god Has A Plan (alternate Battlestar Galactica (RDM))

[Brky2020]

Jan 9, 2020 17:18:07 GMT lordroel said:

Jan 9, 2020 16:59:27 GMT Brky2020 said:

He was involved...but not the driving force(s).

Some of them were named in a book by journalist Bob Woodward, published posthumously in the U.K., and then worldwide, in 1999 from notes smuggled out via the Underground Railroad. For the time being, I’m keeping their names out of the story and comments field.

I’m more comfortable with naming some of the figures who went along with the plotters, who helped advance their agenda: evangelist/Senator Jimmy Swaggart, and pastor, university president and Cabinet member Jerry Falwell are just two of them.

Some of them have yet to be named and may always stay in the shadows...others we’ve yet to meet.

Seems to me Woodward got hit by the CIA ore whatever agency the regime has.

He died in a federal prison by “natural causes”.

I really do need to come up with that Congress and Cabinet list and Supreme Court, now...

[Brky2020]

No go on the 1983 list. I can list the main players and a brief overview of the 1982 Congressional elections and appointments, the main players on the initial Watt Cabinet and the makeup of the reconstituted Supreme Court.

I may be able to give you a comprehensive list of the current Congress, Cabinet and Supreme Court.

[lordroel]

Jan 10, 2020 2:45:14 GMT Brky2020 said:

No go on the 1983 list. I can list the main players and a brief overview of the 1982 Congressional elections and appointments, the main players on the initial Watt Cabinet and the makeup of the reconstituted Supreme Court.

I may be able to give you a comprehensive list of the current Congress, Cabinet and Supreme Court.

No problem Brky2020.

[Brky2020]

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 1981-present
By number; President (party -- R-Republican, D-Democrat, state); Vice-President (party, state); beginning of term; end of term; notes

