Your chance to alter history! Switch a baby!

redmoretrout

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Oct 27, 2011
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You have been granted a rather odd ability, but it is one that can dramatically change the course of history. You have the opportunity to switch the places of any two babies at birth. No parents/relatives would know the difference. You may switch any two historical figures, change the outcome of entire wars. You may switch an artist to another time and place giving a different influence upon the world. Or simply swap yourself with a king and enjoy your newfound power.

There is but a single rule, you cannot switch Hitler with a baby who was murdered/died young. No killing Adolf Hitler, that answer is far too common and boring. Be a little more creative and have some fun with it!


For my answer I switch Vladimir Lenin and John Lennon. Perhaps the John senses his government's weakness during the Vietnam War and turns the hippy movement into bloody revolution. Maybe Vladirmir simply composes some mellow music instead of overthrowing the Russian monarchy.
 

Soviet Steve

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May 23, 2009
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redmoretrout said:
For my answer I switch Vladimir Lenin and John Lennon. Perhaps the John senses his government's weakness during the Vietnam War and turns the hippy movement into bloody revolution. Maybe Vladirmir simply composes some mellow music instead of overthrowing the Russian monarchy.
Passing the torch of the revolution to the Georgian all the sooner, I approve.

I would have changed Gorbachevs thinking slightly to prevent political westernization in the USSR. Partial economic liberalization instead of collapse would have been a sensible course, and quite possible with a few purges.
 

Keoul

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Apr 4, 2010
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Goddamnit I was gunna switch Hitler with George Washington or Abe Lincoln!

Fine fine, I'll switch Ugg Ugg with some asshole I know, bet that asshole would just LOVE the stone age!
 

shrekfan246

Not actually a Japanese pop star
May 26, 2011
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Under the proviso that I would still be the same person I am today, I'd switch myself with a random person living in St. John's, Newfoundland. For reasons I won't disclose.

But because that's not funny, I'll think up another answer.

I would switch George Lucas with George Custer.

Boy, I would seriously screw up history with that move, wouldn't I?
 

BrassButtons

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Nov 17, 2009
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Leonardo Da Vinci and Shigeru Miyamoto. Or Homer and Stan Lee. Either way the effect on our culture would be...interesting :D
 

redmoretrout

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Oct 27, 2011
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Keoul said:
Goddamnit I was gunna switch Hitler with George Washington or Abe Lincoln!

Fine fine, I'll switch Ugg Ugg with some asshole I know, bet that asshole would just LOVE the stone age!
You could switch Hitler with pretty much anyone, I only meant that you cant switch Hitler with a baby who died shortly after birth. These time travel-esque questions always dissolve down to every other person saying "I'll also choose to kill Hitler."

But switching Lincoln or Washington with Hitler is completely fair game.
 

Not Matt

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Nov 3, 2011
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hitler and kanye and kim kardablahblahblah's kid. puniches hitler and helps the kid out.
 

Vegosiux

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May 18, 2011
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redmoretrout said:
For my answer I switch Vladimir Lenin and John Lennon. Perhaps the John senses his government's weakness during the Vietnam War and turns the hippy movement into bloody revolution. Maybe Vladirmir simply composes some mellow music instead of overthrowing the Russian monarchy.
Imagine all the proletariat, living life in peace...we all live in a nuclear submarine, a nuclear submarine...I'm sorry, I just had to.

Okay, I might have an idea tho. I'd switch the two popes of the Western Schism, Urban VI and Clement VII. I wonder if the Holy See would end up in Avignon then.

Second idea, William the Conqueror for William Shakespeare.
 

sky14kemea

Deus Ex-Mod
Jun 26, 2008
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Moses with Gok Wan.

Don't ask me why, I genuinely don't know. It just popped into my head and danced around when I read the OP.

At least the slaves would be fashionable... Dunno how 'free' they'd end up being though.
 

Chunko

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Aug 2, 2009
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Hellen Keller and Adolf Hitler.
Thomas Edison and Leonardo Da Vinci.
Osama Bin Laden and Hillary Clinton.
Psy and Justin Beiber.
Stalin and Benjamin Franklin.
Karl Marx and John Rockefeller (Just for weirdness).
 

barbzilla

He who speaks words from mouth!
Dec 6, 2010
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I would replace Socrates with PolPot. Lets see what happens when you destroy the foundations of western philosophy, by implanting a sociopathic philosopher. I wouldn't really do this, of course, but I am interested in how everyone thinks the world would turn out.
 

Twilight_guy

Sight, Sound, and Mind
Nov 24, 2008
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Hitler with Van Gogh. Hitler gets to paint and thus not become a horrible tortured person, and Van Gogh life sucked as it was so maybe he'll do better. (he won't become a dictator since nobody trust a man who cuts off his own ear).
 

Dead Seerius

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Feb 4, 2012
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Mister Rodgers and Snoop Dogg (No, I will not call him Snoop Lion.)

I could give an anecdote, but I think it's more fun to imagine for yourself.
 

Judgment90

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Sep 4, 2012
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I would switch:

George R.R. Martin with Tommy Wiseau
Kim Jong-il with Mother Teresa
Osama bin Laden with Chad Kroeger
All the Kardashians with Chris Chan
 

uzo

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Jul 5, 2011
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We're presuming all these people were born 'bad' or 'good'. If Hitler was born as a Tibetan goat herder, it's not like he would have risen to power and lead the Tibetans to invade China and India; nor would taking Mother Teresa and having her born in the middle of Sengoku Jidai lead to a blossoming of peace and tranquility and all the samurai would lay down their swords and ambitions .... so I've just got to say that we are as much, if not more, a product of our environment and upbringing as we are our genes.

Sorry .. just had to get that off my chest. Now I'll humour you and presume they'll reach adult with the same ambitions, talents, and ethics:

Swap Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein, or Stephen Hawkings, with ANY 'old money' prick from the Hamptons. I don't care which one.

For example, we'd see one self-entitled greedy sonofabitch investment banker dumped, hopefully, into a wheelchair with a terrible wasting disease that will eventually kill him (after 25+ years of torture) - and Stephen Hawkings will have the opportunity to go for a walk in the park with his wife and family. I guess he'd get to do some research too.