The meaning of life, Time Travle Theory #4 (standard:Editorials, 735 words)
Author: Tanada	Added: Jan 17 2003	Views/Reads: 4358/0	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Why are we here and what should we do about it?

Why are we here?  What is the purpose of life? 

Time travle Theory 4 

You can go back and change things which creates an alternate universe.
However as time progresses the differences between different 
alternatives tend to even each other out and the Universe as a whole 
doesn't notice, on the grand scale of things. 

Does it ultimately matter that D.C. Stephenson killed Madge Oberholtzer
and was convicted thus destroying the KKK in the 1920's in America? 
What if he had gotten away with it and acheived his ambition of 
becoming President in 1929? He would have been President when the Great 
Depression occured and likely booted out of office in 1933 when Herbert 
Hoover with his New Deal took office and created his America. 

So what, 1,000 years in the future will anyone care about the President
in 1929 or 1933? What I mean is, in the grand scheme of things will 
Hitler always be significant or will the Hollocaust just be a blip two 
lines long in a history text 1,000 years from now? If he is still 
significant to historians in 3003 AD will he be considered significant 
in 4003 AD? I rather doubt it myself. 

Who you are and what you do is only significant to those who lived when
you did, or who directly benefitted from your life. Christ is one 
example of this, Mohammed is another. In the non-religious sense Julius 
Ceasur, Augustus and Nero are the only three Roman Emporers the average 
American can name, if they can even name three. That makes all the 
other Roman Emporer's insignificant in their day to day impact for the 
average American. 

How about Egyptian Pharoes? I can name a few, Ramses II, King
Tutunkahmen, and Cleopatra come to mind. Yet there were thousands of 
years of Egyptian pharoes, they lived, they made policy, egypt waxed 
and waned under their rule and yet today they are insignificant to 
almost everyone. 

To make this personal say I went back to WW II and inadvertently
derailed the Manhatten project in 1944. This would be very bad for me 
as my father was a landing craft pilot who was schedualed to invade 
Japan in November 1945. Odds are he would have been killed if the 
Japanese had resisted the invasion by the time it happenned. 

BUT Japan would still have lost the war and the baby boom would still
have happenned after the war. I probably wouldn't have resulted from 
that time period BUT a million or so males would have been born around 
the same general time I was, many of them would have had a similer 
upbringing and a few of them would have had a personallity and talents 
like mine. 

Everyone is replaceable in a historical sense, if the timing is right a
Great Man can rise to the challenge. Look at Rudolph Gulliani, before 
9/11/2001 he was on his way out as a mayor tainted with scandles, 
probably to be forgotten within a year of leaving office. As it is he 
will be remembered until those who saw him handle the 9/11 situation 
competently have all passed away themselves. Maybe he will even get his 
two lines in a history text book in 3001 AD. But will it REALLY matter 
to those who go about their own lives and own concerns in 3001 AD? 

Does it REALLY matter to you that Julius Ceasur walked the streets of
Rome?  Or is he just a historical abstract you think you know something 
about? 

For myself Alternate history is fun and entertaining, but what really
matters to me is the here and the now, this is what I can influence and 
what can influence me. 

Maybe I will get that 2 lines of text in a history book in 3001 AD,
maybe I won't <probably I won't>. Does it matter to me? Once upon a 
time I dreamed of being a Great Man of Historical Importence. As I got 
older I learned that Great Men of Historical Importence were for the 
most part totally self involved egotists who had no home life, no real 
friends, and no emotional attachments. They were the "Great Leader" 
type who were eternally seeking the spotlight and eternally alone. 

Then is interesting, intriguing, entertaining. Now is family, friends,
and plans for the unknown future.  Do the best you can with what you 
have and let History write itself. 


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