1980s People Watch YouTube

[Zyobot]

Inspired by this AH.com thread, an inquisitive ROB decides to try the same experiment a few decades into the future this time.

As of January 1st, 1980, all TV sets suddenly receive full access to modern YouTube, as well as joystick-like controls and keyboards that downtimers can use to navigate the site. Governments around the world are also prevented from censoring content or removing the new feature TV sets have received, so barring mass-confiscation or destruction of TVs, they'll have to clench their jaws and accept that all manner of content they don't like is here to stay and freely available everywhere.

What happens next?

Thank you in advance,
Zyobot

 

[WolfBear]

I wonder if the US has second thoughts about sponsoring the Mujahideen in Afghanistan (due to 9/11 and the subsequent Afghanistan War). Either way, it probably won't matter since Gorbachev won't be coming to power at all in the Soviet Union in this TL, most likely. Bush Sr. is going to learn that he's going to need to tell April Glaspie to tell Saddam Hussein before he invades Kuwait that the US and West will militarily respond to any such move on Iraq's part, thus very possibly compelling Saddam Hussein not to do this or at least to wait until a Democrat is in office before doing this. The butterfly ballot certainly won't be designed in this TL, thus making it easier for Al Gore to win Florida in 2000 if Bush Jr. still has both that DUI revelation and "Social Security is not a federal program" gaffe several days before the election. I expect Donald Trump's popularity to significantly fall among the left and libertarians while significantly rising among the right, especially among the less-politically correct right, decades earlier than in real life. 1980 Trump is going to realize what pays off much earlier. Of course, so will other Republican politicians. Maybe there are greater odds of immigration reform being achieved much earlier? The demographic situation was not as favorable for the far-left as it would subsequently become, and US public opinion was much more hostile towards increasing immigration in 1980 than it will be 40+ years later:

This might actually be enough to kill the 1986 amnesty in the US in this TL. And both Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden are likely to eventually meet accidents in this TL so that they won't be causing any trouble after they have outlived their purpose to the US.

 

[Zyobot]

Well, I certainly agree that there'll be lots of political butterflies. Can't address everything you've said right now, @WolfBear, but a few thoughts come to mind right off the bat:

The butterfly ballot certainly won't be designed in this TL, thus making it easier for Al Gore to win Florida in 2000 if Bush Jr. still has both that DUI revelation and "Social Security is not a federal program" gaffe several days before the election.

Footage of everything you describe is already on YouTube, as is, so odds are Bush and Gore will probably see it and — even assuming an unusually generous (if "selective") butterfly net — readjust their responses accordingly, if ATL 2000 ever comes down to that.

Even then, I doubt we'd have the same candidates running on quite the same issues, due to compounding butterflies being the more likely scenario to begin with. For one, I'm pretty sure Bush Jr. will be kissing whatever aspirations he had goodbye, once the train-wreck of his OTL presidency comes to light. At best, I think he'd be able to run for a local office after foreswearing his future self, assuming he at least made a decent Governor of Texas (which I'm not as familiar with).

I expect Donald Trump's popularity to significantly fall among the left and libertarians while significantly rising among the right, especially among the less-politically correct right, decades earlier than in real life. 1980 Trump is going to realize what pays off much earlier.

Definitely expect Eighties Trump to be taking notes here, though I'd dispute your point about his older self being terribly popular with downtimers.

Widespread agreement with his actual platform, I can entertain — especially when news of out-of-control immigration, the fall of the Rust Belt, and mass-outsourcing to China of all places makes the news and takes the American people by surprise. At the same time, I'm guessing the pollsters would file off the serial numbers first, given how his crude and pseudo-folksy boorishness contrasts starkly with the aged grace and grandfatherly eloquence of the GOP's current favorite.

If anything, I think Trump the Man would be a big red flag showing how American politics has degraded, though considering that he's clearly not the only one with "issues", I suspect most modern politicians would seem clownish and absurd to downtimer audiences. Having a black, orange, and now pasty-corpse president back-to-back-to-back will do that.

("Looking at you, Resident Biden!" )

Maybe there are greater odds of immigration reform being achieved much earlier? The demographic situation was not as favorable for the far-left as it would subsequently become, and US public opinion was much more hostile towards increasing immigration in 1980 than it will be 40+ years later:

Hadn't seen these before, so thanks for the tipoff.

But yeah, I'd expect (mostly) bipartisan agreement that the US needs to impose tougher immigration laws preemptively, to prevent artificial demographic shifts or cheap foreign labor from flooding the domestic market. In fact, while I'd expect him to be less "scolding" than Clinton was in his delivery, it wouldn't phase me much if President Carter made it an issue at the next State of the Union address, too.

This might actually be enough to kill the 1986 amnesty in the US in this TL.

Probably.

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Reagan agreed reluctantly to an amnesty, in exchange for Congress — then controlled by Democrats — to give him some concession he never got? I believe it had something to do with lowering taxes, but maybe I'm misremembering on that.

 

[WolfBear]

Well, I certainly agree that there'll be lots of political butterflies. Can't address everything you've said right now, @WolfBear, but a few thoughts come to mind right off the bat:



Footage of everything you describe is already on YouTube, as is, so odds are Bush and Gore will probably see it and — even assuming an unusually generous (if "selective") butterfly net — readjust their responses accordingly, if ATL 2000 ever comes down to that.

Even then, I doubt we'd have the same candidates running on quite the same issues, due to compounding butterflies being the more likely scenario to begin with. For one, I'm pretty sure Bush Jr. will be kissing whatever aspirations he had goodbye, once the train-wreck of his OTL presidency comes to light. At best, I think he'd be able to run for a local office after foreswearing his future self, assuming he at least made a decent Governor of Texas (which I'm not as familiar with).

