What failed event would have had the greatest effect on the world?

Discussion in 'History' started by Neurocomp2003, Feb 1, 2004.

  1. Spyke Registered Senior Member

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    I'm not so certain that a victory at Actium by Marc Antony would have turned Rome into a province of Egypt and shifted the center of power to Cairo. That was pretty much just a myth spread by Octavian himself to turn the Roman people against Antony. Octavian claimed to have found Antony's will, which supposedly left everything to Cleopatra's children, but historian's doubt this was anything more than a rumor started by Octavian. Antony had enjoyed a lot of popularity in Rome, the city was pretty much divided in its support of the two leaders, so Octavian had needed to turn Rome fully against Antony. But it is just as likely that had Antony won he would have returned triumphantly to Rome and ruled from there.

    But a naval victory over Octavian would have still left Agrippa's legions, who supported Octavian, to be dealt with, and that was no sure thing for Antony. Antony's army had been surrounded in its base and had its communications and supplies cut off by Agrippa's legions prior to the naval battle. Of course, Agrippa might have given his support to Antony if Octavian had been defeated, but it is just as likely that if Antony had indicated he was going to establish himself in Cairo, that Agrippa, or another general, would have challenged him, although Agrippa was the most likely.
     
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  3. phil scalcione tolum Registered Senior Member

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    According to prominent historians, if the Romans lost the battle of Actium against Egypt, then the world would have proceeded with asian dominance instead of european, and society would be advanced today by 200 years
     
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  5. phil scalcione tolum Registered Senior Member

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    If the Romans lost the battle of Actium, we would be advanced by 200 years and basking in an asian culture instead of european.
     
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  7. phil scalcione tolum Registered Senior Member

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    If the Romans lost the battle of Actium, then the world today would be totally asian and not european. society today would be 200 years advanced.
     
  8. Spyke Registered Senior Member

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    Why? It would have been Romans losing to Romans either way. And even if Antony had won, Octavian losing still left formidable Roman forces loyal to Rome intact. It would have been the equivalent of the British losing at Yorktown. The British simply decided to cut its losses in the colonies and save the rest of the empire. Yorktown did not signal the defeat of British forces. A loss at Actium would not have automatically shifted the center of influence to Egypt.
     
  9. Dinosaur Rational Skeptic Valued Senior Member

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    I tend to agree that the battle of Actium would not have shifted the balance of power in the Roman Empire toward Asia or the Middle East. However, it probably woould have allowed of a lot of cultural influences from Egypt. Egypt at that time was heavily influenced by Greek culture via Alexander. The Roman engineering and military orientation might very well have been modified toward the Greek culture which put more emphasis on philosophy, pure mathematics, art literature, et cetera.
     
  10. Lemming3k Insanity Gone Mad Registered Senior Member

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    Failed event? thats not nessecarily a war is it? how about if the extinction of the dinosaurs failed? that would have a pretty grand effect on the world.
     
  11. Rick Valued Senior Member

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    If Nirvana would have survived much longer...

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    Miss you.

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    bye!
     
  12. zira Registered Senior Member

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    113
    What if Gorbatchev and Andropov saved the USSR:

    Suppose that on the day Breshnev decided to invade Afghanistan,
    Andropov and Gorbatchev had successfully convinced the central committee of the party, and the supreme command of the Red Army that Breshnev was a dangerous old fool, best to be "retired" immediately...
    and that the Red Army should NOT go to Afghanistan...

    Imagine the celebrations in 2001 of the 80th birthday of USSR with Andropov, Gorbatchev and Janajev on the tribune in Moscow.
    G.W.Bush, T.Blair, J.Chirac and G.Schroeder and many other international statesmen are obviously guests at these ceremonies.

