Yesterday I noticed that many news outlets were reporting that the
U.S. almost caught Zarqarwi
I thought I'd report a few more things which almost happened, but didn't:
Al Gore was
almost elected president in 2000
John Kerry was
almost elected president in 2004
Richard Nixon was
almost elected president in 1960
The U.S. almost caught Osama Bin Laden in 2001
The U.S almost killed Bin Laden in 1998
The U.S. almost caught on to 9/11 in 2001
The Allies almost lost the Battle of the Atlantic, falling to the Nazis.
The Allies almost lost the Battle of the Corral Sea, falling to the Japanese Imperial Empire
Charles Martel almost lost the battle of Tours, falling to the Islamic Empire
An asteroid will almost hit the Earth in 2029
An asteroid almost hit the Pacific Northwest in 1996
An asteroid almost triggered a nuclear war in 2002.
Aaron Burr and General Wilkinson almost succeeded in their treasonous usurption of the Lousiana Territory in 1805
Aaron Burr was almost killed in a duel with Alexander Hamilton in 1804
Aaron Burr almost won the presidency in 1800
Like a perpetually rotating disco ball, history reflects in all directions. And as with John Travolta doing the bat dance, one is left to ponder how these events came to pass. But though we can merely speculate on the near misses and missed opportunities, some events lead to the inevitable conclusion that what could have been would have been much different than it turned out. I believe that we are in a period of historical significance. We have been led out to the Galactic Dance Floor by the tempestuous twin harlots Time and Circumstance. They dizzy us with their giggling, sultry demeanor but we continue on nonetheless, dancing the ever-unfashionable Waltz of Doom and Discomfort. This will be a transforming experience.
I think that in the decades to come, the world won't resemble much what it looks like now. And the decisions and events that affect that are happening now. What would happen to international alliances if John Bolton actually became the U.N. ambassador? What would happen to the Middle East if Iraq enters a civil war? What happens when we run out of oil, or start to run out of oil? What happens if the U.S. loses its economic supremacy, the leverage with which we drive our foreign policy? What if the cultural divisions which are eating away at American character are left to fester? What happens when reasoned discourse becomes a dangerous course of action?
Sometimes I wonder if I should invest in Rand McNally stock. Perhaps they have some prototype globes of the Almost Reality.
Here's my original post on Blog Reload