Time Travel discussion
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The Assassination of Adolf Hitler
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April - "The Assassination of Adolf Hilter" by M.R. Dowsing
John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln would have been far more successful with Reconstruction than Andrew Johnson.
Mod
Don, as things turned out, Reconstruction failed because Grant (after AJ) was among our worst presidents & things were well under way by the time he was elected.A good general, his only aim to win but, as president he was only concerned with what would happen to him after he was president, yet, if he'd been a statesman great things could have been accomplished.
The North loved him & the South had to admit he'd beat them fair & square & they'd have gone with anything he'd pushed in order to get back in the Union, maybe kicking but they'd have done it, given his stature, which he failed to use, as I said.
Reconstruction became a political football, with back room deals & so set back real change for 100 years.
Booth's a good pick, though.
Lee Harvey Oswald...because I would like to see what JFK would have accomplished during the rest of his term. Not to mention how different the playing field would have been after that.
Gavrilo Princip who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and started the dominoes falling for World War I.
I see many of you would like to assassinate the assassins - interesting!By the way, if anyone wants to read reviews of the book, Amazon UK has the most at the moment.
I've also done an interview about the book which you can find here: http://blogcritics.org/books/article/...
Keep the quiz answers coming!
All the best
Martin
I'm with Don on this one -- although I think I'd take out Andrew Johnson instead. Lincoln was sick. Several biographers with medical creds have argued that he'd have died during that term either way and that would have left AJ in charge. No matter who Congress picked, he would have been better than Johnson. While I'd agree with Howard that Grant's corruption was a major factor in the failure of Reconstruction, the tone was set by Johnson, and if you removed his influence, I think things could have followed a very different path. My second choice would be Phyllis Schlafly, but since she's still alive (albeit old and irrelevant) she probably shouldn't count.
I must admit I'd never heard of Phyllis Schlafly (I think I have a good excuse as I'm in the UK!). I just googled her though and she does sound like quite an odious individual!
Wow. There are so many crazies around today we wouldn't have to travel back so far and no killing would be involved. Tough choice, but I'm thinking of a certain chubby faced Asian kid who has prepared his nukes and declared a state of war with the USA. Go back 15 yrs or so and encourage him to find another line of work, say, computer hacking or professional basketball.
Mod
Not a bad idea. I have to wonder, though, whether his problem is that his father created propaganda that he wholeheartedly believes to be true. If he really believes the world exists as his father swore that it does, then the trick would be to somehow re-educate him. Then again, sometimes you know something is a lie, but you've heard it so long that you've convinced yourself that it's true. How do you undo brainwashing?
Rysa wrote: "My second choice would be Phyllis Schlafly, but since she's still alive (albeit old and irrelevant) she probably shouldn't count. ..."Good one, Rysa! Ms. Schlafly's name hasn't been heard for a while (thankyouverymuch) and we might erase her influence without violence with a short hop back to modify her Radcliffe and Harvard grades. Flunking out might encourage her to find something else to do. I still can't believe the Equal Rights Amendment didn't pass!!
I wonder what China would have been like without Chairman Mao and his ilk.Also would like to undo the radical fundamentalism brought about by the Ayatollah Khomeini.
Mod
I'd never heard of her. Had to look her up. Why in the world would you oppose an equal rights amendment ... in the 1980s ... as a woman? Sometimes I just don't understand people.
Amy wrote: "I'd never heard of her. Had to look her up. Why in the world would you oppose an equal rights amendment ... in the 1980s ... as a wo..."Precisely. And I hate to say this, as incredible as it sounds, but it could still be difficult to pass today. State Legislatures have to approve it, if memory serves.
It would have to be Noah, just before the great flood came along. Perhaps his family would have been a bit more sensible, and stopped the nastier creatures from boarding the Ark. Especially the wasp!I am sure that there are some purists reading this who will tell me that this would destroy the whole balance of nature, but I already know that!
However, it would save later mankind from doing such a good job exterminating whole species.....
Mod
Yeah, and why'd he have to let all those pesky people on board? ;)
Mod
Furthermore, I would like to put an end to the grandfather paradox, could I kill him and so doing cease to exist myself?
I would like to go back and kill the chicken or the egg one of the two. That and the bottom turtle.
Tom Riddle offed by Dumbledore for sure. Anikan Skywalker cut down by Qui-Gon Jinn. Whoever the hunter was that shot Bambi's mother. Sauron, because face it being an evil eye on top of a tower is not really living is it?