    Evolution in the 90ties:
    Andropov is governing USSR with an "iron fist" and Gorbatchev as minister of economy has made all necessary capitalist reforms.
    But Eastern Europe is freed, the Baltics inclusive, because the Soviets have understood that "smaller is more effective". The Comecon and "Treaty of Warsaw" have been denied by USSR itself.
    Cold war and armement race of East and West have been ended as well, because Andropov understood it was to expensive and had no single advantage.
    So USSR is economically successful, but politically a one-party regime, like China....
     
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2004
  13. MacM Registered Senior Member

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    Hadn't President Bush (Sr) not puked on his Chinese hosts at the banquete.

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  14. zira Registered Senior Member

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    :-?

    In 2001 G.W.Bush (junior) is US president.
    Not the father (sr).

    Did G.Bush (sr. or jr.) anytime puke on somebody at a banquette? I don't know such an incident...?
     
  15. MacM Registered Senior Member

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    Zira,

    ANS: Yes, Bush senior puked on the Chinese leader at the State Dinner during his visit to China. I don't temember the year but he was a one term president and I believe it was in his 3 - 4 year of the term.
     
  16. zira Registered Senior Member

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    113

    MacM,
    Oh, that was a diplomatic "faux-pas"....
    Imagine how important especially hygiene is in the eyes of any Chinese.
    How did it occur? Was it an intended gesture to express disregard for the person? Or was it by mistake, for example by forced unintended caughing while eating or drinking...?
     
  17. MacM Registered Senior Member

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    10,104
    zira,

    I don't think it was the food they served but he had caught the flu or something and was still trying to carry out his diplomatic mission. This wasn't a mere spoon full of coughed up flem. He vomited all over the guy and supper table infront of national TV.

    Here it is:

    George HW Bush
    ... 25 Oct 1974, George Bush is sent to China as Chief of the US Liaison ... 8 Jan 1992,
    President George HW Bush vomits in the lap of Japanese Prime Minister Miyazawa ...
    www.rotten.com/library/bio/presidents/george-hw-bush/ - 43k - Cached - Similar pages
     
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2004
  18. phil scalcione tolum Registered Senior Member

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    I think
    bush got a whiff of the broccoli warfting out of the kitchen
     
  19. Nick Stenson Registered Member

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    evolution would have been completly differnt if the dinosaurs had never become extinct...think about it... how the dinos had evolved in there time period... if they were never killed off them what would they have evolved into.. would man have been the dinos prey... would lifes exhists mean to flee from them, then none of these wars or pople dying would have taken place... how ever they were killed.. thank god cuz i wouldnt b here typing to u guys
     
  20. Alaric Registered Senior Member

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    61
    Continuing with the Vikings (around 1000 AD), imagine if they had developed a permanent settlement in North America and taught the Natives how to make iron, or brought the horse over. Good gravy that would have changed things.

    Or if that Chinese explore Zheng He (1400's AD) had not been stopped by his government and kept exploring, and china had started opening trade routes to India and settling in Australia.
     
  21. zira Registered Senior Member

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    113
    Interesting idea.
    A world with mamals only as tall as mice.
    Would the dinos have evoluated into variants running on two feet, using their hands, and speeking...?

    Maybe there would now be a "homo sapiens" with biological dino characteristics, for instance the skin...
    Something like the species of the aliens in "Visitors".
    And I'm sure a world dominated by that creature would be very similar to our's, not better, not worse.

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    The major difference:
    these humans would have other dinos as cattle.

    Big ones instead of cows and pigs.
    Small ones like archiopterix as replacement for chicken.

    Would "dinoboys" ride on dinos instead of horses, in the Wild West?

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  22. Dinosaur Rational Skeptic Valued Senior Member

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    Dinosaurs were very successful for well ove 100 million years without evolving a hint of intelligence. No reason to suppose they would have developed it if they had not become extinct.
     
  23. MacM Registered Senior Member

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    10,104
    Dinosaur,

    ?: Am I wrong? I thought they had decided that Raptors were highly intelligent and worked collectively with communication and planning.
     

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