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Old 02-07-2007, 11:32 PM
peritonlogon peritonlogon is offline
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Default Anyone read the \"What If?\" history books?

I finished "What if?" and am half way through "What if? 2"

Anyway, the books are each composed of a dozen or so counterfactual historical events written by eminent historians about key events that really could have gone either way, or would have gone a different way if not for an intervention or improbability. (Such as the war of 1938, what would have happened if Nevil Chamberlains last ditch effort to get the Czechs to stand down was unsuccessfull.)

Anyway, the point of my post and the reason it's in politics is that, the more I've read the more I've found that intervening in soverign nations business seems to create more problems that it solves, not just in the near term either. Bush constantly references history as what will decide whether or not his actions are good.

Assuming the Bush Adminstration ends up being a pivotal Administration which of these 2 exreme versions of this century do you think is more likely?

1) At the end of the 20th century, the second bloodiest century ever, a relative peace was reached. Even regional struggles were fairly minimal. The United States seemed poised to be the unchallenged power for decades to come and to bring about era of peace comprable to Augustus's Rome. However, between the unnecessary aggresion of the new president Bush following 9/11 and hideous domestic policies, the United States Bankrupted itself just before it's own second civil war. By the mid 2020s the poor white peole realized that it wasn't safe for them either, accross the united states there was what we now called NeoBastilism where hungery people stormed prisons in the hopes of aquiring resources for the uprising, destroying what was becoming known then as "people storage" and establishing a brotherhood with inmates. Punishments for these fairly unsuccessful endevors brought about some of the grimmest domestic policies yet introduced. As a result of the martial law and draconian measures many political and military leaders declared war on their own government. The united states now faced a two fronted war, one in the middle east, and one at home. Wining the war in the middle east, emboldened Islamists made their way accross the middle east and invaded Europe, China and Japan Responded by declaring war on the middle east, India, trying to maintain neutrailtiy found itself in a civil war. The Atomic bomb, for the first time in 70 years, was used, and this time, by every side. The only relativiely stable places were sub-saharan Afica, Australia and Latin America, the latter of which, having resources enough to be self sufficient and, without American intervention, found itself thriving (as much as one could imagine amid ongoing world war) and feeding the south west of the United States (to keep Mexico safe) and even helping to keep the peace in the United States and Canada.

Or this

It wasn't until 2010 that it was fully understood how well organized Islamic fundamentalists were or how well armed and determined either. The invasion of Iraq by the United States in 2003 preempted what may have otherwise become the Middle east invasion of Europe and beyond. Documents we have now show that Iran was in fact working with Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan and North Korea to control middle east oil and to rival the United States' dominance. However, the in Iraq caused all of these minor powers to fight amongst themselves, and, when Democracy was finally brought to Iraq it was then to spread like wild fire accross the middle east and to the rest of the undemocratized world. The privatized oil industry, along with the lack of disruptions that came with democracy brought about a time of unparalleled peace. This proved to be the last time the United States would have to use its Army (apart from a few peace keeping missions here and there) for a century. The security of resources and the freedom of trade and civilian populations brought about a golden age of prosperity. The Domestic policies of the Bush administration while at first seemed somewhat uncomfortable, ended up being the right choices. By the year 2030 even boy bands were worth listening to.
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Old 02-08-2007, 12:45 PM
awval999 awval999 is offline
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Default Re: Anyone read the \"What If?\" history books?

The happy loving #2 is more likely than #1. But both are unlikely.

If #2 happening is .01% than #1 is like .000001%

I really don't think the US would bankrupt itself, it would just stop paying for Medicare/caid/SS. It's really that simple. The government has no obligations but to the interest payments of the debt. If all the money would have to be used for that, thats what they would do.
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