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Post by Chris on May 18, 2007 9:01:27 GMT
In this thread, you can nominate and discuss past events you would like to change, and what they would change about them. These could be either from your own lifetime or more major landmarks in history.
I look forward to reading responses, and will hopefully give a few of mine when I've thought about it more.
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Post by Jarrah White on May 18, 2007 9:22:36 GMT
[/li][li] Prevent the Apollo Hoax [/li][li] Save Desmond Llewelyn [/li][li] Make sure the second series of Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation went ahead. [/li][li] Preserve a lot of things I once treasured during childhood.
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Post by Devious Diesel on May 18, 2007 10:06:27 GMT
If I had my way, I'd prevent "Challenger" from taking off...and thus blowing up. I'd also make the Thylacine a protected species BEFORE it became extinct.
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Rheneas
Passenger Engine
Looks familiar, doesn't it?
Posts: 686
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Post by Rheneas on May 18, 2007 10:29:59 GMT
Well, I'd have made Mitton and Cardona continue TUGS until today. That's all I can think of right now, so...
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Post by stuart7 on May 18, 2007 11:00:21 GMT
If I could change history, that's a tough one...
I'd have made sure that, from Series 8 of Thomas onwards, Ed Welch and Robert Harthstone would work alongside Mike O'Donnel and Campbell, rather than completely replacing them.
I'd have also madew it that Christopher Awdry to have written more RS books after 1996. Then again, I suppose, we're getting one September...
Stuart
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ATK
Passenger Engine
Posts: 618
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Post by ATK on May 18, 2007 11:06:10 GMT
Have the South win the Civil War. ;D And never let JFK get on that plane to Houston...
ATK
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Post by Ryan on May 18, 2007 11:21:25 GMT
Would it not be more fitting to change something that has really affected the world in a big way?
I look back on 9/11 in particular and think about how the world has become a darker place since. Up until then you never really thought about how dangerous life really is, or at least I didn't anyway. These days everyone's a suspect. Everytime you step on a bus, train, subway, plane or whatever, there's always that nagging feeling in the back of your mind - "What if this is the next target?"
It's changed the world in ways we could never have imagined.
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Post by stuart7 on May 18, 2007 12:20:39 GMT
I know the feeling, Ryan. 9/11 changed the state of our world forever, I feel. I felt nervous myself in London last year (2006) in spite of the fact that the terrorist attacks there had taken place only the previous year. Nothing's innocent any more, I feel. Nothing is.
Stuart
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Post by Aidan on May 18, 2007 12:35:49 GMT
I would've loved to go back in time a few months and prevent the shootings at Virginia Tech. Those lives didn't need to be lost.
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Post by Knuckles on May 18, 2007 12:36:02 GMT
I couldn't agree more about 9/11, I'm glad you brought it up Ryan. If It didn't happen then I don't think I would have spent 8 months of my life in the planatary cesspit called Iraq, It's all aboout the oil and trade If we didn't get deployed then we would be likely to loose trade with America, or at least that's what people say. The 1st time I was there for 1 month I was stagging on the oil pipes in Al Faw, The second time I was there for 7 months and getting mortard every 3-5 nights, 1 landed about 40-60 metres away from me. The countries a hole. They say building a better Iraq, I hope so as it is a shame, some of the bombed buildings look nice-when you see through all the rubble. So to that 'Uncle Albert' end, if I could change history then it would be to have no Iraqie war by whatever means, wheather that's a president/prime minister's change or not so drastically-just a different decision made, OR just life circumstances changing in a way that makes the world a happier and safer place. I may be a soldier, but I'm not mean, authough I'd rather do Iraq and places than fester at camp-which is why I'm leaving, can't stand camp life (existence) I wouldn't delete taxes, I actually agree with them, everybody chips in, money out of nowhere.
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Post by The Old Bean on May 18, 2007 12:45:00 GMT
I would go back to Wednesday, August 17th to a small cafe outside Paris and take three salt shakers from their tables.
You'd be surprised how little events can change the world...
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Ronnie
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I'm Great Western!
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Post by Ronnie on May 18, 2007 19:31:28 GMT
Would it not be more fitting to change something that has really affected the world in a big way? I look back on 9/11 in particular and think about how the world has become a darker place since. Up until then you never really thought about how dangerous life really is, or at least I didn't anyway. These days everyone's a suspect. Everytime you step on a bus, train, subway, plane or whatever, there's always that nagging feeling in the back of your mind - " What if this is the next target?" It's changed the world in ways we could never have imagined. As you would imagine, that event impacted me pretty hard because of how close I live to New York City. In fact, I was even able to see the smoke from the towers from my area. And even though I did not personally know anyone who was killed, I have been to Ground Zero a couple of times and seen the grief of the families first hand... But I look back on that crazy day, and it's really quite shocking how four simple plane flights totally changed the direction of our society. But quite honestly (and feel free to debate this), America did indirectly allow this to happen. After all, we were the ones who supported Bin Laden back in the '70s, and President Clinton did not take much action against terrorism after the first WTC incident back in 1993. So if I could change history, I would have probably made the US stay away from Afghanistan even though they were being threatened by the Soviet Union, which was on the decline at this point in history...
