if you could travel back in time to the late 30's, would you?

[IronDog]

I would have got off my duff France.... and England,and stopped Hitler the first time he made the move into an area he didn't belong in.Germany wasn't ready for war at that time and Hitler rolled the dice and won!That just gave Hitler the knowledge he needed on how prepared France and the Brits were to stop him on his conquest.Austria,and the Czech's were next w/o only a note from Hitler to Chamberlain that he would be good from now on!Churchill tried to warn the Lethargic ones,but along comes Sept. 39,and away we go.Mean while the Japanese are raping Manchuria and China,and the U.S.A. had a plan from the early 1900's,called Orange or something like that to be ready for any Japanese plans to set up an Asian Empire.Along comes Dec. 7th,1941 and Pearl Harbor gets completely surprised,even though FDR probably knew it was coming,and it's a given that the Brits were aware it was coming,but didn't warn us,because they wanted us in the fray!Six years later,and two A bombs,and it's over.Millions died,and I believe it could have been stopped,if action was taken in the early 30's to stop Hitler.
Dobey

[MORAY37]

We hear so much bad stuff going on that we lose perspective, but truth is that there has never been a better time to be alive than right now. World poverty and war related deaths are both demonstrably lower than they have been in recorded history.

The 1930s were "The Dark Valley" (title of a great book on the subject). With hindsight being 20/20 we have a very hard time understanding this, but in reality it was NOT clear that freedom oriented democracy was going to be successful, or even survive. Countries set up with free market orientation and emphasis on personal liberty were doing very poorly in the 30s, with economic stagnation, enormous unemployment, and political instability. Meanwhile, Communism's press releases were generally taken at face value - and there was objectively enormous economic growth in the Soviet Union in the 30s, as they shifted from 19th century agrarian economy towards 20th century industrial one. The Fascist dictatorships provided order, stability, and economic growth that the democracies were hard pressed to match.

If you believed in the rule of law and personal liberty, the 1930s were truly frightening times. More than a few intelligent people honestly believed that the future of democracy was bleak. Seeing what happened from 1939 - 1941 would only make freedom's future look even darker...because people who lived through the times didn't know what would happen at Stalingrad, Leningrad, Midway, Guadalcanal, Kokoda, and the North Atlantic.

I would venture that our democracy only exists now due to World War 2.  Without the strife and destruction that occurred in Europe, Asia and the Pacific, the United States would never have risen to a prominent position in the 20th century. 

If WW2 doesn't happen, the US never has a chance to develop nearly as fast, and would have been constrained by other nation's geopolitical interests.

[LLogann]

   No sir, I wouldn't either.......  It's a movie from 1980 regarding this very subject.

The 80's band from Europe??  I wouldn't want to go back and see that...   lol

"The USS Nimitz, a modern-day nuclear aircraft carrier, is drawn through a time warp from 1980 to a couple days before the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor, and the crew must decide whether to launch a preemptive strike against the incoming Japanese carrier fleet with their more advanced air wing, or allow history to take its course, which might not happen since they had rescued Senator Chapman, who disappeared shortly before the attack, from his death."




YET....  What nobody seems to realize is that by doing any action back then, we could, unkowningly, destroy the Earth.  

[Oldman731]

YET....  What nobody seems to realize is that by doing any action back then, we could, unlowningly, destroy the Earth. 

http://www.lasalle.edu/~didio/courses/hon462/hon462_assets/sound_of_thunder.htm

- oldman

[maus92]

Awesome movie! 

Be sure to watch the DVD extras of "The Final Countdown." The interviews with the Tomkitty pilots 20 or so years later is, a.., interesting.

[maus92]

My motto is never look back (prolly why I routinely get shot down,) so - no, I would not go back to the 30's - except in cognito of course.

[LLogann]

I have never read that before.............   

http://www.lasalle.edu/~didio/courses/hon462/hon462_assets/sound_of_thunder.htm

- oldman

[Makoyouidiot]

While we're on the subject of the final countdown, John Birmingham has written an excellent series called the Axis of Time, on what would likely happen if modern folks were to be transported back to WWII. Interestingly enough, they screwed things up royally. Lemme get the link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weapons_of_Choice

That's the first book, he wrote 3 in that series. VERY good reads for anyone interested in WWII, which I'm guessing most of us are, alternate history, physics, super-high tech weapons, and the odd feelings associated with modern folks thrust back into a bygone, (and not so pretty) age.

[Yenny]

And relive WWII? you guys are nut! Nothing pretty about it 

[Changeup]

The strange thing is without a Hitler would there be an AH to play?

That may be THE dumbest thing I have ever read on these boards....

[Changeup]

It's easy to romanticize the past with the benefit of the knowledge we have now about it.  Having had WW2 history as a passion since I was in grade school, I've spent 40+ years 'living' in that past at times.

Would I like to go back and have a look?  Sure. Stepping into that history to see it for real would be amazing.  Would I want to go back and fight that war?  Not a chance.  Old CorkyJr is invincible in AH.   Dan would be anything but back in the 30s and 40s.

Big 

V/r

Changeup

[Bear76]

That may be THE dumbest thing I have ever read on these boards....

I'm sure you'll out do it within 5 minutes. Comprend my friend and don't jump to conclusions. There would no luft planes, doh!

[Changeup]

I'm sure you'll out do it within 5 minutes. Comprend my friend and don't jump to conclusions. There would no luft planes, doh!

Yes, Luft planes are certainly worth it....  Just kidding...I think it was an awesome observation and very deep.

[Bear76]

Yes, Luft planes are certainly worth it....  Just kidding...I think it was an awesome observation and very deep.

Oh stop, I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy now.    


Finally thanks Skuzzy.

[grizz441]

That may be THE dumbest thing I have ever read on these boards....

hu·mor
   /ˈhyumər or, often, ˈyu-/ Show Spelled[hyoo-mer or, often, yoo-] Show IPA
–noun
1.
a comic, absurd, or incongruous quality causing amusement: the humor of a situation.
2.
the faculty of perceiving what is amusing or comical: He is completely without humor.