Who would you pick to save the world?

[MACDRIVE]

Maybe some of you remember Eliza Dushku (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliza_Dushku) from the TV series Tru Calling (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tru_Calling); which is where I got the idea for this thread.

If you could send someone back in time to September 01, 2001 to save the world from its current trajectory, who would it be? Keep in mind that this person would not have any briefing prior to being sent back in time; they would just simply wake up one morning in the past, just like the character Tru Davies did in the story Tru Calling.

Somewhere along that morning, he/she would realise that they're back in time. They would not freak out because whomever the person is, they would be very brave and would immediately realise from instinct the task they were chosen to do and would also realise the tremendous opportunity they had to change history for the better.

I imagine the perfect person is someone that we've never heard of; someone that would know exactly what to do if put in that situation. ;)

[katie ta achoo]

MEGATRON.

I'd promise him the Allspark if he flew and interceded the 9/11 hijackers' planes.

Then, with that impending doom over, and a new impending doom of Megatron getting the Allspark, I'd call on Optimus Prime to kick some Megatron butt.



....Or does it have to be a real person? If that were the case, the person that takes the boarding passes for the plane.

[MACDRIVE]

....Or does it have to be a real person?

Yes, please pick a real person for this fictional assignment. :)

[iBlue]

The mighty question: How is one little person going to save the world?

I think a lot of people are capable of changing things on a small scale but for one person to try to save things globally without sounding like a complete nutter ("Seriously, on Sept 11th those two big buildings are goners!" "NO, don't vote Bush!" "No one take the Tube on 07/07/05 morning commute!" "The Red Sox win the world series... no, really!" etc) You'd scarcely be taken seriously no matter how you tried.

Besides, how would you know the outcome wouldn't be worse in changing it? What about the Butterfly Effect? :p

(sorry, I never play your games as you'd like me to because they're always full of ridiculous holes which I can't even get past in theory)

[MACDRIVE]

The mighty question: How is one little person going to save the world?


I believe that one person (the right person) is capable of setting into motion a series of events that could change the past. :)

[iBlue]

I believe that one person (the right person) is capable of setting into motion a series of events that could change the past. :)
Maybe so.

I've noticed you seem to really love this idea (where alternatively, I hate the idea of messing with the past) Why is that? Did something happen to you that makes you want to change things? [curious]

[MACDRIVE]

Maybe so.

I've noticed you seem to really love this idea (where alternatively, I hate the idea of messing with the past) Why is that? Did something happen to you that makes you want to change things? [curious]

I've always liked that show Tru Calling and the concept of going back in time. What about yourself iBlue, what would you do if you woke up on September 01, 2001?

[furious]

I would send my 2 1/2 year old nephew. Why because everyone would listen to a 2 1/2 year old.

[Edandlindz28]

Why change the past when that person could change the future?

[iBlue]

I've always liked that show Tru Calling and the concept of going back in time. What about yourself iBlue, what would you do if you woke up on September 01, 2001?

My stepfather did editing for that show. (he did the whole "wooosh... going back" effect, among other things) I've only seen the show a few times though.
</side note>

What would I do? Panic. I am finally happy for the first time in my 30 years on this planet and I'd know I had to live through 6 years of unhappiness (and one very tricky and unfortunate thing) to get back to where I am. I'm selfish and that thought would absolutely wreck me. Plus I'd live in constant fear of losing what I have now. You can't know the future and still make it happen. I got here by a series of events which I never saw coming. Had I any idea I don't know that it would have turned out the same.

(sorry, I try to play but I can't wrap my mind around it. :o I'm not trying to be stubborn, it's just that when I think about it I hit stumbling blocks.)

[MACDRIVE]

I can't imagine someone not doing anything. I don't think it would take much to head off 9/11, but heading off the Iraq war would take a lot more effort.

I'm thinking maybe Colin Powell might be a good person for the trip.

[mcarnes]

William Shatner.

[bartelby]

I can't imagine someone not doing anything. I don't think it would take much to head off 9/11, but heading off the Iraq war would take a lot more effort.

I'm thinking maybe Colin Powell might be a good person for the trip.

