this post was submitted on 04 Sep 2023
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[–] Pons_Aelius@kbin.social 45 points 1 year ago (9 children)

I always hate the "time traveller kills Hitler" stchick.

Killing Reagan does not change the political climate that allowed him to rise to power. In fact killing him could have made things worse for the USA. See 9/11 for a recent example.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe 53 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] Mr_Blott@feddit.uk 25 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Also, Trickle-Down-Assassination... Every president after him would get shot too. Or not I dunno

[–] Deceptichum@kbin.social 9 points 1 year ago

It’s what happened after Lincoln. All presidents since him have not survived or are expected to die within the next few decades.

[–] Da_Boom@iusearchlinux.fyi 27 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I wouldn't have killed Regan had I gone back in time, I would've gone a bit further back and after Rockerfeller got forced to sell standard oil, I would've offed him just before he was able to use the money he gained to form Chicago University and it's dreaded Chicago school of economics.(home to the ludicrous idea that the free market will regulate itself) Which I think had even worse consequences than Reganomics, if not directly influencing it.

At the very least, it would've likely extended the 30 years worth of post Roosevelt economic prosperity that decreased wage gaps, and actively created the middle class at least a bit longer before some other rich butthole got the same or a similar idea as Rockerfeller.

[–] CrapConnoisseur@lemmy.frozeninferno.xyz 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It's called the University of Chicago. And yup, it continues to be a vicious pile of shit to this day, fucking over the vulnerable communities around it, providing substandard health care and sitting on a 10 billion dollar endowment that they refuse to use to either raise employee wages or lower tuition. (Fun fact: They're projected to become the first university in the country to have six-figure tuition.)

[–] PsychedSy@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago

The problem isn't even free market concepts, it's the idea that you can advocate for a free market in a highly regulated country. When the definition of corporation is controlled and liability is removed from individuals you can't have a free market.

[–] GreenMario@lemm.ee 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Take him out before he becomes an actor. Oh no random nobody in California got hit by a car. Too bad drunk driving is still legal 🤣

[–] Pons_Aelius@kbin.social -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Killing Reagan does not change the political climate that allowed him to rise to power.

...

[–] WalrusDragonOnABike@kbin.social 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

In fact killing him could have made things worse for the USA. See 9/11 for a recent example.

Pretty sure they're responding to that part.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

Killing Reagan does not change the political climate that allowed him to rise to power

You're both right and wrong. While it wouldn't change the circumstances that led to his election directly, he himself played a big part in CREATING those circumstances and perpetuating them to the point of the Trump cult eventually becoming all but inevitable.

Who knows? Maybe if we got rid of Reagan early enough, Bush the elder would work towards the "open borders" he argued for during the primary debate against him.

That's just one of dozens if not hundreds of issues where Bush the elder becoming potus earlier would, while not great, be much preferable to 8 years of Reagan. Hell, who knows? Might have made a more left wing candidate than Clinton the next president!

PS: everyone seems to be forgetting that, on top of his OWN bad policy choices, the country was pretty much run by the throat goat drug demonizer Nancy and his favorite astrologer towards the end where the dementia had made him incapable of doing much himself.

[–] jmcs@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 1 year ago

The trick with Reagan is to shoot him at the end of his union leader period, in a way that incriminates a conservative group.

[–] SeaJ@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

Just go a bit farther back and teach Bonzo how to do the deed.

[–] ZILtoid1991@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

To do a real change in the course of history, kill Calvin, the very moment after he was born, thus killing Calvinism in its cradle.

[–] Pons_Aelius@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Why not just strangle Jesus in his manger?

Definitely no Calvinism then.

[–] PsychedSy@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You're assuming he existed and was necessary for the cult to start. Paul may be a better target.

[–] SolarNialamide@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago

You don't have to assume Jesus existed, you just have to accept the historical evidence which there is plenty of

[–] PsychedSy@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago

You'll need to get Luther, too.

[–] takeda@szmer.info 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The thing is that often those people created that climate. This was the case with hitler and today similar thing is being done with trump.

[–] torpak@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 year ago

I don't know about Trump. But the climat that allowed Hitler to gain traction was widespread poverty and hopelessness in post world war one Germany.

[–] jennwiththesea@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I just had the same thought, then went down an entire rabbit hole of who would actually be too blame. You're basically looking at social evolution, over millions of years, and trying to find the "start". It's impossible. Pick a spot, and pull.

[–] kool_newt@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

Yep

Bringing it back to reality-ish - pick a spot? now.

Let's consider, did all these people you'd want to go back in time to assassinate have anything in common? Did they have any traits that could be identified in living people?

My guess is the keystone trait we're looking for is a distinct lack of empathy. Combine a lack of empathy with certain other traits and you get some real nasty combinations.

Example

Ambition with empathy = good person doing big good things

Ambition without empathy = bad person doing big bad things