40. Ronald Reagan (R-California); George H.W. Bush (R-Texas). January 20, 1981-March 30, 1981.
Reagan was assassinated March 30, 1981 outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. by loner John Hinckley Jr. Reagan was rushed to the hospital but died hours later. Before his death, Reagan had sent a comprehensive tax and budget reform proposal to Congress and had used the media to take his agenda directly to the American public, hoping voters would press their Senators and Representatives to back Reagan's proposals. 
41. George H.W. Bush (R-Texas); vacant; March 30, 1981-April 13, 1981.
Bush, Reagan's Vice-President, was sworn in aboard Air Force Two in Texas, which was in the process of returning to Washington. That evening, Bush addressed the nation at 11:30 p.m. Eastern time, vowed to continue Reagan's policies, and said "America will survive this incident". Reagan's body lay in state in the Capitol building, and he was buried April 7. Bush first nominated Haig to fill the vacant Vice-Presidential position; the Democratic majority in both houses responded by pushing former Democratic Vice-President Walter Mondale in the "spirit of bipartianship and unity". Bush then decided on Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker (R-Tennessee) as his new VP, which required approval from Congress, and the Democrats were receiving pressure to approve Bush's second choice. But first, Bush would address both houses of Congress, along with nearly his entire cabinet, the entire Supreme Court, and others: news reports suggested Hinckley was in fact acting on orders of Communists inside Nicaragua, and Bush was going to use the State of the Union address to urge American bombing of the rebels. The night of April 13, Bush had laid out his case for military action, and was beginning to push Baker as VP when a bomb exploded, destroying the entire House chamber, killing all inside, and setting the Capitol building ablaze. 
42. James Watt (R-Wyoming); vacant through January 3, 1983; Richard C. Halverson (R-Maryland, January 6, 1983-January 20, 1985) and Kit Bond (R-Missouri, January 20, 1985-January 20, 1989); April 13, 1981-January 20, 1989.
At the urging of an unnamed aide, Bush named Watt the "designated survivor", to sit out Bush's State of the Union speech before Congress on April 13; when the bomb exploded in the House chamber, Watt -- watching the speech on television from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland --was sworn in, as the only surviving member in Presidential line of succession; Halverson, the Senate Chaplain, was sick and therefore not present during the attack on the Capitol Building April 6, 1981; Watt operated as de facto dictator of the U.S., with full military backing, and authorized the bombing of "enemy camps" in Nicaragua as revenge for the Capitol bombing; Watt lifted nationwide martial law in August 1982, allowing for a shortened baseball season ending on Christmas Day and for short races to fill all 435 House seats and the Senate seats required to be filled by state elections; Bond ran as Watt's running mate in the 1984 election, in which Watt beat Democratic nominee George McGovern. Watt presided over the departure of the United States from NATO, signed a number of bills into law that turned America into a neoconservative theocracy; authorized military action to supress numerous instances of riots and social unrest and responses to terrorist actions against the "Watt regime"; encouraged "good young loyal American women" to have as many children as possible; and proposed allowing dissenters to freely leave the U.S. for any country they chose. The Watt administration also pushed for a reversal of the Roe v Wade ruling that made abortion legal; even though he stacked the reconstituted Supreme Court with as many conservative justices as he could find, the reversal would come during Pat Robertson's term.
Watt's greatest -- a relative term, depending wholely on whom one talks to -- legacy will not be the censorship of national and local media, nor of the lingering effects of the Long Terror nor the 'lesser' effect of martial law on the economy; nor will it be the passage of numerous bills that in effect set America back several decades, especially in terms of sociali policy. It will be the crackdown known as the Long Terror.
After taking office, Watt declared martial law and ordered a heavy-handed crackdown on all dissident individuals, groups and organizations. This affected an estimated 51 million Americans, and involved everything from the shutdown of printing plants to midnight raids and subsequent trips to jails to bombing of entire neighborhoods by U.S. military. The plotters' takeover plans involved taking control of the media, and the arrest, removal and disappearance of many liberal personalities allowed for the insertion of more friendly faces, ones whom would eagerly report the administration's position as it wished to be conveyed. In terms of the Long Terror, it allowed for the narrative of Reagan's assassin and for the bombers of the House chamber to be linked to both Communist rebels in Nicaragua; pro-Colonial, anti-Christian religious extremists "outside the U.S."; and -- most controversially -- "radical black, anti-white, Asian and Hispanic" and "liberal, homosexual" activists whom, it was reported, "had quietly spread their cancer throughout their communities and into the American mainstream". To that end, throughout 1981 there were endless raids, crackdowns and military action in both LGBTQ and African-American communities across the country. Black neighborhoods and portions of cities were turned into de facto prison camps by local, state, National Guard and even U.S. Army barricades. Watt simply ignored the questions, then pleas, then cries to stop doing whatever he was doing. When entire minority neighborhoods (and some gay neighborhoods in the largest cities) revolved en masse in August, Watt ordered the Air Force to carpet bomb those neighborhoods. That he was as successful as he was is as much a testament to the loyalty of certain officers and to the purges of "pro-Communist, pro-pagan, anti-Christian and anti-American" officers that all four military branches underwent during that time as it was the military's strong sense of patriotism and love of god and country.
Thus, 1981 began the Long Terror.
1982 saw Watt's patrons, along with his closest advisors, float the idea of ending martial law and restoring elections across the country. Watt had the miltiary continue to enforce crackdowns, but by June of 1982 much of the nation was quiet, and secure, enough for local elections to be held. So they were, set for the first Tuesday in November, allowing for shortened primaries and races at local, state and federal levels. Congress was rebuilt at the polls and by gubernatorial appointment, while state and local positions were filled or refilled as scheduled. The newly restored Capitol building reopened New Year's Day, and the 98th Congress was seated two days later. It quickly affirmed Watt's choice of Richard Halverson as Vice President, and began passing bill after bill that were a neo-conservative's and/or fundamentalist Christian's dream and everyone else's nightmare or, worse, ongoing migraine. The Congress affirmed all nine of Watt's picks for the Supreme Court by April 1982, and government was back in business, as much as it could be under a country that had fundamentally changed character in just over a year.
For his second term, Watt picked Missouri governor Kit Bond as his VP, wanting someone who could govern in case Watt himself died or was incapacitated. Watt continued to push for a ban on abortion, stymied by a surprisingly strong Democratic Party in both houses. The plotters were already at work, grooming candidates to run against those Democrats and to beat them, take their seats, and insure a GOP majority. Watt ordered a change of policy regarding military actions inside the U.S. against insurgents and "terrorists" -- he knew the presence of dissidents would hinder his, and his patrons' agenda, and so a plan to deal with them was executed. He simply gave them one choice: leave. He told other national leaders they either could take them or he would, regrettably, have to deal with them. Colonial President Benedict convinced British Prime Minister Margaret THatcher and Canadian PM Pierre Trudeau (who survived a conservative challenge based on what was happening in the U.S.) to take in the "dissidents". Mexico was also given the "opportunity" to take in dissidents, but closed its borders after an estimated 1,300,000 refugees went south. The Colonials, British, French, West Germans, and Australians sent planes and boats to pick up dissident refugees and take them to their new, freer, lives. Canada grew by an estimated 22 million people by 1987. While the  world dealt with the impact of the American coup and the eventual ban on doing business with the U.S. by its western former allies, Watt took the last two years of his first term to rebuild the domestic economy and find trading partners. Some would drop out on pressure from the rest of the world, others would stay the course -- the U.S./Russian partnership actually began in 1986, as the U.S. quietly did business with the USSR and China. 
Watt also signed into law the controversial Thurmond Act (named after the late Congressman Strom Thurmond) that had wide-ranging and long-term effects for the LGBTQ community and for civil rights in America -- yet one more reason most African-Americans (and gays) chose to leave instead of stay and fight (and likely die). 
43. Pat Robertson (R-Virginia); Robert Orr (R-Indiana); January 20, 1989-January 20, 1993.
Watt declined to run for a second full term; Robertson, the president of the Christian Broadcasting Network and host of its The 700 Club program, won the GOP primary in 1988 and then picked Orr as his VP over several candidates, including former Watt Chief of Staff Douglas Coe; Robertson beat Chrysler CEO and Democratic nominee Lee Iaccoca in the general election. Robertson signed the Passage Act into law in 1990, allowing for an estimated 13 million more Americans to flee for Canada, Israel, the Colonies, Europe, Australia, Liberia, Japan and South Africa, and stated the U.S. miltiary would no longer be used against "our own people", but such responsibilities would go to local, state and federal law enforcement (the FBI) and to the National Guard. He also publicly backed the Union of South African government in its civil war with the African National Congress, and removed American troops from South Korea (leaving the United Colonies to defend the nation against North Korean aggression) and Japan. Robertson ordered the United Nations out of New York City, and at the same time began to decry the Colonies as the greatest threat to America, accusing them of planning to take advantage of the Capitol bombing to install a "heathen" government, ban Christianity and make homosexuality mandatory. Robertson also advocated closer ties with the reformists in the USSR (the same ones the Colonies had longer, and stronger, ties with) to "end the threat of communism and stand as a vanguard against paganism and world government). This went against the wishes of the partisan group, which still saw Communism as the greater threat. Robertson announced he would run for a second term, but lost in the GOP primaries to former Nixon and Watt staffer Pat Buchanan. After leaving the White House, Robertson returned to CBN and to hosting The 700 Club. 
