stayed in Hollywood ...

The 2000 recount would have continued ...

The Cleveland Indians would not let Jose Mesa pitch in the 7th game of the 1997 world series ....

The Europeans would never have located the Americas ...

JFK would have stayed away from Dallas ...

[Caoimhe]

41. Too tough of a question

Many things could have changed the world

1. if MLK, JFK, RFK, Lincoln hadn't been assassinated :cry:

2. if we would have let the Mexicans have Texas :hi:

3. if someone would have listened to Coleen Rowley about the terrorists learning how to fly and not land prior to 9-11, or if Bush would have read his PDB (wait, can he even read?):nuke:

4. if Clinton hadn't gotten the blow job, if Monica hadnt saved that nasty ass dress (yeah it would have been something else I am sure but I think Gore would have stood a much better chance in 2000):thumbsdown:

5. if smallpox (and of course genocide) hadn't dessimated the Native American population (south and north) :nuke:

6. if only Barbara or George Pappy Bush had been infertile :shrug:

7. if only they had had a television crew on the scene when George W. Bush was arrested (was it numerous times?) for drinking and driving. :beer:

8. if John Wilkes Booth had missed or his gun misfired :(

9. if Lee Harvey Oswald had lived to tell his story :eyes:

10. if Paul Wellstone had not died in that plane crash :kick: he'd be kicking arse right now.

11. if Tony Blair actually had a spine :puffpiece:

12. if Scott Peterson, OJ Simpson, Mark Hacking, Andrea Yates, Charles Manson, James Earl Ray, John Wayne Gacy, Richard Ramirez, Ted Bundy, Gary Gilmore, Richard Speck, Eileen Voornos, Sirhan Sirhan, etc had only just killed themselves and never killed others. :mad:

13. if John Lennon was alive today :cry:

[Squeech]

43. Hmmm...

You all know why we no longer have a Fairness Doctrine, right? (If not, it's because there was a Supreme Court decision on a not very closely related matter that killed it, as a side effect. Whoever it was that wrote the opinion incorporated some text on how Fairness was incompatible with free speech. That text was in an amicus curiae brief filed by a guy named Robert Bork.)

Keep that text out of the opinion. I think every historical change that comes out of that would be good.

Actually there have been a lot of really bad decisions out of SCOTUS in the last couple hundred years. There was the one about corporate personhood-- also a side issue maliciously slipped into the decision in a peripherally related case-- and another one around the same time that allowed employers to slip out of contractual constraints that were still binding on employees. And, contrary to popular opinion, Learned Hand's "fire in a crowded theatre" opinion wasn't a good thing either: the case was about an anti-war demonstrator, and Justice Hand upheld his conviction on the grounds that the state had a legitimate interest in preventing potential soldiers from hearing derogatory information about the war that might dampen their patriotic fervor.

[11 Bravo]

44. On or about October 6, 1945, I would have stopped George H. W. Bush

from having sex with a certain bug-eyed alleged female named Babs. The resultant unholy spawn of that union is currently hard at work fucking up the nation formerly known as America.

[SmileyBoy]

47. The Tianamen Square demonstrations would have been successful.

It would be a kind of French Revolution led by the students. Eventually the Communist Party would have folded, and a new parliamentary assembly would be put in its place. There would of course be free press in China as well, and eventually Tibet would be freed.

[dr.strangelove]

49. I would not have a flaming pile of dog poop on my principal's porch,

This would have been kept out of my permanent record and by now I would probably be CEO of Citibank or POTUS or something else viewed as powerful and rich. That damn pile of dog poop on my permanent record is always holding me back.

[Paradise]

52. btw, interesting post/thread. deserves a kick. n/t

[HeyManThatsCool]

53. 9/11

If 9/11 had not happened, Bush would not have been turned into some kind of Saint by alot of people. Remember what a JOKE he was to most of the country prior to that? He wasn't doing anything. It was definately a lame duck Presidency.

If 9/11 hadn't happened he would not have been able to USE it every damn day during the 2004 election.


Also- with no 9/11 perhaps we wouldn't be in Iraq. He'd have struggled to make a case to go but it would have been ALOT harder.


I don't think the religous right really went NUTS until after 9/11

[UrbScotty]

54. Gore would have won 50,000 more votes in Florida.

He only needed 538 more, but a win by 49,463 votes would be much more convincing.

He would be embarking on a second term tomorrow, despite not having any extra post-9/11 popularity because, quite frankly, I think the World Trade Center towers would still be standing today.

[Nye Bevan]

57. The conception of Adolf Hitler (nt)