What if ATS Had Been Around Back In...

I read a lot of “game over” stuff here on ATS. But I have always wondered about this in a historical context. What if we had the 24/7 hyperventilation news cycle and internet during:

The McCarthy hearings?
Watergate?
Pearl Harbor?
The Civil War?
Abolition of Slavery?
The Zimmerman Telegram?
The Great Depression?

What would ATSers say about some of this stuff as it happened? Of course we will never know. But how often do ATSers take today’s events and put them in a historical context? Is the stuff happening today as pivotal as some of events above? Is Wikileaks or the BP Oil Spill as weighty as the Vietnam War? Is the erosion of our freedoms and government propaganda today as drastic as they were during our lead in to WW I?

If we did have all that stuff back then, I am guessing we would have a better record to judge the past. The sheer volume of material out there to reconstruct the real story would provide a much clearer picture to guide the way versus the text book nonsense our kids are taught today. Perhaps this is why TPTB are trying to cripple the internet as we speak. Kind of like the Pharaohs of Egypt scratching their predecessor's names and deeds from the monuments to further sensationalize their own name and deeds.

reply to post by ABNARTY


Amen! Man you sure make a point!
I've often wondered this myself, think how history would have changed.
Please don't let them take away the freedom of speech we have with the internet.

It is already proven as fact that if the web in it's current capacity existed in the 1930's that Nazi Germany would've never gained political power and would've been nothing more then a distant memory. Within weeks of the roundup there would've been cellphone pics, camera pics undercover video of the concentration camps as well as a detailed map in pdf format of all camps.

The reason why slavery was never allowed via the Constution was the fact that the Fouding Fathers knew and had enough faith in the future that we'd eventually outgrow it and abolish it.

McCarthy would've never become a Congressman.

Regarding Pearl people here would've been crying foul because we could've stopped it but didn't.

History as we know it would've been a helluva lot different. Think of it this way, if we block one item we put an even larger item on delay.

You have a great deal of faith in the internet.

Originally posted by TheImmaculateD1
It is already proven as fact that if the web in it's current capacity existed in the 1930's that Nazi Germany would've never gained political power and would've been nothing more then a distant memory. Within weeks of the roundup there would've been cellphone pics, camera pics undercover video of the concentration camps as well as a detailed map in pdf format of all camps.

Yet conspiracies revolving around FEMA camps are still going strong. Julian Assange is attacked daily by 'the internet', calling for his head and how he should be judged and executed while the army private who sent in the documents is held without due process in solitary confinement.

The reason why slavery was never allowed via the Constution was the fact that the Fouding Fathers knew and had enough faith in the future that we'd eventually outgrow it and abolish it.

Eventually grow out of it? Isn't that irresponsible-parent-speak for 'I know it's wrong but I'm not going to do anything, it'll fix itself?' I can hardly believe the same people who took up arms against a world superpower would be so short-sighted as to assume that the slavery issue would just 'fix itself'. The issue tore the country apart. Yeah, we 'grew out of it'.

McCarthy would've never become a Congressman.

Just like Michelle Bachmann, Steve King or pick any other whackjob member of congress...

Regarding Pearl people here would've been crying foul because we could've stopped it but didn't.

What, in your opinion, could we have done?

History as we know it would've been a helluva lot different. Think of it this way, if we block one item we put an even larger item on delay.

edit on 26-12-2010 by TheImmaculateD1 because: (no reason given)

I, daresay, think it might've gone just the same. While information may be more readily available, it's been shown that we use it no better than we did before the internet.

reply to post by TheImmaculateD1


I think we are on the same sheet of music. The internet allows immediate communication world wide. I am not sure how we have a proven point on a hypothetical question, but I see where you are going with it.

reply to post by links234


I think the point is not that unworthy people get elected, poor legislation gets passed, or unjust deeds happen. We just know about it much faster.

I think we are in a cross over period with the communication provided by the internet. The older generations may not be as savy with it as some of the younger generations. In time this will change. More and more people will harness the internet and its potential. Sure there will still be dumb stuff out there but unlike print, radio, or TV, folks can immediately cross reference things they hear to verify it. No longer will they have to rely on what they are told. They can look for themselves. Of course this improvement is not guaranteed, but the strong potential exists. The strong potential also exists for TPTB to torpedo the freedom the world currently enjoys through the internet.

I fully believe this frightens those who exist and operate solely due to public ignorance. Historically, we could be looking at a similar impact printing presses made or steam power made. Of course, trying to guess how it would have effected history is just a thought game.

Good question. Obviously the free and unfiltered exchange of information that we enjoy here today would have had a big impact on events of the past.

The first thing that came to mind was Pearl Harbor. I'm sure someone would have figured out that we had been reading Japan's encrypted communications and asked the question, well, how did we miss this? Course it might have gotten pretty sticky since it was a time of war and all that.

They would have had to have killed a lot more people over the Kennedy assassination. Someone would have been screaming conspiracy within minutes of the shooting. They'd had to have roving hit squads to take people out. It would have been a bumper year for accidents and suicides. Course, the outcome would have probably been the same. They would have just had to work a little harder to make it all work out.

reply to post by LazyGuy


I like the bit about the JFK assassination

Roving hit squads

I think all the 9/11 types would spend nearly a decade of their lives trying to prove that Pearl Harbour was really the doing of the US government as an excuse to invade Japan

Wikipedia would have a field day also with some of the craziness of the past!

reply to post by woogleuk


Well, the Zimmerman Telegram was the Wikileaks of the day and was utilized by the pro-war factions in the US.

"A decade of their life.."

The Prez has had ATS in the basement since 1776

No, really !