and I am not just talking about what if Gore won Florida. Or what if a President Gore prevented 9/11. Or what if he didn't and the Republicans held control of Congress?
One of my favorite games is to play "what if" throughout history. I know, I am a nerd. But what if history followed a different course? Indeed there is a sub genre of science fiction material dedicated to "Alternate History." And this is not only a game, but a philisophical theory of the universe as well. Someone wiser than me once said that there are as many universes out there as decisions you make in day. What if you turned left instead of right? Somewhere out there, you did turn right, and the consequences that followed, no matter how insignificant, changed your life.
I like to offer a distraction from the horrors of the news and our every day lives tonight. Discuss what the world might be like if a certain action wasn't taken. Or if a certain presidential candidate was or was not elected? Or if a certain tragedy or event or war did not take place? How will history as we know be different? You can even predict ahead into the future if you wish. How will Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq affect the future? How will Bush's decision to follow the Sharon plan change history?
What if JFK survived?
What if Huey Long wasn't assasinated?
What if Dewey beat Truman?
What if Nixon fessed up in August 1972?
What if we went to war with Iran in 1979?
What if Dukakis beat Bush?
What if Clinton resigned in 1998 or 1999?
What if he was impeached AND removed from office?
What if we didn't land at Normandy?
What if we invaded Japan and didn't use the A-Bomb?
What if we entered the League of Nations in 1920?
What if Lee won Gettysburg?
There are thousands more out there.
Have at it.