Yeah, Bush Jr.'s real life Presidency is likely going to sink his presidential aspirations, no doubt about that.

Definitely expect Eighties Trump to be taking notes here, though I'd dispute your point about his older self being terribly popular with downtimers.

Widespread agreement with his actual platform, I can entertain — especially when news of out-of-control immigration, the fall of the Rust Belt, and mass-outsourcing to China of all places makes the news and takes the American people by surprise. At the same time, I'm guessing the pollsters would file off the serial numbers first, given how his crude and pseudo-folksy boorishness contrasts starkly with the aged grace and grandfatherly eloquence of the GOP's current favorite.

If anything, I think Trump the Man would be a big red flag showing how American politics has degraded, though considering that he's clearly not the only one with "issues", I suspect most modern politicians would seem clownish and absurd to downtimer audiences.

Reagan might be more popular with GOP audiences relative to Trump, though after Reagan, the GOP doesn't have all that many charismatic candidates, especially those who can actually appeal to the GOP base on immigration like Trump can. Though maybe the GOP base will see that Trump hasn't been fully successful on immigration and will want someone else, but still, who's actually available? Tom Tancredo? He was never enough to inspire GOP voters like Trump could. Ditto for Pat Buchanan.

("Looking at you, Resident Biden!" )



Hadn't seen these before, so thanks for the tipoff.

But yeah, I'd expect (mostly) bipartisan agreement that the US needs to impose tougher immigration laws preemptively, to prevent artificial demographic shifts or cheap foreign labor from flooding the domestic market. In fact, while I'd expect him to be less "scolding" than Clinton was in his delivery, it wouldn't phase me much if President Carter made it an issue at the next State of the Union address, too.

Makes sense. Of course, I myself and my family might not make it into the US in this TL. Getting into the US in real life was hard enough as it was for us.

Probably.

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Reagan agreed reluctantly to an amnesty, in exchange for Congress — then controlled by Democrats — to give him some concession he never got? I believe it had something to do with lowering taxes, but maybe I'm misremembering on that.

Possibly:

Tax Reform Act of 1986 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I think that there were also promises on border security that might not have been fully fulfilled. And of course there would be calls for another amnesty 20+ years later, which the 1980s GOP will now know about and greatly, greatly fear!

 

[Sailor.X]

Early Teens me might freak out when I see an interview of then 48 year old me about a Bigfoot encounter. Past me will realize I will encounter a monster.

 

[Zyobot]

Early Teens me might freak out when I see an interview of then 48 year old me about a Bigfoot encounter. Past me will realize I will encounter a monster.

I don’t suppose your downtimer self had an interest in cryptids, then?

Even if not, odds are he’d soon develop one, as there’s quite a rabbit hole for him to go down on YouTube as soon as he watches that Bigfoot interview.

 

[Sailor.X]

I don’t suppose your downtimer self had an interest in cryptids, then?

Even if not, odds are he’d soon develop one, as there’s quite a rabbit hole for him to go down on YouTube as soon as he watches that Bigfoot interview.

Well I had heard the old stories about those creatures from my parents and the other elders. But you know being a kid you tend to roll your eyes at times. This would change past me worldview really quick. I would become obsessed with learning more.

 

[Zyobot]

Well I had heard the old stories about those creatures from my parents and the other elders. But you know being a kid you tend to roll your eyes at times. This would change past me worldview really quick. I would become obsessed with learning more.

Given how much of that's available on YouTube, as is, odds are learning more will be pretty easy.

Anyhow, something else I've been wondering about is what they'd make of the idea of YouTube itself? I'm aware there's existing precedent for personal computers and some of the "underpinnings" for the World Wide Web already, but seeing as those were considered state of the art back then, I'd imagine that a worldwide video-sharing platform where everyone can freely post and access content over their devices any time they want would prove... well, extremely novel, to say the least.

 

[The Immortal Watch Dog]

The LGBT movement and the migration movement will die in its infancy. Parents seeing their grandkids groomed and trooned will react with extraordinary militancy to end that shit.

The UN would face insane levels of backlash and Fauci might actually get tried for his involvement in the bungling of AIDS crisis.

Expect a containment policy on China geared towards collapse and partitioning it.

Japan shits a brick at its economic and demographic woes and adjusts accordingly. Which probably leads to a future where the US and a resurgent nationalist Japan are the two dominant world powers.

Which IMHO is how it should be.

 

[Atarlost]

People are going to do searches on three things: their own names and their areas of professional interest, and serious hobbies. Educated professionals of that era didn't cheat themselves out of learning research and critical thinking by relying on the wikipedia bibliography so they will dig a bit and refine their search queries instead of only watching what the algorithm pushes.

Some stuff nobody's gotten to yet: the navy is going to give up on railguns because of the Zumwalt. Someone's going to try to make a WYSIWYG GUI before Xerox. Probably many someones. Video games will be taken seriously earlier. KSP's maneuver node handles will become the standard visualization for explaining orbital spaceflight. There will be constitutional amendments to close loopholes like a bare majority of the senate adjusting the filibuster margin. Someone will either be acquitted for the murder of Jeffrey Epstein or receive a presidential pardon. Probably the former. Getting a jury to convict will be very difficult. Ross Perot will attempt to take over one of the major parties instead of running as a spoiler. Wind turbines are out because the global warming alarmists have not yet driven the Audobon Society out of the green movement. Nuclear is in. Math success is up with all the tutoring videos. A great many Hollywood careers will be destroyed for being involved in films that would have been scandalous in the 1980s. Copyright will never be the same again, though whether it gets reformed or made more draconian is unclear.