44. Pat Buchanan (R-Virginia); Sam Brownback (R-Kansas); January 20, 1993-January 20, 2001.
Buchanan, a former speechwriter for President Richard Nixon and communications director (1987-89) for James Watt, beat DNC candidate Bob Kerrey (Governor of Nebraska) and Texas businessman Ross Perot in '92. Buchanan named Perot as his Secretary of Commerce, and began his first term by authorizing military action against the last remaining resistance groups in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Dallas. Afterwards, the resistance went completely underground, and work on the Underground Railroad began in earnest. To the dismay of the partisan group and pro-Israel lobbyists and Congresspeople, Buchanan criticized Israel and began developing closer ties with Arabs in the region, most notably the Saud royal family in Saudi Arabia and King Hussein in Jordan, on the pretense that the new oligarch-run government of Russia had long-term plans to establish dominance in the region. After getting roundly criticized on Capitol Hill, in the media and by his benefactors, Buchanan went on television and "repent(ed) of my profound misunderstanding of the Jewish people": mindful of the need for America to have access to Arabian oil, he ordered the USS Nimitz to the Arabian Sea and negotiated with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein for a US base to be built in Iraqi-occupied Kuwait. Buchanan also pushed for middle-class tax cuts and tax breaks for two-parent familities, as well as the strengthening of Social Security "for those who've earned a long, fruitful retirement". Buchanan also pushed for renewed funding for NASA, citing the Colonies' drive to build a lunar base and to put people on Mars, and in 1995 American astronauts returned to the same spot Neil Armstrong first walked on 26 years before, on the Apollo XXX mission.
In 1996, Buchanan fended off a primary challenge from former Vice-President and current Senator Phil Gramm, then -- while preparing for the general election -- ordered troops to the Canadian border after a rogue group of teenaged immigrants from California launched an attack on the small village of Sweet Grass, Montana, killing 19 adults and seven children. Buchanan ordered the Pentagon to draw up plans for a land and air invasion of Canada and had troops line the entire border from Alaska to Maine; he backed down after the Canadian Army and Air Force were backed not only by UN peacekeepers, but the full might of Canada's NATO allies along the border, and in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Claiming the insurgents had been dealth with by being killed by Montana national guardsmen, and not wanting to escalate the incident into a world war, Buchanan backed down and ordered his military to their peacetime positions along the border.
Buchanan then concentrated on the general election, and countered Arkansas governor Bill Clinton's criticism of Buchanan's handling of the incident by accusing Clinton of being a "wanton womanizer" and "a one-world globalist liberal". Buchanan fended off both Clinton and a third-party challenge from commentator William F. Buckley, and won a second term in the White House. In the first 100 days of his second term, Buchanan ordered troops to help lock down the U.S.-Mexican border, and authorized a permanent American military presence in the Volkstaat (and breaking off relations with the new Republic of South Africa and its leader, Nelson Mandela). He ordered the bombing of "terrorist positions" in Nicaragua and El Salvador, and had the Nimitz and other US Naval forces in the Middle East challenge the Colonial Battleship Pegasus in support of "our Arabian and Iraqi allies"; it was more a show of 'I can beat you up if you force me' than anything else. He supported the inclusion of large Christian megachurches into receiving the same tax breaks other major American corporations like Chrysler and International Harvester had, sold Guam to Japan, and pushed unsuccessfully for the requirement of Medicare recipients to work or volunteer for 10 to 20 hours a week to continue receiving benefits. Buchanan had not developed the ties to Israel that the partisans wanted him to build, and by the end of his second term, neocon media pundits (which there were more of than any other kind combined) were pushing for a more Israel-friendly candidate. They found their man in Gary Bauer.
45. Gary Bauer (R-Kentucky); Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma); January 20, 2001-January 20, 2005.
The GOP's largest partisan group declined to back Sam Brownback's Presidential aspirations and turned to a man they trusted well: Bauer, who picked another trusted man, Coburn, as his running mate; the Democrats picked actor Robert Redford, who might have won the race had it not been for the third party candidacy of Vermont independent governor Howard Dean. Dean won just enough electoral votes to take away from Redford, and Bauer won the electoral vote by a slim margin. Once he got into office, Bauer signed a bill into law enacting a total ban on euthanasia; ordered the complete relocation of U.S. troops from Germany to Israel and the southern African Volkstaat state; and pushed for the passage of the 28th Amendment, allowing for a foreign country or a portion of a foreign country to apply for statehood (the 28th Amendment is considered to be the act that led to the breakdown of U.S./Colonial relations). Bauer oversaw the dissolution of the Environmental Protection Agency (which had been severely weakened under Watt, Robertson and Buchanan) and the dissolution of federal laws that prevented contamination of food and water sources. He began to openly call for the dissolution of organized labor and for the ending of funding for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, stating "the government shouldn't be in the business of paying for people's health care and pensions; that job belongs to their families, their employers and especially their churches". Bauer also pushed for Constitutional amendments that would, among other things, switch most federal responsibilities to the states and make it mandatory that every American citizen belong to an authorized evangelical, conservative and/or fundamentalist church. Not only did it violate the principle of separation of church and state, it also angered the moderate and liberal Christian denominations and churches still operating in the U.S. and especially the Roman Catholic Church.
Perhaps the greatest challenge he faced while in office was the aftermath of 9/11.
On September 11, 2001, the al-Qaeda terrorist organization -- led by Osama bin Laden, a member of the Saud royal family that Buchanan had spent so much time courting -- launched a successful terrorist operation inside the United States. Civilian airliners were hijacked and flown into both towers of the World Trade Center in New York City; the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.; the Hollywood sign in Hollywood, California; and in the new 25,000-seat Lakewood Church sanctuary in suburban Houston. Bauer's response was less than Congress, the military and the rest of the nation demanded: he ordered the military to abandon plans to attack al-Qaeda positions inside Afghanistan and Pakistan,on the grounds doing so would "commit America to an endless, unwinnable war". He would only covert CIA teams to take out bin Laden personally, although he did go along with the proposal of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to create a Department of Homeland Security to monitor for threats within the country from al-Qaeda. Bauer would then authorize several initiatives by Homeland Security that, in effect, spied on the American people, even going so far as to tap phone lines and encourage random citizens to spy on their neighbors. That turned the media — now generally conservative, and supportive of the White House and the GOP agenda — against Bauer.
Bauer stuck to his principles, and in so doing put off most of his supporters in and outside the Beltway who saw the Homeland initiatives as "more KGB than American", especially when his administration openly courted Russia.
In 2000, Russia withdrew from the western Allies, citing political and economic ‘disagreements’, and began reaching out to Washington to build ties. A scandal involving a Quorum member taking money from Russian oligarchs in exchange for influence led to Colonial, then Allied, economic sanctions: Russian President Vladimir Putin pulled his nation out of the alliance (while keeping certain agreements w/European countries in place) and openly courted the U.S. While anti-Communist and anti-Russian feelings were still strong in Washington (and some were unable to differentiate between the two), Bauer saw more benefits than drawbacks to an alliance with Russia. As he had the backing of the plotters, Bauer’s views prevailed; it didn’t hurt that the initial Russian/American economic agreements strongly favored the U.S. (an agreement that led to heavy Russian integration into the American economic, military and political structures). The conservative media, along with centrist organizations like CNN and the New York Times, supported Bauer’s position.
In the wake of 9/11, Russian advisers gave Bauer a way to take the heat off of his refusal to authorize American military involvement in Afghanistan and Pakistan (both countries with Russian investments): blame the Colonials. Media groups picked up on internet rumors that Colonial intelligence trained and funded the 9/11 operation towards the goal of destabilizing the American government, the Colonials starting a war and taking over, and imposing their culture and religion on the American people. It was taken seriously enough as to further lower the reputation of the Colonial government and people among the American people.
Bauer’s administration also saw a number of Republicans, most notably Representative Lamar Alexander (Tennessee), switch to the Democratic Party, strengthening the opposition and emboldening Republicans who opposed Bauer's extremism. With rumors that bin Laden had the full run of Pakistan and was running around untouched, Bauer instead ordered the military to assist "pro-American factions" in Colombia and Venezuela. On August 7, 2003, Bauer stood side-by-side with Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez in Caracas, hours after bin Laden took credit for the bombing of the Colonial frigate Augustus near Abu Dhabi. While the Colonials began the work of finding bin Laden and bringing him to justice, Bauer turned his attention to the caucuses and the Republican nomination. By the Iowa caucuses in early 2004, it was clear Bauer wasn't going to survive, but he managed to hold off Mark Sanford to win the nomination, while backing away from his most extreme views, then doubling down on them once Alexander won the Democratic nomination in August. In November, Bauer won only six southern states, then ordered his staff not to assist Alexander's staff in any way during the transition, and spent his final days in office stating "America would regret its decision to vote for liberal extremism". He spent the 2010s rehabilitating himself as a commentator for the Jones Cable Network, supported Lindsey Graham's successful Presidential run, and had a federal building renamed after him in 2017.

