The Biggest Historical Event of the 21st century?

[Spider-Who?]

Twenty-Firth. Haha

 

[DirtyHarry]

Hmmm...

Who would be the main players in WWIII? China, US, North Korea is all I can think of.

If we discovered time traveling in the future, we would already know about it.

One event that could happen that no one is talking about is the eruption of Yellowstone

 

[Spider-Who?]

Hmmm...

Who would be the main players in WWIII? China, US, North Korea is all I can think of.

Iran, as well.

If we discovered time traveling in the future, we would already know about it.

Yes, but it'll be outlawed, and only mobsters will use it to send enemies back to the past to be murdered.

 

[PemLam]

Hmmm...

Who would be the main players in WWIII? China, US, North Korea is all I can think of.

If we discovered time traveling in the future, we would already know about it.

One event that could happen that no one is talking about is the eruption of Yellowstone

Iran, as well.

Don't forget Israel

 

[James]

Hmmm...

If we discovered time traveling in the future, we would already know about it.

Not unless the time travelers were either:

A) Coming back in secret.

or

B) Just haven't come to our time. There is A LOT of time to travel to, maybe this period in history just isn't that interesting.

 

[Spider-Who?]

Don't forget Israel

Pretty much all of the Middle East, really. That region has always been war torn and fought over for one reason or another, it's only a matter of time before all the individual fires over there come together and explode.

That being said, war has really changed a lot. I'd be interested (well, not "interested"...you know what I mean) to see how that would affect another World War.

 

[DirtyHarry]

Yes, but it'll be outlawed, and only mobsters will use it to send enemies back to the past to be murdered.

I'm actually doing a screenplay on that lol.

And if the world "ends" in the 21st century, I don't want it to be because of WWIII, a super volcano, or running out of resources... I want zombies

 

[James]

I'm actually doing a screenplay on that lol.

You do know that's the plot of Looper, right?

 

[Donnie Darko]

Ok, so if WWIII really pops off, we know the US will be involved, but who will the "teams" be? I mean, will there be one of those situations where we work on the same side as someone we don't necessarily see eye to eye with? I mean, we worked with Russia in WWII, and they have never really been our BFF, and we didn't exactly stay allies after WWII.

 

[DirtyHarry]

You do know that's the plot of Looper, right?

Ok, maybe I read that wrong. It's not sending your enemies back to the past, its different haha. I havent seen Looper anyway...back on topic

 

[DirtyHarry]

Ok, so if WWIII really pops off, we know the US will be involved, but who will the "teams" be? I mean, will there be one of those situations where we work on the same side as someone we don't necessarily see eye to eye with? I mean, we worked with Russia in WWII, and they have never really been our BFF, and we didn't exactly stay allies after WWII.

I don't know, but if we're up against China, I heard their army is the size of our population...

 

[Donnie Darko]

They are really who I was thinking about. Like, we all assume that any big global conflict would pit us against China. However, what if it was, for example, some of the Middle East countries that pretty much decided to start some stuff all over, and we actually joined a alliance WITH China?

 

[ThDWgeek]

I think 9/11 was probably the biggest event that's already happened, but it's definitely too early to call the biggest event of the whole century so far.

 

[Bim]

2004 Indonesia Earthquake and Tsunami.

This one came to mind the moment i read the name of this thread.

 

[Spider-Who?]

I think it's interesting that we're all discussing negative events. I guess it's more dramatic and easier to "predict" a war or natural disaster than to predict something positive.

But what really defines the "biggest" historical event? Is it the size of event itself, or what follows it? On the surface, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand might not seem like much - an Archduke and his wife were shot and killed. Plenty of political figures meet such ends with little immediate impact on anyone outside of their country, but his death created a snowball that arguably changed the entire world.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

I think 'what follows' is important to an event's significance (someone mentioned Archduke Ferdinand's assassination as an example). While the 2004 tsunami was horrific and killed a hugely greater number of people than 9/11, it didn't have the global ramifications that the latter event had. Who knows how different the world would be today in terms of security, regimes in power, democratization, pop-culture, events, etc if 9/11 never occurred.

