Birthdays
Claudia Christian b. 1965 (Babylon 5)
Suzanne Collins b. 1962 (author, The Hunger Games)
Antonio Banderas b. 1960 (Spy Kids)
Jeff Corey b. 1914 died 16 August 2002 (Star Trek, Babylon 5)
For the past few weeks, I've been checking imdb.com before posting my list of birthdays each day. I've done some research but I still miss people. Today's addition from the big website is Jeff Corey, an actor with a long career who had guest roles on Star Trek and Babylon 5.
Many happy returns of the day to the living.
Prediction: The Third World War will start in August 1985 between the forces of NATO and the Warsaw Pact.
Predictor: General Sir John Hackett and others, The Third World War August 1985, published 1978
Reality: I borrow from Paul Brians, the scholar who has done a very thorough job of cataloging fictional accounts of nuclear war.
"This nearly unreadable exercise in war-gaming by a group of professional military men, warning of Soviet aggression, is one long editorial for military preparedness. It assumes a conventional war beginning in Europe in August of 1985 which ultimately escalates to a limited nuclear exchange... An interesting article discussing President Reagan's enthusiasm for this book appeared in the October 27, 1984, issue of The Nation."
High ranking military men writing fiction about coming wars usually are lobbying for keeping their cushy jobs. The only one who really hit the nail on the head is General Billy Mitchell in 1924, predicting a Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor, likely launched on a Sunday. I haven't found any other predictions as canny as that.
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!
An exact date from Robert A. Heinlein. He doesn't get it right, but I'm going to argue that this belongs to Sensible Bob instead of Ridiculous Bob.
Join us then...IN THE FUTURE!
Milwaukee's airport is named after General Billy.
ReplyDeleteWe also have a state park named after a WWII ace, Richard Bong. Yes, it's called the Bong Recreational Area. I have NO IDEA why the signs keep disappearing.
It has always struck me that predicting doom is a win-win-win practice; if something bad happens, you take credit, and if something bad DOESN'T happen, you take credit for giving a warning. Or you just say that conditions have changed and SOMETHING WORSE is coming. People have been predicting the end of the world since....well, the beginning of history. The sad news is that even with dire situations like global warming, the world won't end....just us.
This book predicts the war as the end of the Soviet Union due to nationalist uprisings after a limited nuclear exchange.
DeleteBesides the Brians website, I've picked up a book of predictions about what the 1990s will look like from people in 1893. A week from tomorrow, this will become the regular Sunday feature on the blog.
I have NO IDEA why the signs keep disappearing.
ReplyDeleteCould it be one of those entendre thingies?
The book sounds a bit like the premise of 'Handmaid's Tale' - would that be fair (not to imply one influencing the other, just looking to get a sense)?
Hi, paleo. Yes, I'm CERTAIN my friend the Zombie was being arch with that comment.
DeleteAs for comparisons to Atwood's book, it's been ages but I don't find much in common with this plot. In her book published in 1985, a theocracy takes over in the U.S. after a terrorist attack blamed on Muslims, which is certainly an idea ahead of its time in the U.S. I don't remember if the Soviets are mentioned at all.
p.s. Love your avatar. YEAH BABY!
don't get him started, prof.
Delete