But by heading off 9/11 it could lead to a more serious attack (not saying 9/11 wasn't serious). Al-Qaeda could have but a more concerted effort into an attack. Maybe dirty bombs or nuclear weapons.

[Jaffa Cake]

We've already sent people back to warn you, the trouble is you don't believe them. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Titor) :rolleyes:

Sorry... Did I say ‘we’ve’? Er, I meant ‘they’. :o

[nplima]

obviously... Chuck Norris.

[Abstract]

No thanks. Let those buildings fall. I'd rather die that way than be on the receiving end of a lethal roundhouse kick.

Yes, please pick a real person for this fictional assignment. :)

Clark Kent?

[Queso]

Nobody could do it. Pre-9/11 America was so arrogant in its thinking the authorities wouldn't have listened to anyone. The German and French secret services had cracked the 9/11 Al-Qaeda cell in December 2000. They were warning the CIA constantly that a major attack within the USA was being planned yet the 9/11 attackers, individuals with known links to those apprehended by the French and Germans, were left to get on with their plans unencumbered.

So I'm pretty sure even if you sent George W. Bush back, he'd dismiss himself and carry on as before. It takes an event like 9/11 to shake people out of their complacency.

[synth3tik]

Panda Z

[mpw]

Serious answer? I'd choose somebody with the power to do something about it at very short notice, somebody who had seen the files on the terrorist and dismissed them the first time round who was subsequently involved in clearing up the mess. Operations head at the CIA/FBI/NSA Pentagon? You could be sure he'd have seen in detail the later reports of how the attacks happened and had the power to lift a phone to have those guys 'subdued' prior to the attacks.

That would prevent 9/11.

What would happen next?? He'd probably be questioned as to where the info. came from that he acted on. Would he be able to prove these guys were about to crash those planes? Would they just be quietly let go and him retired? Who knows.

[MACDRIVE]

That's a good answer mpw :)

[crazycat]

1- Hiro Nakamura (if he makes a mistake he can go back in time and fix it)
2- jack bauer (no matter how big the problem is you know he will fix it in 24 hours)

[MACDRIVE]

Here's a shot of Tru Davies played by Eliza Dushku :)

http://www.bartcop.com/elizaDushku2.jpg

[mpw]

That's a good answer mpw :)

I know. I ********* RAWK!

[Lau]

Here's a shot of Tru Davies played by Eliza Dushku :)
<snip random and unnecessary image>

Here's a shot of a dirty old man posed by a model.

http://www.warningsigns.info/images/raincoat.jpg

And your point is? :p

[mpw]

Here's a shot of a dirty old man posed by a model.

http://www.warningsigns.info/images/raincoat.jpg...

Ooo he's a Mac user :D

[dcv]

Here's a shot of a dirty old man posed by a model.

http://www.warningsigns.info/images/raincoat.jpg

And your point is? :p

Well we can't see ^his point either :p

[Jaffa Cake]

To be fair, she's got some pens in her pocket. You can't go saving the world without a decent supply of pens.

With that in mind, and considering that time travel is no object in this considered debate, I'm going to opt for Ladislao José Biro (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/László_Bíró) as my world saving choice.

[killerrobot]

Doesn´t Tru know she's gone into the past because it's the same day as yesterday (kind of like groundhog day)? A lot of time has passed since 9/11, and if that day were truly the END OF THE WORLD, I don´t think you'd be posting this question.

But, wth, I'd say President Bush...maybe, just maybe he could get it right with a second chance (and he'd be the only one with the power to actually put all the FBI, NSA, CIA and the Armed Forces in motion quick enough.)

[KristieMac]

Everyone knows that if you want the world saved, you *always* go with Bruce Willis. Always.

[killerrobot]

Everyone knows that if you want the world saved, you *always* go with Bruce Willis. Always.

Only if an earth-destroying asteroid is coming.:)

[KristieMac]

Not so! That was just Armageddon. What about the Fifth Element? That was more like a planet of EVIL!!!

[killerrobot]

Not so! That was just Armageddon. What about the Fifth Element? That was more like a planet of EVIL!!!

