Frivolous ASB thread

[Zyobot]

Apr 4, 2019 12:57:51 GMT raunchel said:

Apr 4, 2019 11:43:30 GMT Zyobot said:

I'm...unsure how the engineering and logistics of a planetary wall would work. And what use would an interstellar trade war be assuming that the aliens don't rely on Earth for any economic reasons?

We instate tariffs of course. Or rather, the US does. And a wall is simple. You build a wall around the country and then put a roof over it.

...About the tariffs, even though we're not (yet) reliant on trade with the aliens whose delegation crashed here, we'd likely pass up a great many opportunities by getting off on the wrong foot with beings from outer space. Though, they probably did that first by totaling the POTUS's vegetable garden.

Regarding the wall, well...that'd be rather ludicrous. In terms of engineering, funding, getting Congress and the American people to agree to it, yada yada yada. Suddenly, the Great Wall of China looks like child's play compared to a nation-enclosing one.

And yes, I'm sure you're joking. I still felt a need to comment anyways.

[lordroel]

Apr 4, 2019 13:05:00 GMT Zyobot said:

Apr 4, 2019 12:57:51 GMT raunchel said:

We instate tariffs of course. Or rather, the US does. And a wall is simple. You build a wall around the country and then put a roof over it.

...About the tariffs, even though we're not (yet) reliant on trade with the aliens whose delegation crashed here, we'd likely pass up a great many opportunities by getting off on the wrong foot with beings from outer space. Though, they probably did that first by totaling the POTUS's vegetable garden.

Regarding the wall, well...that'd be rather ludicrous. In terms of engineering, funding, getting Congress and the American people to agree to it, yada yada yada. Suddenly, the Great Wall of China looks like child's play compared to a nation-enclosing one.

And yes, I'm sure you're joking. I still felt a need to comment anyways.

And that’s why this kind of talking belongs in this thread.

[Zyobot]

The previous ASB scenario I thought of made me think of another one: 'WI President Trump Encountered The Iron Giant?' You know, the one from the 1999 movie of the same name.

[Zyobot]

'WI The Global Homicide Rate Dropped To Zero--And Stayed There?' This is one of those frivolous ASBs that I often wish would actually happen.

[stevep]

Apr 5, 2019 2:02:38 GMT Zyobot said:

'WI The Global Homicide Rate Dropped To Zero--And Stayed There?' This is one of those frivolous ASBs that I often wish would actually happen.

  It would be a shock, albeit a pleasant one, for just about everybody.  Details might depend on exactly how it worked.  I.e. still a lot of criminal violence and attacks by terrorists and violent insane people but by some means they never actually kill anybody.  In the latter case you could see a lot of people miraculously surviving but often with terrible injures. There was a Torchwood [Doctor Who spinoff] series once where people stopped dying from any means no matter how badly they were injured in accidents, violence etc and some of the problems this caused for society.  Governments were literally incinerating the people in the worse conditions to get rid of them. 

  Alternatively if for some reason people stop being violent at all that would also stop a vast amount of crimes and injuries but how exactly is this achieved.  Do the violent suddenly become good or are they magically prevented from actually doing violence.

  Also would homicide include state homicides, i.e. executions, working people to death in labour camps, torturing people to death etc.

[Zyobot]

Apr 5, 2019 12:32:11 GMT stevep said:

Apr 5, 2019 2:02:38 GMT Zyobot said:

'WI The Global Homicide Rate Dropped To Zero--And Stayed There?' This is one of those frivolous ASBs that I often wish would actually happen.

  It would be a shock, albeit a pleasant one, for just about everybody.  Details might depend on exactly how it worked.  I.e. still a lot of criminal violence and attacks by terrorists and violent insane people but by some means they never actually kill anybody.  In the latter case you could see a lot of people miraculously surviving but often with terrible injures. There was a Torchwood [Doctor Who spinoff] series once where people stopped dying from any means no matter how badly they were injured in accidents, violence etc and some of the problems this caused for society.  Governments were literally incinerating the people in the worse conditions to get rid of them. 

  Alternatively if for some reason people stop being violent at all that would also stop a vast amount of crimes and injuries but how exactly is this achieved.  Do the violent suddenly become good or are they magically prevented from actually doing violence.

  Also would homicide include state homicides, i.e. executions, working people to death in labour camps, torturing people to death etc.

Thank you for your points. I hadn't thought of the details of this scenario until you brought them to my attention, not that Frivolous ASBs would be thoroughly planned out anyways.

I suppose what I meant is that the violent no longer succeed in actually killing people, though grave bodily ruination may unfortunately still be on the table. And the state-conducted killings--outside of war, at least--still remain, as sad as that may often be.

And that Torchwood spinoff you're talking about sounds...downright horrifying. Even though I get that a billions-strong population of immortals poses a titanic problem for the world, incinerating them to ensure that they die is absolutely psychopathic and something that I think would call for an uprising in those countries where the governments engage in that practice.

[Zyobot]

WI The Imperial Japanese Aircraft Suddenly Disappeared Before They Could Bomb Pearl Harbor?

[lordroel]

Apr 5, 2019 21:30:25 GMT Zyobot said:

WI The Imperial Japanese Aircraft Suddenly Disappeared Before They Could Bomb Pearl Harbor?

Them the Pacific War might not happen.

