Greetings All,
Often I read Alt-Hist stories (or, at least, browse the stacks and stacks looking for something "New".) but most love to focus on major World Changing Events like = The South Wins, The Nazis Win, Lincoln Lives, Washington Loses, Queen Victoria Never Dies, etc, etc, etc. Many have been done so many times ya gotta wonder why people bother. --- Still, that's the FUN of Alt-History = The WHAT IF??? and it seems that everybody loves to get their hands, or at least their brains into it. I sure ain't no exception.?
Being an "Atompunk" and still wondering where the hell my promised Jetpack and Flying Car got off to, I think about that Atomic Age Future That Never Was and WHAT would it might have taken to bring it about. --- My current conclusion. = NO Robert McNamara.?
In MY Alt-History, either he was never appointed Secretary Of Defence by JFK or he just opted to stay at Ford. (If I'm feeling particularly vicious, he got Zippoed test driving an early prototype Pinto. LOL) IMO, all would work, and all would have seen Major Changes in World Events. =?
Aside from being one of the Leading Components to bury us over our heads in that mess in Southeast Asia (while at the same time proudly shoving the useless M-16 and F-111s on our forces) this Bean Counter ripped away the funding on some of the most innovated air and space projects to ever emerge in this country with his across the board budget cuts. Did I say, "cuts"??? More like, Slash & Burn. ---??In the 60s, DEFENSE was the pinnacle of all branches of R&D tech development.?One of the first things this ACCOUNTANT did after his appointment was to proceed to cancel every single innovative defense program in sight. High speed bombers and interceptors, nuclear-powered aircraft, missiles, and SPACECRAFT. You name it, he killed it. = YEAH, we coulda had REAL FLYING SAUCERS if the Pye Wacket and other Lenticular type programs (which were very near completion!) hadn't gotten blindly slashed! Not to mention the X-15 and Dyna-Soar type Spaceplanes programs. AND be reaching for The Stars in ORION!!!!?
So, IMO (as always) if someone asks, "Whatever became of those Flying Cars and Jetpacks??" just tell them, "McNamara traded them off for Vietnam." ---> I'm thinking that that "prototype Pinto" gig might be To Nice a way to have handled this guy. LOL
Keep It FUN!
Dan G
Dan G