I think many of us would wish that Alois Hitler had not married Klara Pölzl in 1885 or that one of the fruits one of their union had not been Adolf Hitler. Failing that, one wishes he had been killed in World War One or the Beer Hall Putsch and failing that, that France and Great Britain would have called his bluff when Germany marched into the Rhineland in 1936.
Unfortunately, none of this happened and 72,000,000 (this includes the Pacific theater) paid with their lives.
This is one of those "if a frog had wings it wouldn't bump its butt...." questions
Anyway, I remember reading an article in Psychology Today perhaps 15 or 20 years ago (maybe longer) dealing with a very similar situation (a “what if” question). The article reported on a study, I don’t remember the specifics like whom did the study and the exact results; but, the study asked the question, “If (without guilt, any penalties like jail or any feelings of regret) there were a button that you could push and by pushing that button one person would disappear; would you push the button?” As I remember the article, the response was overwhelming. Nearly everyone would push the button. I personally would not have a problem with pushing the button (no guilt, no penalties like jail and no feelings of regret) and having one person disappear, but what if I do have a problem with is the other end. What if I was on the receiving end of that button push? It gives me pause to consider how others view me and how can I keep them from wanting to push that darn button.
Now, if when they pushed the button to make you disappear they also received your entire toy soldier collection, then what....
Well Michael and Louis - it's been nice knowing you ...
Gentle Friends,
Instead of determining a historic figure that should be prevented from existing, I would consider what I could preserve that did, at one time, exist. There are many things from which to choose, but one thing I would definitely consider is the preservation of the great empires that existed in the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans. It would have been great to preserve the knowledge, language, technology, writings, and history of the Aztecs, Mayan, and Inca civilizations as well as the other great nations that occupied the Americas.
Warmest personal regards,
Pat
I guess push the button on Gavrilo Princip ,thus maybe preventing ww1
and thus no ww 2