History is the study of life. Now, before you say, “No, Blake, Biology is the study of life,” let me remind you that we’re talking about semantics. Life in history is not the same as life in biology. In history, we study why things happen. Sometimes we study this to learn the reasons behind events. Some people, though, realize the necessity of studying history so that we can learn the lessons of the past, and are therefore no longer doomed to repeat them.
There’s the over-generalization of history: stuff happened and people died.
There’s the over-specialization of history: “Stonewall” Jackson ate every meal standing up.
Then… there is alternate history.
I love alternate history, because it combines my two favorite school subjects, history and creative writing, in a wonderful blend of pseudo-factual fiction. World War II is the subject of much alternate history writing. What if Japan had pressed its advantage after Pearl Harbor? What if Germany had better fortified Northern France during June of 1944? What if the Allies had lost the Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne? What if Japan had not spread its forces so thin in the Pacific? What if the US lost the Battle of Midway?
The list of “what if’s” is a great read. Some people think of it as morbid curiosity. I think of it as decent fiction, with the caveat of having the knowledge to know how close some of these things came to happening…
It made me think: what alternate history will be written for our generation? So I came up with a few “What If” questions concerning recent history… Granted, the details aren’t the best, I still think these are interesting…
1. What if the 2000 Florida recount had gone to Gore?
This is sort of the lynch-pin alternate history question of our time. When George W. Bush was elected President in November of 2000, the race in Florida was so close that it went to multiple recounts, finally reaching the U. S. Supreme Court, where Bush was eventually declared the victor. The Democratic Party pushed for more recounts in the state, but, in what some view as a devastating move, only wanted to recount certain counties, and not the whole state. Historians say that, had the entire state been recounted, Gore would have won the Presidency outright.
Gore would’ve taken the White House in January of 2001, and probably much like Bush, his first few months in office would have been quiet. The likelihood, though, is that the terror attacks of September 11th still would have happened. Gore’s response is the question. The military strikes on Afghanistan would still be in order, eliminating the Taliban and the safe-houses for Al-Qaeda.
Also, Gore would undoubtedly have handled the nation’s economic situation differently. The “Bush” tax cuts would not likely have happened. Nor would the “economic stimulus” check have ever been devised.
2. What if United Airlines flight 93 had reached its target?
I know that this question seems morose, but the answer needs to be studied. The most likely target of United 93 was the United States Capital Building. Had the people on the flight not fought back, and the terrorists been able to carry out their mission that day, the Capital would have been in ruins. An untold number of congressmen and Senators would be dead, and the government would be in shambles. The Legislative branch of the government would be a shell of its former self. The fallout would range from increasing the power of the Judicial and Executive branches until a new Congress was installed, or an immediate appointment of representatives by state governments. Either way, the ripple effect across the nation would be devastating.
Al-Qaeda would release tapes bragging about eliminating the government in one day. The enemies of the United States would step forward en masse, knowing that the nation had been crippled by losing most of the federal government.
3. What if the state and local governments had handled the Hurricane Katrina disaster differently?
The fallout from Hurricane Katrina and the disaster relief is one of the biggest black eyes handed out to the Bush administration. George W. Bush was blamed for everything from senior citizens left behind in flooding hospitals, to the breaking of the levees. The population of New Orleans was given ample warning of the coming storm, and the intensity it would bring. Some people left of their own accord, other banded together to get out. But some were too poor to leave. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin had the opportunity to effect great change in the evacuation, but he did nothing. Hundreds of city school buses sat in flooded lots in the days after the storm. By simply getting the bus drivers to go house to house, getting people together to escape the wrath of the storm, Nagin could have forever altered history. Instead, the buses sat empty and Nagin and many other began pointing at FEMA.
Four days before the storm hit, weather forecasts were saying New Orleans was directly in the path of the Category 5 storm. The eye passed just miles from the city, but the storm graciously weakened to a Category 3 before landfall. Still, vast stretches of I-10 over Lake Ponchatrain were demolished.
In the alternative history, Nagin launched a fleet a buses. As the inhabitants of the Lower Ninth Ward evacuated, the Hurricane slammed into the coast, battering a deserted city. In the aftermath of the storm, FEMA moved in, with the aid of the state government, and successfully rendered aid to the people.
4. What if FDR had lived to the end of his fourth term as President?
Franklin D. Roosevelt served the longest amount of time as President in the nation’s history. Sadly, he died during his fourth term, just before the end of World War II. Harry Truman took over the office and ended the war with the use of the atomic bomb.
Bu what if FDR had survived? There are two competing schools of thought. The first says FDR would’ve stepped down, rolling back the myriad programs he put in place under the New Deal to save the country from the Depression. The other claims that he would’ve run for re-election again, saying “okay, you want it, you got it, I’m King Rooselvelt.”
5. What if there was no Clay Aiken?
One can only dream.
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