How to Influence a Politician

[deckardcanine]

1. Make yourself look and sound like a given politician, only significantly older. If you can't pull it off, find someone who can whom you trust. Let's call this person X.

2. Make sure that X knows a lot about the politician's history, just to be safe.

3. Optional: Dress X in a way that you imagine old people will dress in however many years. Otherwise, a standard business suit should do.

4. The hard part: Get your hands on an amazing invention that very few people know about yet. If necessary, invent it yourself.

5. Have X approach the politician in private, claiming to be his or her time-traveling future self. The little-known invention serves as "proof."

6. Have X advise the politician in whatever ways you wish, making up future disasters if he or she asks why.

Comments

[nefaria.livejournal.com]

I'm still under the impression that travelling back in time is impossible; your destination no longer exists.

The near-light-speed trick is still good if you want to be young in the distant future. "The Forever War" explored the possibilities rather thoroughly.

[marmoe.livejournal.com]

There are more radical solutions.
http://xkcd.com/716/ ;-)

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

That cartoon struck me (NPI) as stupid. Simply hearing your future self should be all the discouragement you need. But then, the stickman in question knows himself better than I do.

[marmoe.livejournal.com]

I think it's simply that future stickman wants to prevent the invention of timetravel, but still survive himself, rather than his present incarnation. Still opens up all sorts of paradoxes. Not one of the better ones.

Besides, it does not help in your case where you want to influence a foreigner.

hehehehehe!

[thatcatgirl.livejournal.com]

I love it! Sounds like the makings of a fun story.

You know, it may be just because of *what* kind of geek I am, but I don't think 4. is the hard part. It can, if all else fails be faked.

Re: hehehehehe!

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

True, you can try some magic tricks as long as the politician is unimaginative enough, and a really gullible one might not need any "proof." But remember, experienced liars can be good at spotting other liars. That's why I recommend not cutting corners where possible.

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

I think so too, but not everyone does. You can always hope that your target will fall for it.

Re: hehehehehe!

[thatcatgirl.livejournal.com]

experienced liars can be good at spotting other liars.

You have a point, but it also goes for the rest of the ploy. But so many politicians are uncomfortably untech-savvy. "In the future, we'll talk to each other over a computer network!" (okay, not quite that bad, but close). The one think I'd be particularly cautious about trying is anything that seems like it may soon come out of some secret operation, as some research might reveal that it already has. And a politician might well have access to someone who could tell them.

Deadly useless invention

[akktri.livejournal.com]

Sure! I can do it! Who says it actually has to work? For an invention, just paint a wooden block and stick stuff on it, and say it does X, then give some excuse why it doesn't work in their presence.