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[Tschumi]

This is a thought exercise. I would rather we not even list specific circumstances, and if we do we certainly don't argue about them, I am just zero'ing in on this:

- Humanity got a lot of help, now look where we are.
- Would it have been better if we had not been so successful?
- Or do you think reversing a tragedy of the past would have helped us end up somewhere other than here?

Premise: I'm implying that at the moment we're not in a particularly good place: overpopulated; corrupting our environment on all conceivable fronts; going through iterative financial and social cycles; pretty bleak.

So, with that brief elucidation, the question is:
If you could reverse one event in history, would it be a good thing or a bad thing?
*you can go as far back in time as you want, try to talk in broad strokes, politics are off-limits as always, please don't say "I'd flip so-and-so election" or any crap like that.

In my opinion, I would reverse a technological development, a 'good' development/success/discovery, or reverse a decision that pointed us towards one or all of the heavy industries that pollute the earth today. I think a lot of the technological advances of the 17- and 1800s have allowed our population to multiply, but also our pollution footprint. I'd hope to reverse the decision towards fossil fuel-powered industry and have the world follow more sustainable practices instead. I don't particularly think it'd solve anything or stick. Just my empty thought.

 

[Bullet Club]

I would stop Bret Hart from signing with WCW in 1997. Which means no Montreal screwjob and probably no heel Vince. WWF have to keep paying Bret $1m a year for 20 years.

 

[Tschumi]

I would stop Bret Hart from signing with WCW in 1997. Which means no Montreal screwjob and probably no heel Vince. WWF have to keep paying Bret $1m a year for 20 years.

 

[Star-Lord]

I’d go back in time and kick Mark Zuckerberg in the nutsack and stop him from ever creating Facebook. In doing so, social media as we know it today would not exist, and the world would be a less shittier place to live.

 

[KielCasto]

Hard choice since I don’t really agree with the premise. But, I’ll go with reversing the event that led to short attention spans. I swear people are getting distracted more and more easily.

 

[Star-Lord]

Hard choice since I don’t really agree with the premise. But, I’ll go with reversing the event that led to short attention spans. I swear people are getting distracted more and more easily.

I don’t understand what you’re on about, I think people are — hey, look, a penny!

 

[Bullet Club]

I’ll go with reversing the event that led to short attention spans.

That would be TV, internet, video games and mobile phones.

 

[BigBooper]

I'd reverse the goat testicle transplants.

 

[poppabk]

Hard choice since I don’t really agree with the premise. But, I’ll go with reversing the event that led to short attention spans. I swear people are getting distracted more and more easily.

I think reversing World War II, along with the obvious advantages, would have slowed tech advancment a great deal as an added bonus.

 

[daveonezero]

Anti federalists win and the Constitution is never ratified.

eventually many independent states span North America.

 

[T8SC]

August 29th 1997.

I'd pull the plug early.

 

[SidViscous]

I'd reverse you making this thread, due to the butterfly effect any decision reversed would likely have huge profound implications to the extent that its impossible to say or predict what a good or bad decision would be.

Stop Hitler? He has a child who becomes super Hitler. Stop the discovery of fossil fuels? Great now they use homeless people to turn giant hamster wheels to generate power.

 

[Star-Lord]

August 29th 1997.

I'd pull the plug early.

Colour me intrigued.

 

[SidViscous]

Colour me intrigued.

Judgement day

 

[T8SC]

Colour me intrigued.

Defense network computers. New, powerful, hooked into everything, trusted to run it all.

 

[Star-Lord]

Judgement day

Defense network computers. New, powerful, hooked into everything, trusted to run it all.

As someone who has seen all the films in the series, I’m ashamed I did not know that.

 

[thefool]

Probably something that could prevented the second world war, avoiding the sheer brutality of the event along the terrible consequences that lead to the shift in world powers.

 

[haxan7]

i’d go back in time and stop Oprah from becoming the 45th president of the United States

 

[Sosokrates]

I would reverse USA landing on the moon first, so hopefully reality would turn out like that "for all mankind" show.

 

[Alcibiades]

I wouldn't touch a thing. Could potentially cause something even worse unintentionally. Also I think for lots of bad things going on a lot of good things are happening too (human rights, less poverty, etc...)

 

[VAL0R]

I'd stop Mohammed from starting Islam and convert him to Christianity.

Edit: Or maybe stop Luther from starting Protestantism by convincing him to remain a faithful Catholic monk.

Can I have both?

 

[Tschumi]

I'd stop Mohammed from starting Islam and convert him to Christianity.

Edit: Or maybe stop Luther from starting Protestantism by convincing him to remain a faithful Catholic monk.

Can I have both?

i think i just learned that i shouldn't write a thread if it requires people reading the op to get it

 

[Sakura]

If I changed history wouldn't I no longer exist? I'd rather just leave things as they are.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

I'd make it so that whatever meteor crashed on earth containing the building blocks of life never hit. Life was a mistake

 

[DeafTourette]

I'd reverse Edison's treatment of Tesla. Instead, he'd be his greatest supporter.

I'd also reverse the Reynolds affair so that Hamilton could have a chance to become president

 

[Star-Lord]

If I changed history wouldn't I no longer exist? I'd rather just leave things as they are.

