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Originally Posted by MonCapitan2002
These are some interesting differences to the actual timeline. One thing I found interesting is how there are only three nuclear powers.
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This is no coincidence. The nuclear club is a closed shop and anyone trying to enter (even big countries like China or Zaire) will be told in no uncertain terms to kindly desist. The nuclear powers would see any attempt at obtaining or developing nuclear weapons as a
casus belli. See the treatment that North Korea received when they were suspected of trying to develop nuclear technology and ignored friendly advice to knock it off (the only reason President Dole left it to Australia and Germany to deal with North Korea is because of laziness and incompetence).
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Originally Posted by MonCapitan2002
One cause for concern would be the much larger arsenals of those three powers, though.
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No more than in our timeline, perhaps even less since nuclear weapons are not as widespread and owned by countries that are very stable.
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Originally Posted by MonCapitan2002
I now have some questions for you. Do you see the terrorist attacks that occurred in the US on September 11, 2001?
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Yes, although probably not on the same date. Al-Qaeda exists and has already committed terror attacks - the Brooklyn Bridge shooting, and the embassy attacks in Kenya and Tanzania for example.
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Originally Posted by MonCapitan2002
How do you think Hilary Clinton would have responded to such an attack?
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The same as any other President or indeed any other world leader - with devastating and overwhelming force. As an example see Austria's treatment of Uganda when some of their diplomats were murdered. The US reaction to a 9/11 attack (which would be considered an act of war, or the closest thing to it) would make that affair look like a slap with a wet lettuce. Afghanistan would be occupied within days if not hours, anyone suspected of being a Taliban or Al-Qaeda member would be shot or hanged on the spot (no mucking around with Gitmo-like prison camps or military tribunals) and the survivors would be hunted down without mercy. Fleeing into Pakistan would do no good, because the Americans would simply follow. Any unlikely protests by Pakistan would be met with a "request" to sit down and shut up.
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Originally Posted by MonCapitan2002
I also find it interesting that Bill Clinton's presidency wouldn't have been as scandal ridden as it was in our timeline (then again, the dalliance with Monica Lewinsky happened in 1997).
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The sex scandals that cost alt-JFK his job would scare any subsequent President or Presidential candidate into keeping it zipped. alt-Bill Clinton is no different in that respect. There would be no Lewinsky, Paula Jones or Gennifer Flowers incidents.
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Originally Posted by MonCapitan2002
One thing I found interesting is the large Jewish minority in Germany in the present day of your alternate timeline. Then again, without the Holocaust, that would make a lot of sense when you think about it.
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Quite so. The German Empire has freedom of religion in its constitution, and Jews are treated the same way as anyone else. A lot of them left after WW1 but that was for economic, not religious, reasons. Obviously, some Jews did and still do migrate to Israel but that is not due to any institutionalised anti-semitism.
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Originally Posted by MonCapitan2002
You know what would be neat to have? A world map reflecting the borders of the world based on your timeline.
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I've managed to attach one (hopefully), see the bottom of the post.
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Originally Posted by MonCapitan2002
I would suspect that many of the former Soviet Republics would either be part of the reconstituded Russian Empire or independent nations in their own right.
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The reconstituted Russian Empire covers the same territory as our Russian Federation. The -stans are independent nations, as are Georgia and the Baltic States. Our Belarus and Ukraine are alt-Poland, while Armenia and Azebaijan are part of Turkey. The Russian Empire does not have the political, economic or military clout to reabsorb anyone, even if this would be tolerated by the NATO alliance, which it most assuredly would not be.
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Originally Posted by MonCapitan2002
Is there any chance of seeing a timeline addition from 2001-2009? I would certainly be interested in seeing it. Hopefully in tyour alternate timeline Sega managed to survive as a console manufacturer (which could have happened had they made better decisions in the mid 1990's).
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I have plans in my head to continue the timeline to 2050, I just haven't written anything down yet. As for Sega, if I don't mention anything in my timeline, assume they suffered the same fate in this timeline as they do in ours