 

[PemLam]

Ok, so if WWIII really pops off, we know the US will be involved, but who will the "teams" be? I mean, will there be one of those situations where we work on the same side as someone we don't necessarily see eye to eye with? I mean, we worked with Russia in WWII, and they have never really been our BFF, and we didn't exactly stay allies after WWII.

It depends on the initial spark but I'd lay even money that one of two things happens;

1: Somebody decides they're tired of Israel being around and truly goes after them; Israel inturn decides to turn the whole damn Middle East into a glass parking lot. The big boys then swoop in (US, China, Russia, etc) to try and contain things (i.e. go for the oil while trying to look like we're helping). Meanwhile the worlds economy goes to the toilet, prices skyrocket, fire and brimstone, etc., etc.

2: Some terrorist dirty bombs, EMP's or nukes someplace in the US. We retaliate by decimating most of the Middle East (conventionally, not WMD). Rest of the big boys say we're going to far and step in to reign the US in. Meanwhile the worlds economy goes to the toilet, prices skyrocket, fire and brimstone, etc., etc.

Of course there's always the long shot 3rd option...the rapture happens, everybody is taken away to a blissful life of heavenly pursuits and I get to enjoy quiet solitude for the rest of my days alone on Earth. t:

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

A nice list, but I'd add North Korea and/or Iran as potential future war grounds (or future glass parking-lots depending on how you look at it) if things go south.

And then there's China.... Who knows how that will shake out in 50 or 100 years. I feel we're destined for some eventual conflict.

 

[NickNitro]

Biggest historical event is the invention of fast food. It has quite possibly destroyed an entire generation. Creating fat little kids who have zero self esteem and 50% body fat. It causes parents to cook less and spend less quality time with their children, and giant corporations to have even a bigger strangle hold on us. In one fell swoop it made us more dependent/dumber/and less healthy.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Biggest historical event is the invention of fast food. It has quite possibly destroyed an entire generation. Creating fat little kids who have zero self esteem and 50% body fat. It causes parents to cook less and spend less quality time with their children, and giant corporations to have even a bigger strangle hold on us. In one fell swoop it made us more dependent/dumber/and less healthy.

That sentiment could be used to describe the Internet too.

 

[PemLam]

A nice list, but I'd add North Korea and/or Iran as potential future war grounds (or future glass parking-lots depending on how you look at it) if things go south.

And then there's China.... Who knows how that will shake out in 50 or 100 years. I feel we're destined for some eventual conflict.

Iran is part of my Middle East contingent that gets turned to glass.

As for N. Korea, I honestly think within the next decade or so China will get tired of the N. Korea making an *** of themselves and do the expedient thing and "remove" their leadership and absorb them.

I'd like to think they'll then open the DMZ and allow cross border traffic. I don't see how the US could truly argue/fight against it. We're not going to go to war with China over N. Korea. China would look like the good guys by removing a dictator (even though they'd be supplanting it with their own system), opening the border, feeding the people, etc.

China would then absorb their nuclear weapons (if they have them) into their own arsenal. (What's a few more added to what they already have?)

 

[NickNitro]

shhhhh Ulcer...don'cha know....we are ON the internet? she might hear you.....

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Iran is part of my Middle East contingent that gets turned to glass.

As for N. Korea, I honestly think within the next decade or so China will get tired of the N. Korea making an *** of themselves and do the expedient thing and "remove" their leadership and absorb them.

I'd like to think they'll then open the DMZ and allow cross border traffic. I don't see how the US could truly argue/fight against it. We're not going to go to war with China over N. Korea. China would look like the good guys by removing a dictator (even though they'd be supplanting it with their own system), opening the border, feeding the people, etc.

China would then absorb their nuclear weapons (if they have them) into their own arsenal. (What's a few more added to what they already have?)

I don't think South Korea would be too happy about half their ancestral land being snatched by China. They might even prefer volatile, nutty North Korea as their neighbor just because they believe in the "one blood" thing and still see those who live there as their brothers (although that's changing a bit with the younger generation).

 

[Pink Ranger]

I'm actually doing a screenplay on that lol.

I've got a title for you: Billy and the Clonosaurus.

 

[redhawk23]

When China's self constructed housing bubble pretty much inevitably pops, it could be far worse than when it happened in the West.