[stevep]

Apr 5, 2019 21:43:54 GMT lordroel said:

Apr 5, 2019 21:30:25 GMT Zyobot said:

WI The Imperial Japanese Aircraft Suddenly Disappeared Before They Could Bomb Pearl Harbor?

Them the Pacific War might not happen.

  If Zyobot means while their in flight towards Pearl then it won't prevent the war as other forces are already attacking Malaya and Thailand and in the process of launching other attacks.  The Japanese fleet will be confused about the sudden disappearence of their a/c with none coming back and no reports of attacks on Hawaii but if they realise quickly that the a/c have gone they should be able to get away, especially as until the US hears about the attacks on the Philippines they won't know there's a war on involving them.  Its possibly that could heighten US security enough that more scouts are sent up and the fleet is detected but its unlikely that the US forces will be able to attack it in time, especially as they won't know it has no defensive a/c.

  The Japanese have lost pretty much all of their elite of highly trained carrier aircrew which their unlikely to be able to replace as later conflicts will wear down their other experienced crews and be very destructive of new aircrew rushed into service.  This could be a worse loss than that actual CVs as the latter would be little use without a/c.

  I'm not sure how important it would be for the vital conflicts in SE Asia.  The Kidō Butai wasn't used for the Malaya or Sumatran operations but did support the landings in Java in March 42 IIRC and were involved in a disruptive raid into the Indian Ocean before two CV suffered damage in the Coral Sea and 4 destroyed at Midway.  What could be the big issue would be if the US Pacific fleet or large parts of it were deployed to the region since its still in decent working order.  They might be limited by the fact they don't know the KB has effectively been crippled as they will have to assume its still active and a possible threat.

  Given that the Japanese carriers have been seriously weakened and that the big crippling carrier strike hasn't occurred and hence the old battleships are still the core of the US doctrine and will probably be markedly more important for the Japanese.  You might not see the same level of carrier activity or even importance for new construction of them although they will still emerge as the primary unit of surface naval strength, albeit more slowly.

 

[Zyobot]

Here's another (rather frivolous) WW2 idea: WI A Nuke Destroyed Berlin On September 1, 1939--The Same Day German Forces Blitzed Poland?

[lordroel]

Apr 6, 2019 3:59:46 GMT Zyobot said:

Here's another (rather frivolous) WW2 idea: WI A Nuke Destroyed Berlin On September 1, 1939--The Same Day German Forces Blitzed Poland?

Do we know Hitler that day is in Berlin.

[stevep]

Apr 6, 2019 8:11:27 GMT lordroel said:

Apr 6, 2019 3:59:46 GMT Zyobot said:

Here's another (rather frivolous) WW2 idea: WI A Nuke Destroyed Berlin On September 1, 1939--The Same Day German Forces Blitzed Poland?

Do we know Hitler that day is in Berlin.

  Suspect there's a good chance, as I don't think he had the Wolf's Lair then and he probably wants to be in the capital to make proclamations about the response to "Polish aggression" and the actions of the German forces.

  Even if he's not, if the destruction is pretty much total its going to take out a lot of the higher ranks of the Nazi party and the bureaucracy as well as an important industrial and rail centre.  I doubt it will greatly hamper the invasion of Poland and, if they assume the Poles are in any way responsible the conquest will be even more brutal.   However it will hamper Germany military activity in the medium and longer term.  [At least assuming Hitler isn't dead].

  Since it will be a total surprise to everybody its going to have them all puzzled as to what happened and who was responsible.  Suppose you might have some person or group claiming responsibility, or even more than one which could complicate the issue.  If central control is weakened enough the shock of the destruction might prompt some unrest both because it might seem possible and because their fearing that other such attacks will follow.

  Not sure what the western allies will do.  They will obviously state its nothing to do with them and given the confusion in Germany might give them another couple of days on the ultimatum before they declare war.  Just possible that Germany will be shocked enough to actually withdraw, which would make for a vastly different world as I doubt Nazi Germany could survive long without conquests to loot.  Also it would screw over Stalin's plans for occupying eastern Poland as if they did their likely to face both the full strength of the Polish army but also quite possibly western support.

  More likely the war can continue and Poland will be occupied as OTL but you might see a more vigorous western response with French attacks in the west while the bulk of German forces were in the east.  People differ widely about whether this would be successful or not but at the very least its likely to see say the Saar region occupied and possibly much of the west bank of the Rhine.  Which would be another big morale and and material blow to the German war machine and would also make any attack in the west more difficult.

[Zyobot]

'How Would The Nazis Interact w/Aliens?' This must stem from my recent fixation on The Man In The High Castle, I swear.

[lordroel]

Apr 7, 2019 14:28:51 GMT Zyobot said:

'How Would The Nazis Interact w/Aliens?' This must stem from my recent fixation on The Man In The High Castle, I swear.

Aliens like the lizards from Harry Turtledove who come to invade ore peaceful aliens who do not know with who they make first contact with.

[stevep]

Apr 7, 2019 14:49:40 GMT lordroel said:

Apr 7, 2019 14:28:51 GMT Zyobot said:

'How Would The Nazis Interact w/Aliens?' This must stem from my recent fixation on The Man In The High Castle, I swear.

Aliens like the lizards from Harry Turtledove who come to invade ore peaceful aliens who do not know with who they make first contact with.

  Almost certainly badly given the nature of the Nazis but as always it would depend on the circumstances as to the exact details.  Just possibly there was a 'there is life beyond Earth and its more advanced than us so it must be superior' response but its probably unlikely.