If you could change history

[Serrland]

Or, people would find something other than stone and metal to attach value to. Rare feathers, maybe? Seashells? Could make for a fascinating world.

Oh, they did. As the wikipedia article on the topic put it (paraphrasing): "Throughout history, humans have used different types of objects, such as precious metals, stones, knives, feathers, and human beings as currency".

That more or less stopped having international political significance in the western world with the advent of gold backed currency (with certain exceptions, particularly in the non-Western world).

[Farnhamia]

Or, people would find something other than stone and metal to attach value to. Rare feathers, maybe? Seashells? Could make for a fascinating world.

Oh, they did. As the wikipedia article on the topic put it (paraphrasing): "Throughout history, humans have used different types of objects, such as precious metals, stones, knives, feathers, and human beings as currency".

It's still stones but an interesting variation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rai_stones

[Fintanland]

It's still stones but an interesting variation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rai_stones

Yes, I know. It's really cool! If a vending machine eats your cash, you can just smash it with the remaining change.

[The Realm of God]

Oh, they did. As the wikipedia article on the topic put it (paraphrasing): "Throughout history, humans have used different types of objects, such as precious metals, stones, knives, feathers, and human beings as currency".

That more or less stopped having international political significance in the western world with the advent of gold backed currency (with certain exceptions, particularly in the non-Western world).

The idea is that nothing has intrinsic value other than whatever someone is prepared to pay fot it. For example ten buckets of polluted river water is worthless, because nobody wants polluted river water, you might get money for the buckets. If someone who was crazy or had more money than sense was prepared to pay a million pounds for my polluted river water, then my river water is now worth a million pounds. The economy is bizarre like that.

[Fintanland]

The idea is that nothing has intrinsic value other than whatever someone is prepared to pay fot it. For example ten buckets of polluted river water is worthless, because nobody wants polluted river water, you might get money for the buckets. If someone who was crazy or had more money than sense was prepared to pay a million pounds for my polluted river water, then my river water is now worth a million pounds. The economy is bizarre like that.

Exactly. Millions of Indians take long pilgrimages to bathe in polluted river water. Humans are odd like that.

[Kleomentia]

Id give Czar Dusan Silni 30 more years of life. The bastard died to soon.

[Fintanland]

Oh, another good one: Get Crown Prince Rudolf a good therapist who talks him out of that (murder-? double-?) suicide thingy. That way, there would be a nice, educated humanist as a crown prince.

[The Realm of God]

The idea is that nothing has intrinsic value other than whatever someone is prepared to pay fot it. For example ten buckets of polluted river water is worthless, because nobody wants polluted river water, you might get money for the buckets. If someone who was crazy or had more money than sense was prepared to pay a million pounds for my polluted river water, then my river water is now worth a million pounds. The economy is bizarre like that.

Exactly. Millions of Indians take long pilgrimages to bathe in polluted river water. Humans are odd like that.

Yeah, but the idea of the bucket scenario caused the 2007 financial crisis. People take credit when they can't pay it back on worthless properties and wonder about the effect on the economy.

[Farnhamia]

It's still stones but an interesting variation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rai_stones

Yes, I know. It's really cool! If a vending machine eats your cash, you can just smash it with the remaining change.

If it doesn't, though, you had better stand well to the side when the machine starts giving you your change.

[Serrland]

That more or less stopped having international political significance in the western world with the advent of gold backed currency (with certain exceptions, particularly in the non-Western world).

The idea is that nothing has intrinsic value other than whatever someone is prepared to pay fot it. For example ten buckets of polluted river water is worthless, because nobody wants polluted river water, you might get money for the buckets. If someone who was crazy or had more money than sense was prepared to pay a million pounds for my polluted river water, then my river water is now worth a million pounds. The economy is bizarre like that.

Sorry - I wasn't clear. I was simply suggesting that human history would be tremendously different if precious stones/metals had not become the basis for currency. Imagine colonization - would the Spanish have bothered colonizing Mexico to the extent they did if gold was not significant? How different would South African history, for example - or even the Scramble for Africa in general - have been if diamonds and such were not considered to be terribly valuable?

[Serrland]

Oh, they did. As the wikipedia article on the topic put it (paraphrasing): "Throughout history, humans have used different types of objects, such as precious metals, stones, knives, feathers, and human beings as currency".

It's still stones but an interesting variation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rai_stones

I bet they didn't have trouble keeping track of their money.

[Fintanland]

Sorry - I wasn't clear. I was simply suggesting that human history would be tremendously different if precious stones/metals had not become the basis for currency. Imagine colonization - would the Spanish have bothered colonizing Mexico to the extent they did if gold was not significant? How different would South African history, for example - or even the Scramble for Africa in general - have been if diamonds and such were not considered to be terribly valuable?

Well... there are still other resources to consider. Sugar and spices from America (not to mention the slaves needed to cultivate the sugar).

[Scholencia]

It wouldn't be terrible. There was no 'bad' side during WW1.