[lordroel]

Jan 12, 2020 2:17:03 GMT Brky2020 said:

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 1981-present
By number; President (party -- R-Republican, D-Democrat, state); Vice-President (party, state); beginning of term; end of term; notes

40. Ronald Reagan (R-California); George H.W. Bush (R-Texas). January 20, 1981-March 30, 1981.
Reagan was assassinated March 30, 1981 outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. by loner John Hinckley Jr. Reagan was rushed to the hospital but died hours later. Before his death, Reagan had sent a comprehensive tax and budget reform proposal to Congress and had used the media to take his agenda directly to the American public, hoping voters would press their Senators and Representatives to back Reagan's proposals. 
41. George H.W. Bush (R-Texas); vacant; March 30, 1981-April 13, 1981.
Bush, Reagan's Vice-President, was sworn in aboard Air Force Two in Texas, which was in the process of returning to Washington. That evening, Bush addressed the nation at 11:30 p.m. Eastern time, vowed to continue Reagan's policies, and said "America will survive this incident". Reagan's body lay in state in the Capitol building, and he was buried April 7. Bush first nominated Haig to fill the vacant Vice-Presidential position; the Democratic majority in both houses responded by pushing former Democratic Vice-President Walter Mondale in the "spirit of bipartianship and unity". Bush then decided on Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker (R-Tennessee) as his new VP, which required approval from Congress, and the Democrats were receiving pressure to approve Bush's second choice. But first, Bush would address both houses of Congress, along with nearly his entire cabinet, the entire Supreme Court, and others: news reports suggested Hinckley was in fact acting on orders of Communists inside Nicaragua, and Bush was going to use the State of the Union address to urge American bombing of the rebels. The night of April 13, Bush had laid out his case for military action, and was beginning to push Baker as VP when a bomb exploded, destroying the entire House chamber, killing all inside, and setting the Capitol building ablaze. 
42. James Watt (R-Wyoming); vacant through January 3, 1983; Richard C. Halverson (R-Maryland, January 6, 1983-January 20, 1985) and Kit Bond (R-Missouri, January 20, 1985-January 20, 1989); April 13, 1981-January 20, 1989.
At the urging of an unnamed aide, Bush named Watt the "designated survivor", to sit out Bush's State of the Union speech before Congress on April 13; when the bomb exploded in the House chamber, Watt -- watching the speech on television from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland --was sworn in, as the only surviving member in Presidential line of succession; Halverson, the Senate Chaplain, was sick and therefore not present during the attack on the Capitol Building April 6, 1981; Watt operated as de facto dictator of the U.S., with full military backing, and authorized the bombing of "enemy camps" in Nicaragua as revenge for the Capitol bombing; Watt lifted nationwide martial law in August 1982, allowing for a shortened baseball season ending on Christmas Day and for short races to fill all 435 House seats and the Senate seats required to be filled by state elections; Bond ran as Watt's running mate in the 1984 election, in which Watt beat Democratic nominee George McGovern. Watt presided over the departure of the United States from NATO, signed a number of bills into law that turned America into a neoconservative theocracy; authorized military action to supress numerous instances of riots and social unrest and responses to terrorist actions against the "Watt regime"; encouraged "good young loyal American women" to have as many children as possible; and proposed allowing dissenters to freely leave the U.S. for any country they chose.
43. Pat Robertson (R-Virginia); Robert Orr (R-Indiana); January 20, 1989-January 20, 1993.
Watt declined to run for a second full term; Robertson, the president of the Christian Broadcasting Network and host of its The 700 Club program, won the GOP primary in 1988 and then picked Orr as his VP over several candidates, including former Watt Chief of Staff Douglas Coe; Robertson beat Chrysler CEO and Democratic nominee Lee Iaccoca in the general election. Robertson signed the Passage Act into law, allowing for an estimated 33 million Americans to flee for Canada, Mexico, the Colonies, Europe, Australia, Liberia, Japan and South Africa. He also publicly backed the Union of South African government in its civil war with the African National Congress, and removed American troops from South Korea (leaving the United Colonies to defend the nation against North Korean aggression) and Japan. Robertson ordered the United Nations out of New York City, and at the same time began to decry the Colonies as the greatest threat to America, accusing them of planning to take advantage of the Capitol bombing to install a "heathen" government, ban Christianity and make homosexuality mandatory. Robertson also advocated closer ties with the reformists in the USSR (the same ones the Colonies had longer, and stronger, ties with) to "end the threat of communism and stand as a vanguard against paganism and world government). This went against the wishes of the partisan group, which still saw Communism as the greater threat. Robertson announced he would run for a second term, but lost in the GOP primaries to former Nixon and Watt staffer Pat Buchanan. After leaving the White House, Robertson returned to CBN and to hosting The 700 Club. 
44. Pat Buchanan (R-Virginia); Sam Brownback (R-Kansas); January 20, 1993-January 20, 2001.
Buchanan, a former speechwriter for President Richard Nixon and communications director (1987-89) for James Watt, beat DNC candidate Bob Kerrey (Governor of Nebraska) and Texas businessman Ross Perot in '92. Buchanan named Perot as his Secretary of Commerce, and began his first term by authorizing military action against the last remaining resistance groups in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Dallas. Afterwards, the resistance went completely underground, and work on the Underground Railroad began in earnest. To the dismay of the partisan group and pro-Israel lobbyists and Congresspeople, Buchanan criticized Israel and began developing closer ties with Arabs in the region, most notably the Saud royal family in Saudi Arabia and King Hussein in Jordan, on the pretense that the new oligarch-run government of Russia had long-term plans to establish dominance in the region. After getting roundly criticized on Capitol Hill, in the media and by his benefactors, Buchanan went on television and "repent(ed) of my profound misunderstanding of the Jewish people": mindful of the need for America to have access to Arabian oil, he ordered the USS Nimitz to the Arabian Sea and negotiated with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein for a US base to be built in Iraqi-occupied Kuwait. Buchanan also pushed for middle-class tax cuts and tax breaks for two-parent familities, as well as the strengthening of Social Security "for those who've earned a long, fruitful retirement". Buchanan also pushed for renewed funding for NASA, citing the Colonies' drive to build a lunar base and to put people on Mars, and in 1995 American astronauts returned to the same spot Neil Armstrong first walked on 26 years before, on the Apollo XXX mission.
In 1996, Buchanan fended off a primary challenge from former Vice-President and current Senator Phil Gramm, then -- while preparing for the general election -- ordered troops to the Canadian border after a rogue group of teenaged immigrants from California launched an attack on the small village of Sweet Grass, Montana, killing 19 adults and seven children. Buchanan ordered the Pentagon to draw up plans for a land and air invasion of Canada and had troops line the entire border from Alaska to Maine; he backed down after the Canadian Army and Air Force were backed not only by UN peacekeepers, but the full might of Canada's NATO allies along the border, and in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Claiming the insurgents had been dealth with by being killed by Montana national guardsmen, and not wanting to escalate the incident into a world war, Buchanan backed down and ordered his military to their peacetime positions along the border.
Buchanan then concentrated on the general election, and countered Arkansas governor Bill Clinton's criticism of Buchanan's handling of the incident by accusing Clinton of being a "wanton womanizer" and "a one-world globalist liberal". Buchanan fended off both Clinton and a third-party challenge from commentator William F. Buckley, and won a second term in the White House. In the first 100 days of his second term, Buchanan ordered troops to help lock down the U.S.-Mexican border, and authorized a permanent American military presence in the Volkstaat (and breaking off relations with the new Republic of South Africa and its leader, Nelson Mandela). He ordered the bombing of "terrorist positions" in Nicaragua and El Salvador, and had the Nimitz and other US Naval forces in the Middle East challenge the Colonial Battleship Pegasus in support of "our Arabian and Iraqi allies"; it was more a show of 'I can beat you up if you force me' than anything else. He supported the inclusion of large Christian megachurches into receiving the same tax breaks other major American corporations like Chrysler and International Harvester had, sold Guam to Japan, and pushed unsuccessfully for the requirement of Medicare recipients to work or volunteer for 10 to 20 hours a week to continue receiving benefits. Buchanan had not developed the ties to Israel that the partisans wanted him to build, and by the end of his second term, neocon media pundits (which there were more of than any other kind combined) were pushing for a more Israel-friendly candidate. They found their man in Gary Bauer.
45. Gary Bauer (R-Kentucky); Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma); January 20, 2001-January 20, 2005.
The GOP's largest partisan group declined to back Sam Brownback's Presidential aspirations and turned to a man they trusted well: Bauer, who picked another trusted man, Coburn, as his running mate; the Democrats picked actor Robert Redford, who might have won the race had it not been for the third party candidacy of Vermont independent governor Howard Dean. Dean won just enough electoral votes to take away from Redford, and Bauer won the electoral vote by a slim margin. Once he got into office, Bauer signed a bill into law enacting a total ban on euthanasia; ordered the complete relocation of U.S. troops from Germany to Israel and the southern African Volkstaat state; and pushed for the passage of the 28th Amendment, allowing for a foreign country or a portion of a foreign country to apply for statehood (the 28th Amendment is considered to be the act that led to the breakdown of U.S./Colonial relations). Bauer oversaw the dissolution of the Environmental Protection Agency (which had been severely weakened under Watt, Robertson and Buchanan) and the dissolution of federal laws that prevented contamination of food and water sources. He began to openly call for the dissolution of organized labor and for the ending of funding for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, stating "the government shouldn't be in the business of paying for people's health care and pensions; that job belongs to their families, their employers and especially their churches". Bauer also pushed for Constitutional amendments that would, among other things, switch most federal responsibilities to the states and make it mandatory that every American citizen belong to an authorized evangelical, conservative and/or fundamentalist church. Not only did it violate the principle of separation of church and state, it also angered the moderate and liberal Christian denominations and churches still operating in the U.S. and especially the Roman Catholic Church.
Perhaps the greatest challenge he faced while in office was the aftermath of 9/11.
On September 11, 2001, the al-Qaeda terrorist organization -- led by Osama bin Laden, a member of the Saud royal family that Buchanan had spent so much time courting -- launched a successful terrorist operation inside the United States. Civilian airliners were hijacked and flown into both towers of the World Trade Center in New York City; the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.; the Hollywood sign in Hollywood, California; and in the new 25,000-seat Lakewood Church sanctuary in suburban Houston. Bauer's response was less than the rest of the U.S. demanded: he ordered the military to abandon plans to attack al-Qaeda positions inside Afghanistan and Pakistan,on the grounds doing so would "commit America to an endless, unwinnable war". He would only covert CIA teams to take out bin Laden personally, although he did go along with the proposal of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to create a Department of Homeland Security to monitor for threats within the country from al-Qaeda. Bauer would then authorize several initiatives by Homeland Security that, in effect, spied on the American people, even going so far as to tap phone lines and encourage random citizens to spy on their neighbors.
That turned the now predominantly conservative media against the President. Bauer stuck to his principles, and in so doing put off most of his supporters in and outside the Beltway who saw the Homeland initiatives as "more KGB than American". His administration also saw a number of Republicans, most notably Representative Lamar Alexander (Tennessee), switch to the Democratic Party, strengthening the opposition and emboldening Republicans who opposed Bauer's extremism. With rumors that bin Laden had the full run of Pakistan and was running around untouched, Bauer instead ordered the military to assist "pro-American factions" in Colombia and Venezuela. On August 7, 2003, Bauer stood side-by-side with Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez in Caracas, hours after bin Laden took credit for the bombing of the Colonial frigate Augustus near Abu Dhabi. While the Colonials began the work of finding bin Laden and bringing him to justice, Bauer turned his attention to the caucuses and the Republican nomination. By the Iowa caucuses in early 2004, it was clear Bauer wasn't going to survive, but he managed to hold off Mark Sanford to win the nomination, while backing away from his most extreme views, then doubling down on them once Alexander won the Democratic nomination in August. In November, Bauer won only six southern states, then ordered his staff not to assist Alexander's staff in any way during the transition, and spent his final days in office stating "America would regret its decision to vote for liberal extremism". He spent the 2010s rehabilitating himself as a commentator for the Jones Cable Network, supported Lindsey Graham's successful Presidential run, and had a federal building renamed after him in 2017.