Mod
Funny, Lincoln; I was just going to ask if anyone was willing to go back and kill their grandfather for experimentation purposes. I guess you'll volunteer for that one. If that doesn't kill you, try killing your past self and see if that will do the job.
Amy wrote: "Lance Greenfield wrote: "It would have to be Noah, just before the great flood came along. Perhaps his family would have been a bit more sensible, and stopped the nastier creatures from boarding th..."That's a really great idea Amy! Keep the humans off the Ark and save the planet!
In fact, I'd only have to take a single action. I could kick the gang plank away before any of Noah's family got on board!
Mod
Yes, but then would you feel sorry for them and let them into your time machine? And when you got back into your time machine, where would you go?
I wouldn't exist to go there in my time machine in the first place. Yet another paradox of time travel!This is such great fun, isn't it?!
Mod
Everything that has happened in the past must always have come to pass (gotta love the way Galadriel coins her words). It is from tragedies and mistakes that we learn and progress from (feeling a bit of dejavu writing that today...). Without that, the world is more ignorant and most likely a matter of time that whatever tragedy was prevented will eventually happen. The human race is unfortunately too shortsighted and ignorant to think of precautionary measures before something happens. Of course there are many individuals who are gifted with such foresight and would try to prevent tragedies and accidents occuring before a "first" ever occurs but history has shown that these intelligent individuals are shunned until proven right.
This would include assassinations of important historical figures. As unfair as it may seem to the great individuals who have lost their lives to either madmen or hitmen, it still serves all sorts of lessons to the world, and a warning to not be complacent etc.
Who will I assisinate? YOU, the time traveller who dares to change the past ;)
...in theory. Of course it would be a last resort, I will try to talk you of it first :)
Either Sir John Newentone who insulted Wat Tyler so much that he was enraged and attacked him, or William Walworth, the Mayor of London, who subsequently killed Tyler. Wat Tyler had already come to an agreement with Richard II about his grievances before the ensuing violence. Who knows, if Richard had ceded to these complaints it could have lead to a fairer society in the UK or even the beginning of the end of the nobility.
Mod
Oh good. I think Howard's the only one of us with a time machine.
Mmh this is an interesting one. Margaret Thatcher is tempting - the single most damaging political force in British history, since Cromwell anyway......George Lucas for completely f***ing up Episodes 1, 2 and 3.....
But it has to be Pontias Pilate in the end. Now that would have saved a hell of a lot of human life :-)
Otherwise I'd say
Alex wrote: "Mmh this is an interesting one. Margaret Thatcher is tempting - the single most damaging political force in British history, since Cromwell anyway......George Lucas for completely f***ing up Epis..."
If you're going for Maggie, Alex, I'll hold Tej back so he can't get you before you've done the deed!
Lincoln wrote: "Some really good answers everyone. Can't believe Osama is not up there yet, unless I missed him.Furthermore, I would like to put an end to the grandfather paradox, could I kill him and so doing ..."
So true, so true.
I'd like to off quite a few people to change history, not sure I can narrow it down at this point. Will re-visit asap.
Mod
Oh good. I think Howard's the only one of us with a time machine."
Oh no, dammit, Howard's already left. I managed to hack into his console and get the co-ordinates of where he's gone though...wait, Georgetown, Guyana in 1887? That's where/when my great great grandparents live, oh no if anything happens to them, I won't ex
It's getting interesting this! Tej's answer is very thoughtful and makes some good points. Some of the others are quite unexpected - Noah?! George Lucas!?!
Oh dear, looks like we lost Tej. Does Howard want to win the competition so badly he's going to assassinate all your grandfathers?
Definitely Mao of China. He was terribly cruel to his people: torture, separating families, putting people in prison for years because of his paranoia, forcing everyone to his whims. His sadistic ways still haunts china today. I read the book, "Wild Swans", and learned the truth of his reign.
Paul wrote: "Rysa wrote: "My second choice would be Phyllis Schlafly, but since she's still alive (albeit old and irrelevant) she probably shouldn't count. ..."I still can't believe the Equal Rights Amendment didn't pass!!"
And I still can't believe how many of my students do not *know* that the Equal Rights Amendment never passed.
Another option with Schlafly would be to exchange her birth control for fertility pills, which might have required her to actually practice what she preached to the women of America. :)
Mod
Wouldn't it be easier to "assissinate" the person who invented time travel to begin with?