I guess, but I can't see a victorious Wilhemine Germany being good for humanity.

Sure. Nor do anybody see how the Versailles system and frano-uk nationalism are good for humabity.

[Freiheit Reich]

Attitudes towards race are not as strong as they were.

Unless "Gringo maricon" now means "Live long and prosper" in Spanish, you are 1000% wrong.

You can't blame southerners for being uncomfortable about the Hispanic population explosion. The changes have been fast. Even in my area of Florida it is shocking. In middle school I only encountered a few hispanics, in high school I worked with some at McDonald's but there were many in my high school classes. I went back and now there are Mexican grocers and restaurants everywhere (the restaurants are a plus). Some areas feel like they are majority Mexican. Soon there will be many towns that are majority Hispanic. How would you feel about being marginalized in your own city? This has already happened in many California cities. The whites are getting pushed out of more and more places.

The changes have been too fast. The USA already has too many people. The southerners could be more tolerant but understand their concerns as well.

[Conscentia]

I guess, but I can't see a victorious Wilhemine Germany being good for humanity.

Sure. Nor do anybody see how the Versailles system and frano-uk nationalism are good for humabity.

The results discredited fascism, nazism, antisemitism, imperialism, etc.

[Aleckandor]

Make mayonnaise an instrument.

[Nazis in Space]

Why do you hate thy fellow humans?

It wouldn't be terrible. There was no 'bad' side during WW1.

Sure there was. Applying modern standards of regime-acceptability,

• Germany applied a universal, one-man, one-vote election system (On the state level), everyone aged 25 and up had the vote. The parliament couldn't directly effect the cabinet, but it controlled the state's finances and could use this to apply pressure indirectly
• Russia applied an election system that directly and intentionally disadvantaged the cities, the not-landowning peasantry, and minorities. The Duma had little actual power
• Austria applied the same one man, one vote, universal suffrage for males system Germany did
• Britain's lower and upper houses had the greatest power of all the parliaments, but only male land- and homeowners had the vote, meaning that its election results were actually less representative than Russia's, making it, in effect, a bourgeoise oligarchy
• France's parliament was no weaker than Britain's, nfi about its election system

As we can see, the kinda, sorta, relatively democratic central powers tragically lost their fight for freedom against the kinda, sorta, relatively authoritarian éntente.

[Divair]

Make mayonnaise an instrument.

wat

[Death Metal]

Unless "Gringo maricon" now means "Live long and prosper" in Spanish, you are 1000% wrong.

You can't blame southerners for being uncomfortable about the Hispanic population explosion. The changes have been fast. Even in my area of Florida it is shocking. In middle school I only encountered a few hispanics, in high school I worked with some at McDonald's but there were many in my high school classes. I went back and now there are Mexican grocers and restaurants everywhere (the restaurants are a plus). Some areas feel like they are majority Mexican. Soon there will be many towns that are majority Hispanic. How would you feel about being marginalized in your own city? This has already happened in many California cities. The whites are getting pushed out of more and more places.

It's nothing to do with the population explosion. It's that racial harassment is still happening, and happening on both sides now. I've been refused service for being white, I've been insulted by McDonald's employees and school faculty for being white, I was harassed daily in schools and on the streets for being white.

And then there's the whites in the Tampa area being racist, and the Hispanics being racist against other Hispanics.

[Yehuddah]

I would prevent the holocaust from happening I guess.

[Arglorand]

I would have established a National Socialist isolated state on Iceland.

Why do you hate Iceland?

[DrakoBlaria]

I would start the Greek revolution about a year earlier. I would like to see what Napoleon would do

[Wamitoria]

Mongols never unify.

Eurasia in general would be better off.

[Farnhamia]

I would start the Greek revolution about a year earlier. I would like to see what Napoleon would do

The Greek Revolution started in 1821, by which time Napoleon had been out of power and on a rock in the South Atlantic for six years. In fact, died in 1821. The Filiki Eteria was founded in 1814 but the Emperor was a little busy that year to take much notice of a revolutionary organization that consisted of three men and was only whispered about.

[Farnhamia]

Unless "Gringo maricon" now means "Live long and prosper" in Spanish, you are 1000% wrong.

You can't blame southerners for being uncomfortable about the Hispanic population explosion. The changes have been fast. Even in my area of Florida it is shocking. In middle school I only encountered a few hispanics, in high school I worked with some at McDonald's but there were many in my high school classes. I went back and now there are Mexican grocers and restaurants everywhere (the restaurants are a plus). Some areas feel like they are majority Mexican. Soon there will be many towns that are majority Hispanic. How would you feel about being marginalized in your own city? This has already happened in many California cities. The whites are getting pushed out of more and more places.

The changes have been too fast. The USA already has too many people. The southerners could be more tolerant but understand their concerns as well.

I understand their concerns. My advice is, move. That's what I'm told when I dislike things like the fact that I can't marry the woman I love because I'm a woman, too. So move somewhere else.