Whatever Happened Happened, because we've seen how events in the past play themselves out to make the future the way it is, time and time again.
We have seen so many examples that prove that whatever happened happened, and no examples where the losties can change the future. So why all of a sudden would they be able to change the future now?
The first example is Desmond. After the hatch exploded, Desmond saw visions of the future-somehow his time balance was shifted and could see things that already happened. He knew Charlie was going to die because no matter what, it had happened in the past. No matter how many times he saved him, Charlie still died. Furthermore, in the episode, The Constant, Desmond (while on the freighter) was also shifting through time. He went back and told Penny to pick up the phone on a certain date, because in the past that is what happened, to make the future the way it is. And what happened? In the present day freighter time, Penny picked up the phone.
Michael couldn't die no matter how hard he tried because that is not what happens. Even though we are seeing these present events play out, its only the present to us who are watching it. Present day for certain characters like Whidmore, Hawking, and probably Ben is all in our future which we haven't seen, but they have already lived it and therefore know about it. Thus, they already know what happened. That is why Eloise knew that Desmond was not supposed to buy the ring, because eventually he would end up on the hatch pressing the button, which he does. She also knew that the person with red shoes was going to die by the scaffolding. Because it happened already and nothing can change that. If the red shoes person didn't die then, he would have died at some other time, just like Michael and Charlie.
We knew that Pierre Chung, Miles' father (whatever his real name is I'm not sure), told his wife to leave the island with Miles. And guess what? No matter how the events played out during Dharmatime, what happened? He made his wife and Miles leave the island just like it was supposed to happen.
So why all of a sudden do people believe that Jack or Locke or anyone being a "variable" is somehow going to change what happened? If Jack sets off a bomb or doesn't set off a bomb, its because that is what happens. What he does is what happened in the past, and not the alternative which is going to change the future. Thus, whatever happens in the finale happens because it is supposed to happen that way and shapes the future the same way that Whidmore or Hawking knows its going to turn out in their present, which we havn't seen. Just because the episode is called "the variable", people think that someone is going to change everything that happened. But since when is lost straightforward? Never! The variable probably means something that we can't comprehend as of yet and is probably not a person. They want us to think its a person by making Farraday have a conversation with Jack about variables to completely throw us off.
The reason Hawking doesn't know what is going to happen next is because her past has come to an end, as has Whidmore's. Thus, there is going to be a war in their present and they are trying to position themselves in the best way to win this war (Ben too), whoever it may be between.
We have seen so many examples that prove that whatever happened happened, and no examples where the losties can change the future. So why all of a sudden would they be able to change the future now?
The first example is Desmond. After the hatch exploded, Desmond saw visions of the future-somehow his time balance was shifted and could see things that already happened. He knew Charlie was going to die because no matter what, it had happened in the past. No matter how many times he saved him, Charlie still died. Furthermore, in the episode, The Constant, Desmond (while on the freighter) was also shifting through time. He went back and told Penny to pick up the phone on a certain date, because in the past that is what happened, to make the future the way it is. And what happened? In the present day freighter time, Penny picked up the phone.
Michael couldn't die no matter how hard he tried because that is not what happens. Even though we are seeing these present events play out, its only the present to us who are watching it. Present day for certain characters like Whidmore, Hawking, and probably Ben is all in our future which we haven't seen, but they have already lived it and therefore know about it. Thus, they already know what happened. That is why Eloise knew that Desmond was not supposed to buy the ring, because eventually he would end up on the hatch pressing the button, which he does. She also knew that the person with red shoes was going to die by the scaffolding. Because it happened already and nothing can change that. If the red shoes person didn't die then, he would have died at some other time, just like Michael and Charlie.
We knew that Pierre Chung, Miles' father (whatever his real name is I'm not sure), told his wife to leave the island with Miles. And guess what? No matter how the events played out during Dharmatime, what happened? He made his wife and Miles leave the island just like it was supposed to happen.
So why all of a sudden do people believe that Jack or Locke or anyone being a "variable" is somehow going to change what happened? If Jack sets off a bomb or doesn't set off a bomb, its because that is what happens. What he does is what happened in the past, and not the alternative which is going to change the future. Thus, whatever happens in the finale happens because it is supposed to happen that way and shapes the future the same way that Whidmore or Hawking knows its going to turn out in their present, which we havn't seen. Just because the episode is called "the variable", people think that someone is going to change everything that happened. But since when is lost straightforward? Never! The variable probably means something that we can't comprehend as of yet and is probably not a person. They want us to think its a person by making Farraday have a conversation with Jack about variables to completely throw us off.
The reason Hawking doesn't know what is going to happen next is because her past has come to an end, as has Whidmore's. Thus, there is going to be a war in their present and they are trying to position themselves in the best way to win this war (Ben too), whoever it may be between.