My grandfather before he was married. I really want to see how the paradox plays out after "that".
Mod
Wouldn't it be easier..."
Not really because the inventor may be anonymous and may only have used it for observations. Even if i did know who it is and assassinated him/her, someone else would invent a time machine, since the concept of time travel exists, there will always be a first, no matter how many inventors i assassinate!
Also, the inventor maybe in the future and so unreachable. If the inventor is in the past then I would be committing the crime that i am sworn to be protecting, ie preventing changes in history! So i am limited to stopping the time travellers from making changes between the moment they arrive in the past to the moment they alter an event.
I am taking this assassin role very seriously guys, tread very carefully!
I just red the comment by amy about grandfather paradox (my comment is not original anymore).btw you cant edit your comment on the gr app, can u?
i guess my 2nd opt would be Adolf Eichmann (keeping the theme in view of the current book)
@tejso you will kill urself as well at the end since u time travelled too.
Mod
so you will kill urself as well at the end since u time travelled too."
Nope im only assassinating (well stopping, assassinate is last resort) other time travellers from changing the past :) time travel to observe or to protect history is not punishable methinks...im getting too immersed in this, im losing track of reality!
John wrote: "Our featured book for this month's giveaway is The Assassination of Adolf Hitler by time travel group member M.R. Dowsing. Our question for this month's drawing is this:"Other than Hitler, if you..."
Just read Manhunt, an excellent book about the days John Wilkes Booth spent on the run after killing Lincoln. So my first thought in answer to the question was Booth. Would have been nice to get Oswald too.
Mod
Furthermore, I would like to put an end to the grandfather paradox, could I kill him and so doing ..."
Nooooooooo! Leave George alone! The prequel trilogy was awesome.
Have u seen the Lost episode where Hurley rewrites Empire Strikes Back in 1978 and sends it to Lucas, who then uses it to make the film we know and love? Perhaps use that approach for Phantom Menace instead of assassinating him ;)
@tejso u will kill almost all of us here since killing booth, osama, hitler or whoever we would be changing hitory by doing so. (even if killin is last resort, u wud do it)
Mod
I hope Howard remembers I've already read this excellent book and leaves my Grandfather alone.
A lot of good answers. So, in order not to repeat any, I'd do away with the person who, after the success of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, decided that All fantasy stories Must be trilogies. I just don't have enough time. (No offense to our Goodreads authors.)
Mod
I'd prefer to do away with the person who decided that it was successful because of all the walking and walking and walking and perpetuated that model into the future of sci-fi/fantasy writing.
Amy wrote: "Steven wrote: "A lot of good answers. So, in order not to repeat any, I'd do away with the person who, after the success of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, decided that All fantasy stories Must be tri..."Amy wrote: "Steven wrote: "A lot of good answers. So, in order not to repeat any, I'd do away with the person who, after the success of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, decided that All fantasy stories Must be tri..."
Also, a very worthy choice.
I think I'd go with President Jackson. He's the one who defied the Supreme Court and really got the 19th-century version of that "Indian Removal" ball rolling, starting with the Trail of Tears.But, you know... couldn't I just kidnap him instead? :-)
Mod
Yes, and send him into the past to live with them so that he can learn to appreciate their culture (just be sure he doesn't get the idea to bring any blankets with him).
I would travel a couple of years ago and kill the other 'me', to see if I would still exist after ;)
Pass me a toga. I'm going back in time to kill the guy who burned down the Library of Alexandria. Should I set him on fire instead? @hg47
Time Travel
Books mentioned in this topic
The Time Portal (other topics)The Assassination of Adolf Hitler (other topics)
"Other than Hitler, if you had the ability to go back in time to assassinate someone, who would you most like to eliminate and why?"
Note: The author is offering the winner a choice between a signed paperback or an ebook edition of this book.
Anyone who posts an answer to the above question will be entered in our drawing. The winner will be selected at random and will be announced on April 8. So that means you have just one week to post your comments for a chance to win this book. Once a winner is announced, the author will contact him or her to arrange for delivery of their free book.
I will invite M.R. to post some additional info about his book. And please feel free to ask him any questions you might have. Also remember that the winner of this giveaway is encouraged to write an honest and thoughtful review of the book once they have a chance to read it. Good luck all, and "may the odds be ever in your favor."