Would killing Hitler really mean you wouldn’t be born? Because if killing him did directly affect the chances of you being born, it might just mean that Hitler is your father.

 

[AV]

Can I reverse me not getting rich?

 

[BouncyFrag]

 

[Sakura]

Would killing Hitler really mean you wouldn’t be born? Because if killing him did directly affect the chances of you being born, it might just mean that Hitler is your father.

Changing events would have huge implications on the future. If WW2 never happened maybe my family would've never emigrated from the UK. Maybe they would be working different jobs. Maybe all the young men who would've died in the war would instead be alive and marry women who would've otherwise married someone else. etc etc.

 

[Star-Lord]

Changing events would have huge implications on the future. If WW2 never happened maybe my family would've never emigrated from the UK. Maybe they would be working different jobs. Maybe all the young men who would've died in the war would instead be alive and marry women who would've otherwise married someone else. etc etc.

You know, I hadn’t thought about anything like that. I suppose the whole butterfly effect comes into play when reshaping the past. Every action has a positive and negative reaction. Case in point, Back to the Future.

 

[AJUMP23]

I would have the Hindenburg make a safe trip, so we could usher in a Zeppelin future, and have Zeppelins everywhere.

 

[TBiddy]

i think i just learned that i shouldn't write a thread if it requires people reading the op to get it

To be extremely frank - it's really annoying to read a post with five different colors of text of varying sizes.

 

[Winter John]

I was dating this girl and was really into her. We'd been going steady for a few months but she wouldn't put out. She was one of them sensible chicks which was real unfortunate for me. Anyways one night we were at hers having a few drinks with her best friend. I got wasted and for some insane reason I still can't figure out I tried to talk them into a 3 way. I don't know what I said but I do remember putting my arms around both of them. Well, that was the end of that. I was put in the spare room and kicked out the next morning. She wouldn't answer my calls. Wouldn't come to the door. I fuckin begged too. Actually begged. Broken man begged. To her friend.

I deserved it. I know that but I think the punishment of never ever getting to fuck her was a bit unfair. Sure, yes, I acted like a creep, but it was innocent teenage creeping. Not dirty old man creeping. I was 17. Drunk off my ass and sitting between two hot chicks. I just wanted them to get naked and make out. Is that so wrong? Anyways, if I could go back and change it I would. I'd sit my ass down. Not drink any liquor and definitely not speak porn thoughts out loud.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Who among us hasn't thought about going back in time and using our bare hands to murder baby George Washington for the Queen?

 

[Amiga]

everything that happened was supposed to happen. we can deal with the present and pave for the future, that we don't have to dream about.
What we can take from the past are the lessons. and we don't seem to be able to do even that.

I'd stop Mohammed from starting Islam and convert him to Christianity.

Edit: Or maybe stop Luther from starting Protestantism by convincing him to remain a faithful Catholic monk.

Can I have both?

Islam (submission to God) started with Adam. And Mohammed, Luther, Constantine and everything before and after are part of Gods plan.

 

[Star-Lord]

Everything that happened was supposed to happen.

I’ve never really understood that line of thinking. Natural disasters I can get on board with, but are you seriously trying to tell me that millions of Jews had to die?

 

[Amiga]

I’ve never really understood that line of thinking. Natural disasters I can get on board with, but are you seriously trying to tell me that millions of Jews had to die?

The trail of history is set. it is neutral. we will all die. by nature or by murder. it will hurt either way. difference is you can blame one method on people.
What we can do is try and stop Jews or anyone from the same tragedy. but that is happening again. the millions of migrants are running away from serious dangers in different parts of the world. and conflicts keep escalating and newer ones starting.

 

[Cutty Flam]

I'd reverse WWII

Edit: There's really nothing else to say about that. It'd be saving 75 millions lives and countless others injured, and those scarred and affected from the war

 

[acm2000]

i'd stop the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs.

 

[Star-Lord]

i'd stop the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Haven’t you heard? Everything happens for a reason. Though in this case, I’m kinda glad they got wiped out. I don’t fancy my chances against fifty chicken-sized velociraptors, do you?

 

[IDKFA]

For shits and giggles.

Reverse the collapse of the Roman Empire.

Ensure it never split into two. Make sure it stayed strong and conquered more of the world, until eventually it was in control of the whole planet.

Bonus - reverse the invention of gunpowder, so nobody had guns or bombs etc.

That would be pretty amazing.

 

[acm2000]

Haven’t you heard? Everything happens for a reason. Though in this case, I’m kinda glad they got wiped out. I don’t fancy my chances against fifty chicken-sized velociraptors, do you?

thats kinda the point, maybe we wouldnt have evolved the way we are.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

Marriage

 

[Punished Miku]

I'd stop Stargate SG-1 from getting cancelled. We'd have explored another 2-3 galaxies by now. Teal'c would be busy though and would never end up taking the roll as Kratos.

 

[Bernd Lauert]

I'd reverse WWII

Edit: There's really nothing else to say about that. It'd be saving 75 millions lives and countless others injured, and those scarred and affected from the war

Idk man, wars happen for a reason. Even if you stop WW2, another war would likely pop up soon after.