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Post by edwardblue on May 18, 2007 20:02:30 GMT
I'd prevent 9/11 from happening to. It was a pointless and horrible event that could've easily been prevented and look where it's gotten the world. If there were one world event I would change, it would be that one.
For other events, I would go back about 20 years and bring up the future impacts of global warming then, then we wouldn't be in the midst of another energy and climate crisis.
And just for fun: * Prevent Peter Tomarken, Selena, and Otis Redding's deaths. * Make sure the third season of C.O.W.Boys of Moo Mesa went ahead in 1994. * Prevent Chernoybl * Create a stronger campaign for preserving our Earth on Earth Day 1970.
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Post by Blue Comet on May 18, 2007 21:25:07 GMT
Have the South win the Civil War. ;D ATK LOL why?? -- I'd prevent 9/11, stop Hitler before he went too far, and have outlawed slavery a lot earlier. In sports, re-do of Game 7 of the 2001 world series, and the 2004 ALCS. EDIT- Would get EVERYONE out of New Orleans before Katrina struck
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Post by FlyingScotsman on May 18, 2007 23:58:20 GMT
I don't think that any historical event can be viewed in terms of pure "good" or "bad". Take Chernobyl. Bad in itself, yet it put pressure on the USSR to become less secretive, ultimately bringing about the downfall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War - a conflict which started as a result of the end of the Second World War. So, I don't think I'd change anything, because even the worst events of history can have a positive impact, and the best a negative one.
Actually, I might travel back in time and slap myself. No reason, I'd just like to freak myself out.
And destroy Paris Hilton before her rise to power.
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ATK
Passenger Engine
Posts: 618
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Post by ATK on May 19, 2007 1:31:07 GMT
Have the South win the Civil War. ;D ATK LOL why?? -- I'd prevent 9/11, stop Hitler before he went too far, and have outlawed slavery a lot earlier. In sports, re-do of Game 7 of the 2001 world series, and the 2004 ALCS. Well...I've been into (studying) the Civil War all my life and I've read the fiction novels that state, 'What Would The USA Be Like If The South Won The Civil War?' I think It'd just be fun to see how the nation would have ended up. But really though, I'm not, you know, racist or anti-union or anything crazy like that. Just a history nut. ;D But I do agree, preventing something like the Virginia Tech shootings or 9/11 would be good. It just goes to show how crazy the world is anymore. Sad, but true. ATK
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douglas
Main Line Engine
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Post by douglas on May 19, 2007 2:18:39 GMT
If there's one thing I would have prevented from happening in history, it would be the dividing up of Jerusalem between the Muslims and the Christians. Let them duke it out on their own. We would have had absolutely no terrorist attacks ever if that didn't happen.
Oh, and I'd do everything in my power to make sure Bush lost the 2001 presidential race. He's the reason we are in Iraq right now, and he has just done a sucky job running our country. (I am not intending to start a political debate here, just giving my personal opinion. Please don't take it personally!)
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Rhodri
Goods Engine
You spin me right round
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Post by Rhodri on May 19, 2007 17:21:52 GMT
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aargh
Shunting Engine
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Post by aargh on May 19, 2007 17:24:28 GMT
Well for the sake of avoiding any answer that's been played out, I'd probably make d**n sure Ronald Reagan never won the presidency. Almost every day I am reminded of how we today pay for the sins and excesses of the 80's....
I could elaborate but I'm hoping it's as readily apparent to most people as it is to myself. It's one of those things that I'm fairly certain produced no positive result.
Also I can't help but think that the world would have been better off if the Barbarians hadn't destroyed the declining Roman civilization almost completely, but that's going so far back that you can't be entirely sure of how vastly different history would be as a result...
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Post by StarTodd on May 19, 2007 21:54:02 GMT
This is a good thread to mull on....I'll go for three categories. World / SeriousFirst up: 9/11. the lives lost and the way it transformed Western society. the US went from "Land of the free" to paranoid nuthole. It squandered the goodwill form the world resulting from this terrorist disaster. Britain in turn became a suspicious society, as someone else noted. Second up: 7/7, London. Definitely not needed. The perpetrators should have been literally hung for treason. It did more to Britain what 9/11 did to the US. Last but not least on this, would be the re-election of the Labour Government in 2005. It basically gave them licence to mess all over us. They negated half their promises form 1997 onwards. [student fees for one.] their targets were not met and they did nothing but weigh down the country with political correctness and red tape. No thank you. They're the reason why britain became dissociated from its politics. RailwaysI'd go back to Whiteball Bank on 8th May 1904, when City of Truro was making its gold bullion run. I'd arrange for it so that the speed record was more easily verifiable. . . I'd also arrange for Robert Fairlie and the Talyllyn Railway to hookup; thus giving birth to a 2ft 3in gauge Double Fairlie. that would be interesting, and might well steal the thunder from elsewhere... Last but not least, there was a serious railway accident in 1952 at harrow. Info here: news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/8/newsid_3075000/3075197.stm I'd go back and try to prevent that from happening. Personal Top of the List for sure is something I regret, bigtime. Happened last year, folly of drinking too much, yea. let me know or PM me if you want to read that in full.
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