Looks good Brky2020.

[stevep]

Jan 12, 2020 8:18:17 GMT lordroel said:

Jan 12, 2020 2:17:03 GMT Brky2020 said:

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 1981-present
By number; President (party -- R-Republican, D-Democrat, state); Vice-President (party, state); beginning of term; end of term; notes

40. Ronald Reagan (R-California); George H.W. Bush (R-Texas). January 20, 1981-March 30, 1981.
Reagan was assassinated March 30, 1981 outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. by loner John Hinckley Jr. Reagan was rushed to the hospital but died hours later. Before his death, Reagan had sent a comprehensive tax and budget reform proposal to Congress and had used the media to take his agenda directly to the American public, hoping voters would press their Senators and Representatives to back Reagan's proposals. 
41. George H.W. Bush (R-Texas); vacant; March 30, 1981-April 13, 1981.
Bush, Reagan's Vice-President, was sworn in aboard Air Force Two in Texas, which was in the process of returning to Washington. That evening, Bush addressed the nation at 11:30 p.m. Eastern time, vowed to continue Reagan's policies, and said "America will survive this incident". Reagan's body lay in state in the Capitol building, and he was buried April 7. Bush first nominated Haig to fill the vacant Vice-Presidential position; the Democratic majority in both houses responded by pushing former Democratic Vice-President Walter Mondale in the "spirit of bipartianship and unity". Bush then decided on Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker (R-Tennessee) as his new VP, which required approval from Congress, and the Democrats were receiving pressure to approve Bush's second choice. But first, Bush would address both houses of Congress, along with nearly his entire cabinet, the entire Supreme Court, and others: news reports suggested Hinckley was in fact acting on orders of Communists inside Nicaragua, and Bush was going to use the State of the Union address to urge American bombing of the rebels. The night of April 13, Bush had laid out his case for military action, and was beginning to push Baker as VP when a bomb exploded, destroying the entire House chamber, killing all inside, and setting the Capitol building ablaze. 
42. James Watt (R-Wyoming); vacant through January 3, 1983; Richard C. Halverson (R-Maryland, January 6, 1983-January 20, 1985) and Kit Bond (R-Missouri, January 20, 1985-January 20, 1989); April 13, 1981-January 20, 1989.
At the urging of an unnamed aide, Bush named Watt the "designated survivor", to sit out Bush's State of the Union speech before Congress on April 13; when the bomb exploded in the House chamber, Watt -- watching the speech on television from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland --was sworn in, as the only surviving member in Presidential line of succession; Halverson, the Senate Chaplain, was sick and therefore not present during the attack on the Capitol Building April 6, 1981; Watt operated as de facto dictator of the U.S., with full military backing, and authorized the bombing of "enemy camps" in Nicaragua as revenge for the Capitol bombing; Watt lifted nationwide martial law in August 1982, allowing for a shortened baseball season ending on Christmas Day and for short races to fill all 435 House seats and the Senate seats required to be filled by state elections; Bond ran as Watt's running mate in the 1984 election, in which Watt beat Democratic nominee George McGovern. Watt presided over the departure of the United States from NATO, signed a number of bills into law that turned America into a neoconservative theocracy; authorized military action to supress numerous instances of riots and social unrest and responses to terrorist actions against the "Watt regime"; encouraged "good young loyal American women" to have as many children as possible; and proposed allowing dissenters to freely leave the U.S. for any country they chose.
43. Pat Robertson (R-Virginia); Robert Orr (R-Indiana); January 20, 1989-January 20, 1993.
Watt declined to run for a second full term; Robertson, the president of the Christian Broadcasting Network and host of its The 700 Club program, won the GOP primary in 1988 and then picked Orr as his VP over several candidates, including former Watt Chief of Staff Douglas Coe; Robertson beat Chrysler CEO and Democratic nominee Lee Iaccoca in the general election. Robertson signed the Passage Act into law, allowing for an estimated 33 million Americans to flee for Canada, Mexico, the Colonies, Europe, Australia, Liberia, Japan and South Africa. He also publicly backed the Union of South African government in its civil war with the African National Congress, and removed American troops from South Korea (leaving the United Colonies to defend the nation against North Korean aggression) and Japan. Robertson ordered the United Nations out of New York City, and at the same time began to decry the Colonies as the greatest threat to America, accusing them of planning to take advantage of the Capitol bombing to install a "heathen" government, ban Christianity and make homosexuality mandatory. Robertson also advocated closer ties with the reformists in the USSR (the same ones the Colonies had longer, and stronger, ties with) to "end the threat of communism and stand as a vanguard against paganism and world government). This went against the wishes of the partisan group, which still saw Communism as the greater threat. Robertson announced he would run for a second term, but lost in the GOP primaries to former Nixon and Watt staffer Pat Buchanan. After leaving the White House, Robertson returned to CBN and to hosting The 700 Club. 
44. Pat Buchanan (R-Virginia); Sam Brownback (R-Kansas); January 20, 1993-January 20, 2001.
Buchanan, a former speechwriter for President Richard Nixon and communications director (1987-89) for James Watt, beat DNC candidate Bob Kerrey (Governor of Nebraska) and Texas businessman Ross Perot in '92. Buchanan named Perot as his Secretary of Commerce, and began his first term by authorizing military action against the last remaining resistance groups in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Dallas. Afterwards, the resistance went completely underground, and work on the Underground Railroad began in earnest. To the dismay of the partisan group and pro-Israel lobbyists and Congresspeople, Buchanan criticized Israel and began developing closer ties with Arabs in the region, most notably the Saud royal family in Saudi Arabia and King Hussein in Jordan, on the pretense that the new oligarch-run government of Russia had long-term plans to establish dominance in the region. After getting roundly criticized on Capitol Hill, in the media and by his benefactors, Buchanan went on television and "repent(ed) of my profound misunderstanding of the Jewish people": mindful of the need for America to have access to Arabian oil, he ordered the USS Nimitz to the Arabian Sea and negotiated with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein for a US base to be built in Iraqi-occupied Kuwait. Buchanan also pushed for middle-class tax cuts and tax breaks for two-parent familities, as well as the strengthening of Social Security "for those who've earned a long, fruitful retirement". Buchanan also pushed for renewed funding for NASA, citing the Colonies' drive to build a lunar base and to put people on Mars, and in 1995 American astronauts returned to the same spot Neil Armstrong first walked on 26 years before, on the Apollo XXX mission.