Oh yeah, it's been a while since I've seen that one. And I guess in Die Hard (it's not saving the world per se) but he is going against some bad"·s terrorists.

[atszyman]

...what would you do if you woke up on September 01, 2001?

This is a more compelling question. Although it leads me back to the topic of the thread

First I'd kidnap myself so that future me is the one arrested/blamed for the mostly illegal crap I'd pull...

Going around preaching about the future or trying to get people to believe you are a time traveller is pointless since everyone would just assume you're insane. The only way for a normal individual (non-high ranking politician/world leader) to stop 9/11 would be to do one of the following (at least as I see it):

1) Call in a number of repeated threats to various government agencies or the WTC to try to heighten enforcement or evacuate the WTC.

2) Highjack/blow up a small plane in order to increase airline security.

3) Fly a small plane into the WTC to show what could be done to raise flags and tighten security.

4) Find the hijackers and take them out before they can get on the planes.

5) Some combination of the above.

I do realize that some of the options have some innocent casualties as well but compared to the death toll of 9/11 a few may have to be sacrificed. At any rate I'd make sure that my past self was locked away somewhere safe, since I'd be on the fast track to getting myself arrested or killed.

Now if I woke up as my past self and was the only "me" present then things get trickier. I got married in 2002 and had kids in 2004 and 2007. I know that the fate of 3000 people should outweigh my little family in the grand scheme of things but anyone who says that would be an easy choice doesn't have kids yet... I could sacrifice myself, knowing that the "past me" would be around to start my family and I might be able to sacrifice others if the need arose, however, the line is different when the sacrifice are my kids/family as illogical as that may be.

If I had to choose someone to send back, the above still stands so, ideally I'd send back someone high up in the FBI/CIA that could get the hijackers arrested early enough to stop it.

If we exclude high ranking government officials then I'd probably choose someone who knew how to fly small aircraft who had little or no family. They'd be sent with a list of people who worked on the upper floors of the WTC to call/try to keep from going to work late on 9/8 to minimize casualties. If no other method appeared to be working they'd be under instructions to call in a threat and fly a small plane into an upper story of one of the towers on 9/8, preferably late at night to avoid as many workers as possible. As I see it, a normal individual without government access/powers, would probably be forced to pull some sort of an attack to heighten awareness and security and would have to be very publicly outed as non-middle eastern and Christian (video confessions send to the news outlets and plenty of witnesses that see them get on the plane) could put us on a path of increased security without the xenophobia that led us into the Iraq quagmire. Most of this reasoning is due to the short timeline imposed, if we could have the person sent back years in advance we could use him to "tip off" the authorities on other attacks to establish credibility and have him point to the hijackers earlier to get them arrested/prevented from boarding on 9/11 or possibly just to infiltrate the hijackers to feed intel to the FBI/CIA.

Of course this does not do much to thwart possible contingency attacks from other cells that might have been in place had 9/11 failed but I doubt that any of those could have been as devastating as 9/11. If they had access to nuclear or radioactive material for a nuke/dirty bomb I would think they would have done that rather than the planes or at the same time since given the fear surrounding radiation/nuclear attacks they could have caused more of a disruption/more fear through the bombs than the planes.

[quigleybc]

Michael Moore

[elfin buddy]

I like this question better too:

... what would you do if you woke up on September 01, 2001?

I would do absolutely nothing. As nice as it would be if the attacks somehow never happened, there are a few reasons why I would do nothing:


Obvious time paradox
Possibly make things worse
Not arrogant enough to believe I could personally have prevented the attacks
If it wasn't hijacking planes and flying them into buildings, they would have come up with something else


Actually, when thinking about the whole time paradox thing and "butterfly effect", I might just purge myself from the face of the Earth and hope I hadn't already changed things irreparably.

[imac/cheese]

There' only one man for a job like this-- Scott Bakula.

[Thomas Veil]

I can't give you a real person, so...

1. Superman.
2. Jack Bauer.
3. Bond. James Bond.

I actually think it would be more entertaining to watch Jack Bauer save the world, but let's face it, he needs 24 hours, whereas Supes could do it in 15 minutes.

