Social Studies

Re: Social Studies

I agree slavery is bad but without it our country might not be. The slaves worked in the fields when we were still colonies. They plowed fields and harvested for us. If they had been paid workers we might not have had the money for the guns top fight off the british.
 
Re: Social Studies

Excellent idea Ironside100! I never thought about the fact that we could have indeed had a multitude of smaller nations in N. America. Dutch, French, Spanish, Russian, English..interesting! (You go ahead and keep them long winded...good one)

Someone tell Harry T. quick! I will buy the whole thing in hardcover.:D

What would I change? French/indian war already taken, Revolutionary war ditto. Civil war, WWII (Why never WWI??), Vietnam (Bobby K), 9/11...

Hmmm.

I guess I will have to TT back and go with good ole General Patton. Re-armed the Germans and together wipe out Russian Bolshlevisim. Wonder what the world map would look like today? Who would todays anti-American bogey men be? Who would constitute "Freedom Fighters" Who would be the terrorist..

Ah well, Musing away the late evening...

Thanks for an interesting forum topic halo2junkie119!

Regards,
Jim
 
Re: Social Studies

Greetings, all:

These are some fundamental what-ifs that would surely alter the shape and foundation of Western history. They are all war related as seldom do cataclysmic events that can provoke massive alterations occur in peaceful, quiet eras (which are fairly rare, to say the least). Outside of natural eruptions, floods or avalanches, war is riven by both tragedy and innovation.

? What if in the spring and summer of 480 BC the Persians had successfully crushed the land and sea forces of the Greek city-states, meaning, Thermopylae and whatever sea battle that might be the alternate version of Salamis, go the opposite way. The Greeks were actually beaten at Thermopylae, but the Spartans delayed Xerxes' advance and bought the navy time to run away and fight again another day.
If these city-states are overrun by the Persians, Phoenicians and Ionians, we'd have a very different history and culture today. Zorastrianism might be a mighty world religion, for starters. It would keep a novelist cranking multi-volumes determining how the world lines would split and split and split.

? The Battle of Vienna, Summer, 1683: This was the second go the Ottomans made at Vienna, and the most serious. What if Kara Mustafa had pulled it off, breeched the walls and carried the city, defended it from counterattack, and brought Islam into the heart of Europe in the late 17th century? Woosh goes Mozart, for one, probably. And if King John Sobieski III is related to actress Lee Lee Sobieski, then, well. How that would've affected greater European affairs and overseas colonialism -- and the American Revolution (if it happened) would be interesting to pursue.

? The Germans Win World War I: World War I is just out of the spotlight, across a burnt trench of memory, with its herky-jerky movies and faded photos, but it was one of the pivotal events.
What if the Germans had tightened their line, not gotten a case of the nerves, properly reinforced the Western armies, and swept round and behind Paris, avoiding a Battle of the Marne?
The Germans won on the Eastern Front and their 1918 victory conditions imposed harsh terms on the Russians, including taking over the Ukraine.
This of course precipitated "Dr. Zhivago" among other things.
Some kind of nationalism probably would've arisen even if the Nazis hadn't taken power but there would've been a knock down drag out between whatever imperalist power remained in Europe against the Soviet Union. A Weimar culture might've evolved, anyway, so Marlene Dietrich and Louise Brooks fans can rest at ease.

Thoughts to ponder. --HEK
 
Re: Social Studies

Try reading the what if story the book name is Agent OF Byzantium by HArry Turledove. This book is presented by Issac Assimov.

Its a book about a Byzantine Empire sprawling froms Balknas to North Afica. In history this culture wa vanquished by brutal Turkish Invasions. But this books goes to WHAT IF. Imagine a world in which Byzantine Empire did not fall, a world in wwhich Mohammed became a Chritian Archbishop and was canonized as St. Mouamet ( no offense to the religious its just abook of what ifs) It a book worth at least one read.
www.yetanotherbookreview.com/agent_of_byzantium.htm
 
Re: Social Studies

But if Islamic Terrorism has taught us anything its that 99 times out of 100 they fail, it takes that one time. If 9/11 were prevented I have no doubt they would succeed somewhere else (perhaps a WMD attack of some sort).
Click to expand...

They fail ?? they have made Bush the laughing stock of the world
 
Re: Social Studies

How about if the American People were NOT hoodwinked into falling for the story that 'terrorists' had anything to do with 9/11 and that they found out that explosives were planted in one or both Towers in stragic places with a type of primer cord that vaporized steel. If you have ever seen professionals 'Implode a building' go watch the buildings fall again....straight down.
 
Re: Social Studies

All: What if each individual conspiracy theory on the Internet proved to be completely true, no matter how contradictory or opposite of facts or physics. What if? Either the world would implode or our heads, I'm not sure which would go first. Fact is, if it's all true, none of it is true.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but not to their own facts. Data is data. If we want to churn ourselves into butter over what's real and what isn't, we'll not get anywhere and still be sitting in dark rooms typing about how the Man has lied and betrayed us.

The Internet is sadly the collective Guy At The End Of The Bar, who, after a few drinks, thinks he knows everything and if he was in charge, could solve it all.

Or, every person is a talk show host and so the entire nation has foisted upon it a league of extraordinary bores who have absolutely nothing new to say on any given topic except to sputter that the Man has lied and betrayed us.

OK, so let's accept that the Man has lied and betrayed us.

So where does that leave us?

Manning the barricades? Running into the caves to wait out the inevitable -- although few of us have caves for running into.

What? --HEK
 
Re: Social Studies

What if the Romans stayed in Britain, would the pilgrims come to Plymouth Rock? What would have happened if Jesus Christ was born in Germany after WW 1 woould there be a WW 2.
 

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