In 1996, Buchanan fended off a primary challenge from former Vice-President and current Senator Phil Gramm, then -- while preparing for the general election -- ordered troops to the Canadian border after a rogue group of teenaged immigrants from California launched an attack on the small village of Sweet Grass, Montana, killing 19 adults and seven children. Buchanan ordered the Pentagon to draw up plans for a land and air invasion of Canada and had troops line the entire border from Alaska to Maine; he backed down after the Canadian Army and Air Force were backed not only by UN peacekeepers, but the full might of Canada's NATO allies along the border, and in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Claiming the insurgents had been dealth with by being killed by Montana national guardsmen, and not wanting to escalate the incident into a world war, Buchanan backed down and ordered his military to their peacetime positions along the border.
Buchanan then concentrated on the general election, and countered Arkansas governor Bill Clinton's criticism of Buchanan's handling of the incident by accusing Clinton of being a "wanton womanizer" and "a one-world globalist liberal". Buchanan fended off both Clinton and a third-party challenge from commentator William F. Buckley, and won a second term in the White House. In the first 100 days of his second term, Buchanan ordered troops to help lock down the U.S.-Mexican border, and authorized a permanent American military presence in the Volkstaat (and breaking off relations with the new Republic of South Africa and its leader, Nelson Mandela). He ordered the bombing of "terrorist positions" in Nicaragua and El Salvador, and had the Nimitz and other US Naval forces in the Middle East challenge the Colonial Battleship Pegasus in support of "our Arabian and Iraqi allies"; it was more a show of 'I can beat you up if you force me' than anything else. He supported the inclusion of large Christian megachurches into receiving the same tax breaks other major American corporations like Chrysler and International Harvester had, sold Guam to Japan, and pushed unsuccessfully for the requirement of Medicare recipients to work or volunteer for 10 to 20 hours a week to continue receiving benefits. Buchanan had not developed the ties to Israel that the partisans wanted him to build, and by the end of his second term, neocon media pundits (which there were more of than any other kind combined) were pushing for a more Israel-friendly candidate. They found their man in Gary Bauer.
45. Gary Bauer (R-Kentucky); Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma); January 20, 2001-January 20, 2005.
The GOP's largest partisan group declined to back Sam Brownback's Presidential aspirations and turned to a man they trusted well: Bauer, who picked another trusted man, Coburn, as his running mate; the Democrats picked actor Robert Redford, who might have won the race had it not been for the third party candidacy of Vermont independent governor Howard Dean. Dean won just enough electoral votes to take away from Redford, and Bauer won the electoral vote by a slim margin. Once he got into office, Bauer signed a bill into law enacting a total ban on euthanasia; ordered the complete relocation of U.S. troops from Germany to Israel and the southern African Volkstaat state; and pushed for the passage of the 28th Amendment, allowing for a foreign country or a portion of a foreign country to apply for statehood (the 28th Amendment is considered to be the act that led to the breakdown of U.S./Colonial relations). Bauer oversaw the dissolution of the Environmental Protection Agency (which had been severely weakened under Watt, Robertson and Buchanan) and the dissolution of federal laws that prevented contamination of food and water sources. He began to openly call for the dissolution of organized labor and for the ending of funding for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, stating "the government shouldn't be in the business of paying for people's health care and pensions; that job belongs to their families, their employers and especially their churches". Bauer also pushed for Constitutional amendments that would, among other things, switch most federal responsibilities to the states and make it mandatory that every American citizen belong to an authorized evangelical, conservative and/or fundamentalist church. Not only did it violate the principle of separation of church and state, it also angered the moderate and liberal Christian denominations and churches still operating in the U.S. and especially the Roman Catholic Church.
Perhaps the greatest challenge he faced while in office was the aftermath of 9/11.
On September 11, 2001, the al-Qaeda terrorist organization -- led by Osama bin Laden, a member of the Saud royal family that Buchanan had spent so much time courting -- launched a successful terrorist operation inside the United States. Civilian airliners were hijacked and flown into both towers of the World Trade Center in New York City; the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.; the Hollywood sign in Hollywood, California; and in the new 25,000-seat Lakewood Church sanctuary in suburban Houston. Bauer's response was less than the rest of the U.S. demanded: he ordered the military to abandon plans to attack al-Qaeda positions inside Afghanistan and Pakistan,on the grounds doing so would "commit America to an endless, unwinnable war". He would only covert CIA teams to take out bin Laden personally, although he did go along with the proposal of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to create a Department of Homeland Security to monitor for threats within the country from al-Qaeda. Bauer would then authorize several initiatives by Homeland Security that, in effect, spied on the American people, even going so far as to tap phone lines and encourage random citizens to spy on their neighbors.
That turned the now predominantly conservative media against the President. Bauer stuck to his principles, and in so doing put off most of his supporters in and outside the Beltway who saw the Homeland initiatives as "more KGB than American". His administration also saw a number of Republicans, most notably Representative Lamar Alexander (Tennessee), switch to the Democratic Party, strengthening the opposition and emboldening Republicans who opposed Bauer's extremism. With rumors that bin Laden had the full run of Pakistan and was running around untouched, Bauer instead ordered the military to assist "pro-American factions" in Colombia and Venezuela. On August 7, 2003, Bauer stood side-by-side with Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez in Caracas, hours after bin Laden took credit for the bombing of the Colonial frigate Augustus near Abu Dhabi. While the Colonials began the work of finding bin Laden and bringing him to justice, Bauer turned his attention to the caucuses and the Republican nomination. By the Iowa caucuses in early 2004, it was clear Bauer wasn't going to survive, but he managed to hold off Mark Sanford to win the nomination, while backing away from his most extreme views, then doubling down on them once Alexander won the Democratic nomination in August. In November, Bauer won only six southern states, then ordered his staff not to assist Alexander's staff in any way during the transition, and spent his final days in office stating "America would regret its decision to vote for liberal extremism". He spent the 2010s rehabilitating himself as a commentator for the Jones Cable Network, supported Lindsey Graham's successful Presidential run, and had a federal building renamed after him in 2017.