[skunk]

If you want a job done properly, you've got to do it yourself. I therefore nominate the only self I've got. My rates are entirely reasonable.

[true777]

Angelina Jolie.

[takao]

i second William Shatner

personally if it would happen to me i don't know what i could do (except monetary gain through buying the right stocks ;))

[cycocelica]

Tom Cruise. He has all the right answers.:p

[imac/cheese]

Tom Cruise. He has all the right answers.:p

And All the Right Moves.

[Don't panic]

if I was to just wake up in the US on September 1, 2001, unprepared, i would try to put together a 'package' as accurate as possible of what happened on 9/11, as if i somehow had access to the plans, and send it to all government agencies, to the white house, to NYPD, NYFD and to most newpapers/networks.
the package should include info about flight numbers, hijakers, targets and mode of action and whatever i could remember.
it would certainly mention about the possibility of "inside" help or that the effect might be compounded by the use of thermite (to take care of various conspiracy theories).
it would stress the point that i understand the lack of credibility, but that they should check it out anyway (sending it to all the various destinations should ensure that they would do that).
As a minimum, when the planes go missing, they would start WTC evacuation immediately.
It would also suggest to locate bin laden and be ready to get him in afghanistan if anything does happen.
it would also include reference to the use of it as an excuse to launch a war on iraq in search of inexistant weapons of mass distruction, so that if one tragedy cannot be avoided at least another one will be, as at this point the document will be considered credible.

then i would come on macrumors and start all sort of crazy talk about intel processors, new imacs and iphone :D

[zap2]

Not arrogant enough to believe I could personally have prevented the attacks.

:rolleyes:

If you had knowlegde about it ahead of time, I think you might stand a chance....send letters to everyone, take to the streets....do something, your "not arrogant enough" to spend 10 days to try and save a few thousand lives?

Hell, go find the people yourself.

[ravenvii]

Chuck Norris, fools. He'll stare down the world until it saves itself out of fear.

[Hummer]

John McClane and Justin Long

[Shamus]

realise the tremendous opportunity they had to change history for the better.

... maybe it wouldn't be for the better.

[redAPPLE]

I've always liked that show Tru Calling and the concept of going back in time. What about yourself iBlue, what would you do if you woke up on September 01, 2001?

forgive me for my lack of historical interest, but, what happend on september 01, 2001?

edit:oh, i am so an idiot LOL. the idea was to change history so september 11 won't happen? why 2001? how about going back 70 years back and convincing the bu$hes that trying to conceive a baby to be nicknamed dubya would be the worst thing that could happen...?

[TheAnswer]

forgive me for my lack of historical interest, but, what happend on september 01, 2001?

The first orca calf (later named Nakai) is born through artificial insemination, to parents Kasatka and Tillikum. (courtesy of wikipedia)

[Kamera RAWr]

William Shatner.

But what happens when the Shat hits the fan? Hmm....?! :p :D

[edesignuk]

obviously... Chuck Norris.+ Mr. T.

I pitty the fool who messes with this much awesomeness!

[beatzfreak]

Saddam Hussein and his WMDs.

[barr08]

Bruce Campbell

[Raid]

Bruce Campbell /signed
Bruce is the man who'd take it to a whole new level (just like in his book "Make love the Bruce Campbell way") ;)

[Surfing@Blacks]

I don't think there is a better man for this then beetlejuice from howard stern.

http://www.adiumxtras.com/images/pictures/beetlejuice_sound_set_3_3165_2026_thumb_2336.jpg

[rdowns]

Teh Don Ditty- FTW

[jdechko]

2- jack bauer (no matter how big the problem is you know he will fix it in 24 hours)

Can't believe it took 21 posts for this. ;) He'd get my vote.

[steamboat26]

Al Gore :D

But really, i think i'd send Mad Jew back. He could totally save the world :cool:

[elfin buddy]

:rolleyes:

If you had knowlegde about it ahead of time, I think you might stand a chance....send letters to everyone, take to the streets....do something, your "not arrogant enough" to spend 10 days to try and save a few thousand lives?

Hell, go find the people yourself.

You've got a fun way of twisting things.

Okay, what about my other three reasons for doing nothing?

