2000 People Learn Future History Up To 2010

[Zyobot]

After the collapse of the USSR and the apparent triumph of global capitalism in its wake, the people of the 1990s were looking for a bright future ahead of them as they headed into the twenty-first century. Though the brief scare caused by Y2K wracked society for a time with apocalyptic fears of planes crashing and elevators no longer working, the panic that ensued was largely for nought as the public calmed down and went back to their humdrum lives as usual. Sadly, that sense of relief and revived optimism wouldn't last long. For 9/11 and the responses of governments around the world catalyzed another round of tumult that culminated in erosion of civil liberties via the Patriot Act, massive Wall Street scandals like those of Enron and Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme, the invasion of Iraq ultimately blowing up in America's face, and the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression hitting global markets in 2008--an event that at the eleventh hour, swung the presidential election that year in favor of the United States' first black president, Barack Obama.

So, hoping to change the future for the better--but not wanting to demoralize people by informing them of what's to come in 2020--what if ASB were to bestow knowledge of what happens leading up to 2010 onto the people of January 1st, 2000? And made it obvious so that aside from a new adamant deniers, no one doubted the veracity of what they've just learned?

My first guess is that the US will rush to preemptively stop 9/11 from happening this time, with Governor Bush's chances of becoming president taking an epic nosedive and necessitating a different, less interventionist GOP candidate to take his place. Reactions to breakthroughs like the iPhone ought to prove interesting, with the same applying to follow-ups like the iPad and competing smart devices released by the likes of Samsung and Google. 2010 seemingly being before excessive screen time becoming a major moral boogeyman, I'm guessing that there would be much less reluctance to adopt them once they arrive on the market, a demand that Apple and its fellow tech companies will surely aim to meet sooner than IOTL. Lastly, an aforementioned professor at the University of Chicago Law School will have just received the news of a lifetime: that in another 2008, he was elected to be the next president of the United States. And due to the fact that millions of other people have also been made aware of this, cue armies of reporters knocking on Obama’s door and asking for an interview with him over how it feels to know that in another history, he became POTUS.

But that's all I have to share for now. What do others here think will ensue, now that people all over the world know what would've happened during the next decade, had ASB not intervened and let the timeline run its original course?

Thank you in advance,

Zyobot

[stevep]

   Well I would agree that Bush junior is probably dead in the water politically. Between 9/11, the mess of Iraq which by 2010 was fairly clearly nothing to do with fighting bin Laden and Hurricane Katrina, plus the 2008 crash.  Suspect given the shadow over the Republicans in general and how close the 2000 election was Gore will end up winning this time.  Especially if it persuades a number of people to vote for Gore rather than Nader.  I suspect knowledge of the 9/11 attack would mean that the US still target bin Laden.

  The big issues might be the growing problems with Putin's abuses in Russia, although their less clear by 2010 and the 2008 crash.  I wonder if, especially with a Gore victory there would be steps to limit the banking excesses that caused much of the problems.  It might be too late and the fiscal sector have a lot of political power so probably still a lot of very dodgy behaviour but at the least some of the worst of the crash might be avoided.

  There will be some similar impacts in Britain.  Blair is likely to suffer a big hit in his popularity and might be forced to resign in favour of Brown earlier.  Again hopefully steps will be taken to rein in the excesses of the bankers, although their probably got even more power in the UK than the US.  Cameron might emerge as a Tory leader a bit earlier as well as he played the part of a more responsible and moral Tory until he got into power.  However could be other changes in both parties.  Going to be especially influential with figures who die in avoidable ways as some people could live a bit longer.

  In terms of the Lib Dems I'm not sure whether Huhne might have become leader instead of Clegg, which possibly might have avoided the OTL disaster of the latter as leader although assuming Huhne still helps cover up his wife's speed offense that could come back to bite him later.

  Personally, if I know of a few things that occurred I would almost certainly have made a few changes, albeit to what extent I don't know.  Might avoid getting stuck in a dead end job which probably means I end up working a bit longer rather than taking VR, although there's still the abortion that was the new accommodation the morons on top imposed on everybody so could still end up leaving early.  2010 is too soon to know about mum's later illness so that's still to come.