Things that look like alternate history, but aren't - Page 500

Color-Copycat · #**9981** September 9th, 2012, 06:08 AM

Quote:

The Jaguar was a joint Chinese-US main battle tank project carried-out in the 1980s, with the intent of modernizing the Type 59 tank and it's variants. From a political standpoint, such an undertaking would have been virtually unimaginable, if not for the Chinese-US "Detente" policy established in the 1970s. The objective of this policy was to better-stabilize the global balance of power, by enhancing China's status into a sort of a "buffer state" between the US and the USSR. Among other things, this involved the transfer of US military technology to China; the Jaguar was part of this legacy.

Development of the Jaguar began at some time in the mid-1980s, and was formally announced in late 1988. The two main contributors were Cadillac Gage in USA, and the China National Machinery & Equipment Import & Export Corporation in China. Though the Jaguar was already fully planned-out by mid-1989, the political fallout of the Tiananmen Square Massacre forced the US and Chinese teams to part company, and China apparently lost interest in the project. Undaunted, Cadillac Gage continued development of the Jaguar alone, finally combining the hull and turret in October 1989.

Though it's development had been a complete success (despite the political turmoil that rocked it) no orders for Jaguars were ever placed. The glutted market of used tanks after the Cold War, frequently seeing fully-operational tanks sold at scrap value, effectively doomed the project.

The thought of such a joint Sino-American defense project boggles my mind. And the end product is rather flashy looking, too.

Napoleon53 · #**9982** September 9th, 2012, 06:09 AM

How about:

"Generalissimo Hemingway, Communist dictator of Cuba, meets with Fidel Castro, President of the Conch Republic, during a conference to eliminate the possibility of a nuclear exchange between the two countries."

EDIT: What's on Castro's thumb?

Dom Jao II · #**9983** September 9th, 2012, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Napoleon53

How about:

"Generalissimo Hemingway, Communist dictator of Cuba, meets with Fidel Castro, President of the Conch Republic, during a conference to eliminate the possibility of a nuclear exchange between the two countries."

EDIT: What's on Castro's thumb?

I'd flip the roles around.

On the topic of Hemingway, he entered an Ernest Hemingway lookalike contest and lost.

Napoleon53 · #**9984** September 9th, 2012, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dom Jao II

I'd flip the roles around.

I was trying to be ironic and double-whammy.

1900 artist interpretation of 2000:

Oh my eyes. My EYES. I remember 2000 really well, and the fire department my brother was in did not look like cuirassiering man-bats.

Fishing for gulls while riding a giant seahorse? YES. And who needs a face? Lower the scary barber hands... OF DEATH! I also love how the woman fishing for seagulls is wearing a long, flowing dress OVER her suit. I wonder what the artist would have thought of bikinis. Lol.

EDIT:

And I don't even know how to express just how awesome this image is:

Trainwarships. I'd love to see a version that launches zeppelins.

Turquoise Blue · #**9985** September 9th, 2012, 01:07 PM

In your TL, you HAVE to make those real!

metastasis_d · #**9986** September 9th, 2012, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turquoise Blue

In your TL, you HAVE to make those real!

Maybe if it were in the ASB forum...

jkarr · #**9987** September 9th, 2012, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metastasis_d

Maybe if it were in the ASB forum...

i dont know...although the artistic interpretations are pure asb, the fact is most of them came true, in one way or another, and we have the tech to make the most absurbed of them seem a reality

Petike · #**9988** September 9th, 2012, 03:44 PM

The ornithopter parked at the balcony in the second picture looks... remarkably modern.

Thande · #**9989** September 9th, 2012, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Color-Copycat

The thought of such a joint Sino-American defense project boggles my mind. And the end product is rather flashy looking, too.

Good find. One forgets how far the US took the Nixon doctrine at the time.

Color-Copycat · #**9990** September 9th, 2012, 04:24 PM

I'm more impressed that they managed to turn a T-59 into something that looks so sleek and modern. That modernization project should be right up there with the Olifant, imo.

d32123 · #**9991** September 9th, 2012, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abhakhazia

I created a second one; this is close to 10000 posts.
Here it is.

And that meanie face BKW had to go close it. He clearly hates candy........and sunshine.........and rainbows...........and kittens.

Rührpött Mäniäc · #**9992** September 9th, 2012, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stateless_englishman

There's something odd about seeing Italy labelled as "Welschland" - I had not realised that the Germans called Italy "Welschland" until recently. From an AH perspective Italia Welschland could be the Welsh empire in the Italian peninsula.

The German word "welsch" means something like strange or not understandable and "Welschland" had nothing to do with Wales. (Although the roots of the words "welsch" and "Wales" are the same, meaning "strange"/ "unknown")