Looks good Brky2020 .

  Fully agree.  Very interesting Bree - and also depressing.  Also a bit surprise that such a right wing establishment would allow a transfer of power to a more moderate President - assuming of course that they do.

  Was the Sweet Grass, Montana terrorist attack an actual event or something dreamed up by elements in Buchanan's government to distract internal opponents or even give an excuse for an attack on Canada?

[Brky2020]

Lamar Alexander's "moderate" Presidency signalled a change in the American public (those who had stayed); the time for extremism had passed. It would linger past Alexander's one term, and his successor's two terms, even into Lindsey Graham's current administration. The peaceful transfer of power was meant to show Americans, and the world, the American system was still working. Alexander's problems came in wanting to reestablish ties with the world.

Much of the moderation is cosmetic, media-friendly, and designed to make you think things have lightened up. On the other hand, abortion is still illegal, and you cannot be L, G, B, T, Q, I, pan or any other non cis-gender, hetero, sexual in America. (The ban on bestality and pedophilia are two of the only bans even America's most ardent critics and enemies will agree with it on)

Sweet Grass was an unsanctioned act by a gang-led group of 79 teenagers, black AMerican refugees and sympathetic Canadian nationals, who were armed with weapons bought from as far away as Montreal and Vancouver and stolen from Canadian Forces. The Toronto street gang that sponsored the group wanted to send a message to America. The group overran Canadian border patrol and stormed thier way over the border; they were met by local police, then by Montana national guard and state police, then stopped by military out of Malmstrom AFB, Fort Missoula and Fort William Henry Harrison.

[Brky2020]

The teenagers, one can argue, had justification for what they did. They had family -- including parents -- who died during the Long Terror, or fled away from them, into Liberia, Mexico or Europe. They saw inaction on the part of Ottawa, decided whatever Ottawa and Caprica City were saying was just talk, and decided they had to do something themselves.

[Brky2020]

Day One
Part Six
Three days ago
NAS Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida, USA

—out of respect for the President and the important work he is doing, neither myself, nor Jones Cable Network, will bother to report on baseless and false rumors especially relating to the pagans lurking in the Atlantic waiting to pounce on the only nation standing up for God—

—Fox News has learned numerous Navy vessels are leaving Norfolk, Mayport, Mobile and San Diego—

—Sanders tells CBN that Americans should pay no attention to “baseless rumors” regarding an impending American sneak attack on the Colonials, especially since she said they are coming from Colonial tabloids—

—NBC News and CNN have independently confirmed the Pentagon is in the midst of preparations for some kind of major military operation—

—Sinclair News was told by the Department of Homeland Security that all Americans living along the Canadian border should stay tuned to official government media or FCC-approved media, such as the Sinclair Network, for the latest and most factual information—

—the CBC has learned Canadian Forces are moving into position for some kind of military action—

—“…Rear-Admiral Chen said only that the Navy was not conducting drills but, like other government and military officials CTV News spoke to, wouldn’t say if the Navy was preparing for military action against America. Neither will anyone on board we’ve talked to. For now, we await Prime Minister Trudeau, who’s scheduled to address the nation within the next 48 hours, to shed more light on this developing situation. Mike Garriaty, CTV News, aboard the HMCS Warrior somewhere in the Atlantic—

—the BBC has learned Royal Navy and Colonial Navy vessels are moving to intercept the American carrier Eisenhower in the Mediterranean—

—Seven News has learned of 11 planned protests throughout Australia, four anti-war but seven protesting against American extremism and calling for the allied nations to enact regime change—

I said, war, huh good god, why'all
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing say it again

War, whoa, lord
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing


Lt. Jaclyn Brown, USAF, headed towards the briefing room to meet up with the rest of the group of pilots that made up the Cavalier Flight branch of the 1st Fighter Squadron. Based out of NAS Jacksonville, the squadron’s history went back to World War II. Its current mission was primarily to provide planes and pilots to support US Naval forces worldwide, its secondary mission was to help defend the southeastern United States, and its tertiary mission was to train pilots to fly F-15 Eagle and F-16 Falcon advanced fighter jets.

The squadron was split four ways into Flight groups. Cavalier Flight — the group Brown was part of — consisted of 12 pilots, seven weapons systems officers (WSO, also known as “Guys (or Girls) in Back”, as USAF jets were designed for two people to operate during flight), and five WSOs who also could operate as pilots if the need arose. Corvette Flight, Mustang Flight and Wildcat Flight also had 24 pilots apiece; Mustang Flight was headed by the squadron’s commanding officer -- the Colonel --whose Air Force career went back to the days of the Long Terror.

Brown — known more commonly by her callsign, Converse — sat down in the first row of the small, ampitheatre-style room. The last few pilots and WSOs walked in and filled in the remaining empty seats. People made small talk, and the mood was fairly light considering the scuttlebutt flying around the base.

“Bet you $20 we’re fighting the pagans by Friday,” said Lt. Josh Rivers, a.k.a. Snowplow. “Anybody wanna take that bet? Funyuns?”

“You see that broom in the corner? That’s the only dumbass in this room who’d take you up on your ‘bet’,” said Lt. Charley Jenkins, a.k.a. Funyuns, who also was Rivers’s WSO. “Wanna take my $100 bet that Graham will tell Adar to go to hell?”

“Wanna suck my dick?”, Snowplow shot back.

“Only in your dreams.”

“Get a room, ladies,” said another pilot, Lt. Harrison “Trips” Hart III, named so because he tripped in front of an Air Force General during his graduation ceremony at the Academy. “No offense, Converse.”

“None taken,” said Brown, the only female in Cavalier Flight; there were two in Mustang Flight, one of which was the CO’s WSO (and wife), and two more in Wildcat Flight. “Everyone knows they have it hard for each other. Who the fuck knows what they get up to when they’re in the air?”

The rest of the flight, save for Snowbird and Funyuns, broke out in laughter. “Dudes, your plane always waggles. You two screwing around in the back seat up there?”

