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What alternate history ideas you wish they were used more often?
- Thread starter Gar48
- Start date
As a Russian I am responsible I believe to inform you that assuming the most deranged outcome for the Russian state is not illogical its just hedging your bets because history shows things will always be just.... blah here. The definition of "blah" changes a shit ton though.
The problem here is more the fact that it is exaggerated to ridiculous extremes and more typical of the popular representation of the Nazis or the Imperial Japanese Army.
What we see is less "it is possible to choose a bad decision" and more
"the priority criteria for decision making will be as follows:
1) Make the most expensive, evil and stupid decision possible.
2) In case 1 is not possible, in descending order of priority, make the stupidest, most evil, and most costly decision available.
3) If it is not possible to carry out 1 or 2, invent a new decision that meets the criteria of 1.
4) If 1, 2 and 3 are not possible, regardless of whether other options are available, or doing nothing is itself harmful, then do nothing at all."
And that is what seems stupid, cartoonish and unbelievable for many people. Like me.
Its a shame Russia gets delegated to the trash bin of alternate history, alongside usually the Otto's/Turks (because the internet is massively Pro-Byzantium), Africans (more so because of the way we are thaught history rather than simple racism) and a few other groups.
This sounds kind of grim but a (Latin) American country getting African and Asian colonies and a sphere of influence, and a Eurasian nuclear war wiping out most of Europe-“Russia”-East Asia and parts of the Middle East/India, so the New World power (although suffering some nuclear strikes from both sides of the war) radicalized by the War and a determination to Stop All Wars goes on a series of interventionist actions, embargoes etc. to get every remaining country on earth into its alliance system formally or informally tied to it.
Maybe even promoting a sort of global culture most derived from its with a few token additions from old allies, neighbors etc
Maybe even promoting a sort of global culture most derived from its with a few token additions from old allies, neighbors etc
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This sounds like a disturbing way to make the Gundam' Earth Federation a reality, combined with the meme that they are an Earth-sized Brazil (due to being based primarily in South America and using as a flag something I can only describe as a recolored Brazilian flag
). The rest of what you describe is even true.
This sounds like a disturbing way to make the Gundam' Earth Federation a reality, combined with the meme that they are an Earth-sized Brazil (due to being based primarily in South America and using as a flag something I can only describe as a recolored Brazilian flag
That world, probably
Come to Brazil or Brazil will come for you.
(Admittedly people in Reddit have already made the joke also you are already Brazilian anyway.)
Idk what timelines you're reading where this always happens man but I haven't come across these tropes so overwhelmingly to be as annoyed by it as you are lol
I think you guys should exchange TLs at some point
Not publicly since it'd be a dick move to expose authors that way, but I think it could give each other a different perspective on it
Just a suggestion though, hope you dont mind
What do you mean by exchange timelines? Like show him my current reading list? Its friggin' huge lol
Essentially what you find in the ASB forum is more things you can see in pre-1900 and post-1900. These are usually stories that try to cover big conflicts and the authors try to write them as binary conflicts where one side couldn't be more stupid and evil, while the other is the typical Protagonist Country.
I'm more often than not reading ASB stories and I don't see quite a dichotomy but one can't see with another's eyes alas...
Maybe a *British-American Transcendental Church that is influenced by the Quaker Inner Light and Bhakti belief in the oneness and distinction of the soul with God and devotion and salvation through solely the grace of God.
Basically believers are chosen by grace, receive the Inner (Particles of God) that ultimately results if lived correctly in the absorption of the soul into God, but in annihilation of the wicked
Basically believers are chosen by grace, receive the Inner (Particles of God) that ultimately results if lived correctly in the absorption of the soul into God, but in annihilation of the wicked
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Perhaps an Arab state that arose from 1880's-1930's trough revolts and war with colonisers? In 1880's, most of North Africa was either under the Ottomans or nominally free, apart from Algeria. Egypt had a revolt in 1881 which led it to being colonised by Britain. If the revolt had gone differently, either the Ottomans might have kept it (Which would make it much easier to take later on) or could have ended up free (The revolt was nationalistic in nature). Tunisia was under nominal suzerainity and was being eyed up by the French, and a series of events that started with the French handing over Ottoman revolutionaries to the Sultan whom tried to hide in their own embassy led it to being colonised by the French. In truth, you can also keep it under Ottoman suzerainity until it can be taken. Morocco was free in name but a French protectorate, and well we saw how Moroccan resistance was effective in the Rif War.
This alternate Arab state will at the start be decentralised and rife with instability and tribal conflict; Homewer it can create an all-encompassing Pan-Arabic identity once Arab Socialism rolls around. With an alt-Nasser in charge, it can nationalise the Suez Canal and strengthen internal unity, creating welfare programs, deescelating tensions and modernising the country. During Arab Socialism's tenure between 1950-1980's, the country becomes a modern mostly democratic state, somewhat like Turkey. A few coups are possible, since all those personalities like Gaddafi, Saddam and the like will still be there (I dont think the conditions that allowed them to rise to power will be too radically different).
Flash forward to Modern Era, and we have a somewhat authoritarian, left leaning unitary state. It has problems with ethnic tensions and Islamic Rebels, but in general it is stable. There is a great welfare program funded by the mass Petroleum revenues, altough the economy is too dependent on there being global oil supply. There is a large gap between the ultra-wealthy who own great parts of the oil and other industries and the average citisen, altough as mentioned there is a big welfare program to mitigate the worse affects. Without the destabilisation and wars, This Arabian State is a massive hotspot of Tourism. It was a major participitant of the "Non-Aligned Movement" during the Cold War, but it is on the American-EU side in Modern Era, altough it maintains large economic partnerships with China and Russia. With it's intelligence agency, it is deeply involved in the internal conflict in Africa and Asia, supporting friendly regimes (intervening in the Congo Crisis, Biafra War etc.).
Would the UK accept a nationalist state controlling the Suez Canal as early as the 1880s? I think they would be the turd in the punch bowl for this version of an Arab state unless they have been satisfied with guarantees that they will be able to move thru it without any fears whatsoever that they'll face interdiction.