[After G]

Al Gore :D

But really, i think i'd send Mad Jew back. He could totally save the world :cool:

Funny, I was thinking the same person. But I was thinking it would be to 2000, before Bush Jr. won his first election, and I would tell him to kick his old robot self into gear.

... not talking about Mad Jew. :D

[mad jew]

But really, i think i'd send Mad Jew back. He could totally save the world :cool:


I'd tell the world to repair its permissions.

[ghall]

I'd tell the world to repair its permissions.

Nah, I think the world needs to do a clean install. :p

[QuarterSwede]

This totally reminds me of when Homer Simpson went back in time and stepped on a bug which changed the course of history ... whatever you do, don't send Homer back!

I think the world needs to do a clean install.
Amen to that.

[Gymnut]

Bill Gates; since he has the bankroll. :rolleyes:

[puzzle]

I can't believe nobody's mentioned Oprah or Miss America yet. Oprah's already starting to wipe out poverty off the face of the earth, starting with her Dolce & Gabbana outfits for herself and her diamond earrings. :)

PS biggest damn hypocrite I've ever seen.

[candy]

Interesting that nearly all of you interpret 'saving the world' as being concerned solely with the effects of terrorism on western countries. What about Darfur, Congo, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Palestine.... Having a more global vision and being concerned about poverty and inequality outside the west may actually increase our security by giving people less reason to hate us.

[Kamera RAWr]

Hmmm....but which do we take care of first... past, present or future events? Are they not all interconnected? :p

[candy]

Yes, they are all connected. I used to teach a student from Congo (not a country that has been responsible for any terrorist attacks on the west as far as I am aware). She said that people were dancing in the streets on 9/11, and that her father cheers every time the news mentions another American soldier killed in Iraq. Not behaviour I would condone, obviously, but an indication of how important it is that our governments think about the way they treat people in other parts of the world.

And who created the Taleban anyway? They exist as a direct result of America's and Russia's hostility to each other during the Cold War - with a little help from Saudi Arabia of course.

[Blue Velvet]

Who would I pick to save the world? A holy trinity of Divine, RuPaul and La Cicciolina.

[bartelby]

Who would I pick to save the world? A holy trinity of Divine, RuPaul and La Cicciolina.

:eek:

I think that has to be the greatest choice ever!!:)

[Parisfalls]

Buffy the vampire slayer!!!
she could totaly pull it off...

[jodelli]

If we're talking about 9/11, I would like to transport back to a Bell 412 police helicopter that was in a circuit around the North tower that was burning, and the South tower which was not.
They spotted United 175 heading into tower two and had to pull up quickly to avoid the airliner.
If Officers Hayes and Walsh could some how be safely displaced in our time travel fantasy I would like to ram the Bell into the airliner so that it would start exploding before it hit the tower.
There's a good chance the South tower could have survived long enough to be safely evacuated, especially since the NW staircase had survived more or less intact all the way to the top floors.

102 Minutes Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn pg 130-131 c.2005 Harry Holt and CO.

[drichards]

I'd send Keifer Sutherland. He has plenty of experience with fictional world saving in a limited time constraint.

<edit> Why did I post in such an old thread? Ugh...

[Dagless]

Rolf Harris. He hasn't failed at doing much in his life so I'd pick him.

[chaosbunny]

MacGyver... with a chewing gum.

Or Vin Diesel... with a black T-shirt.

Or Angeline Jolie... with um nothing (Terminator style time travel). So that the pilots are distracted and maybe miss the towers.

[ejb190]

Interesting that nearly all of you interpret 'saving the world' as being concerned solely with the effects of terrorism on western countries. What about Darfur, Congo, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Palestine.... Having a more global vision and being concerned about poverty and inequality outside the west may actually increase our security by giving people less reason to hate us.

I was going to say the same thing. Save the world from what exactly? Ourselves?

"No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved! You know, for a little bit? I feel like the maid; I just cleaned up this mess! Can we keep it clean for... for ten minutes!" - Mr. Incredible

[atszyman]

Of course I'd send back The Doctor. But, I'm not sure he could handle any world threatening emergency that wasn't somehow centered in London or Cardiff.