Some interesting thoughts, Bob. You may have a new career; alternative
history novels are all the rage. I'm not so sure those other British
colonies went out so peacefully as your mother maintains. Canada had its
armed revolution, though not as protracted as their neighbor to the south.
And who's to say they weren't more readily let go by the Brits after two
unpleasant wars the the States. Certainly not India. A different flavor of
insurrection, but it still took thousands of dead Indians before she became
free. Your mother may be right about Australia, but I'm not sure she is
truly independent yet. Andrew will have to clarify.
Charlie
On Tue, Dec 10, 2013 at 12:55 PM, Bob Whitmire <bwhitmire@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> My position would be that WW2 was as immoral as any other war. It was
> started by immoral people for immoral reasons. That the enemies and victims
> of Germany and Japan fought back suggests to me that they acted immorally,
> but can be forgiven because of the magnitude of the transgressions against
> them. They did wrong things for right reasons.
>
> Along those lines, my aunt, who is against any war at any time for any
> reason, once asked me how much difference it would have made if the
> American colonies had not rebelled against the crown, and had, like Canada
> and other Commonwealth nations, evolved to independence as a matter of
> course.
>
> That is an interesting question to ponder. For starters, the War of 1812
> would not have occurred. Our Civil War, had it been fought in an effort by
> slave states to retain their franchise, would have been a very different
> thing as the South would have faced the combined might of the North, the
> Midwest, and Great Britain--and perhaps a few other European nations as
> well. It might not even have occurred as the power of the crown might have
> been enough to put an end to slavery peacefully.
>
> One can go on and on. American regiments would have served with Wellington
> on the Peninsula and at Waterloo; American ships and sailors would have
> served with the Royal Navy and Nelson. And, of course, American would have
> been involved in World War I from the beginning, which could have meant the
> loss of a generation here, too--or, on the other hand, the prospect of
> facing America as well as Italy, Russia and Great Britain might have been
> enough to alter the course of events that lead to war's outbreak.
>
> There most likely would have been no Vietnam. World War II and the Cold
> War would have been different characters as well.
>
> We'll never know, but it's fascinating to think about.
>
> --Bob Whitmire
> Certified Neanderthal
>
> On Dec 9, 2013, at 5:29 PM, Andrew Fildes wrote:
>
> > Hmmm - most.
> > WW2?
> > I know these arguments are subjective in the extreme but I don't think
> you can be absolute.
>
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