“No homo,” Funyuns said, pointing his thumb at Snowplow. “Too ugly.” That comment resulted in another round of laughter.

“I ain’t no homo either,” Snowplow protested. “I have three girlfriends!”

“That’s what they all say,” Trips shot back, and there was more laughter, which died down quickly when Flight leader Captain Paul “Kodak” O’Leary and his wife, Morale Monitor Lieutenant Taylor O’Leary, walked into the room together.

To Kodak’s visible chagrin, Taylor hurried past him to the podium at the front of the room, standing in front of the second of three high-definition video monitors. She put the folder she carried in with her on the podium and looked directly at Snowplow.

“Joshua Phineas Rivers, Lieutenant, United States Air Force, born July 9, 1986 in Louisville, Kentucky,” she shouted. Snowplow, Converse and everyone else — especially her husband — knew what was coming.

She began citing his family and personal history, her M.O. being to get to his awards and good points before ending her speech with his bad points, concluding with an admonition to him — and to everyone else — that the Morale Monitors were watching. Everyone always took her a little more seriously, not just because of her connection to their flight leader, and not just because she knew Congressmen and people in the White House who were committed to the cause, but because she was overtly committed to the cause, to the point that everyone was convinced she was a bit crazy.

“Yes, you helped bomb enemy positions in Mexican Tamaulipas and thereby kept illegal drugs from reaching America. You also were” — she made a show of going through her folder — “involved in the Louisville Blessing.”

When she finally realized the other pilots were looking around at each other, silently asking what she was talking about, she continued. “The Louisville Blessing. It began in your home church, the Okolona Vineyard, in 2003, when you were a junior at Evangel Christian High School. A charismatic church. There is video of you barking like a dog among hundreds of other worshippers who were barking, mooing, meowing, cackling—“

“Hon, that’s enough,” Kodak interjected, lightly putting his hand on his wife’s shoulder.

“—acting like zoo animals. This ‘movement’ was called a national embarrassment by a respected pastor, Mark Dris—“

“Lieutenant, that is enough,” Kodak said, more firmly.

“—b-by the pastor, who cited a Colonial comedy program using the video to mock American values. A video you were part of—“

“LIEUTENANT,” Kodak yelled, stepping in front of his wife. He didn’t lay a hand on her, and hated to talk to her harshly much less yell, but it was known that he sometimes had to do so when she went on rants like this. Most Morale Monitors were barely tolerated and generally unliked, and Taylor fed that stereotype; Kodak loved her and knew short of a Presidential decree he couldn’t bar her from his job, but he also had to step in and shut her up every so often.

“Lieutenant O’Leary,” he said, more softly but still in a firm tone, “you may take this chair” — he pointed to a folding chair to the left of the first HD screen — “and sit down. You will not disrupt this briefing again.”

She tried to stare him down, and for a few moments Converse wondered if this would be the moment he called for the MPs to “escort” her back to the CO’s office. The Colonel, she knew, would be pissed at that, and then some.

Kodak stared back, and moments later, won the staredown. She sulked back, unfolded the chair, and sat down, arms crossed, staring at Snowplow.

“Eyes on me,” Kodak said, firmly. She turned her eyes to her husband.

Kodak then took a thumb drive out of his flight jacket and plugged it into the laptop underneath the podium, hidden from the pilots’ view. The three screens lit up: the left screen showed a map of Kobol, with Colonial Naval positions marked via the Colonial flag emblem. The center screen showed the Pacific Ocean, with national flags representing Japanese, British and Australian naval positions; and the right screen showed North America, northern Kobol and the North Atlantic, national flags representing Canadian, British, French and European Union positions in the ocean and along the US/Canadian border. American and Russian naval positions were also superimposed

“This is right now,” Kodak said. “Nothing has been announced officially. This is not to leave this room” — he glanced at his wife -- “but I will verify we and our Russian allies are preparing for war. “

The room was deathly silent.

“We are professionals, we are Americans, and we will fulfill our duty wherever we are stationed,” Kodak went on. “Where we’ll be stationed, I’m not positive yet. The Pentagon’s still working out the details. Once they do, The Colonel will convey those details to us. I’d say it’s likely we’re deployed to the Atlantic and to a super carrier to be named soon. Maybe within hours.”

It only took three hours for the CO to tell them their assignment.

[Brky2020]

I just finished listening to Christopher Brown's two recent books, Tropic of Kansas and Rule of Capture. Brown's take on America helped inspire this timeline, and I am fascinated by the world he built and a dystopic, dictator-led, corporate run America wracked by climate change and a drastic change in its geopolitical status.

If you've read either book, this America isn't quite as dystopic as Brown's America was. It's a different dystopia -- fantastic for American corporations, great for white Christian fundamentalists and evangelicals (there is a difference, in terms of theology and practice), good for white people and 'loyal' people of any other race, and not-so-good to downright horrible for everyone else.

The Colonies, on the other hand, are designed to be the beacon of hope, the city on a hill, the bastion of liberty and freedom and justice...that tends to hide its problems and tries to hide its less-than-desirable side from the rest of the world. Thanks to watchdogs in the west, the Colonies' dark side has had a light shone upon it for decades, forcing the Colonial regional and national governments to deal with homelessness, drug abuse, sex trafficking, elder abuse, stalking, bullying and violence against individuals based on their race, sexual orientation, national origin, gender(s), and pretty much just about any other reason.

As you'll see in a future post I plan involving Commander Adama and an American I won't name yet, there really isn't a whole lot of differences between the Americans and Colonials. Nor with anyone else.

Here's a peak into the alternate America. For starters, every major corporation is either American- or Russian-owned, with limits to keep Russian companies from owning all or a majority of American businesses. Russia does likewise on its end, with significant and limited American investment.

AUTOMOBILES

You will not see a Colonial; British; German; French; Italian; Korean; Japanese; nor Australian car on American streets, unless it's the rare BMW, Rolls-Royce or Zeus purchased on the black market by someone with money.

What you will see, for the most part, are cars, trucks, SUVs, and minivans made primarily by the following manufacturers:

* American Motors

* General Motors

* Chrysler

* Ford

You'll also see Russian Brontos, Cherys, Ladas, Marussias and Ural Trucks on American roads (Moskvitchs, not so much). Chinese manufacturer BAW has a growing presence in America (remember, China does business with everybody), especially its Yueling pickups.

Despite America ignoring the UN World Conference on Climate Change and the Paris Accords, electric cars are a thing, at least amongst the wealthy and the upper middle-class. GM, Ford and BAW all have electric and hybrid versions of their top-selling consumer vehicles. The acknowledged leader, though is Tesla -- Elon Musk stayed in America, has a piece of the burgeoning private space industry, and even belongs to the trendy Silicon Valley LifeChurch.

Amongst motorcycle enthusiasts, Harley-Davidson, Boss Hoss and Confederate rule the roost.

[Brky2020]

Day One
Part Seven

—the Presidential Office is saying nothing about internet reports of Russian and American ships—

—Channel 5 has learned all Colonial military bases, here in Kobol and worldwide, are under lockdown—

—Are we going to war? Could it go nuclear? The Colonial Gang is next—

Three days ago

—“‘You’ll know what you need to know when we’re ready to tell you.’
“That was the brief, terse statement given to KolCom News by Colonel Saul Tigh, the executive officer of CNS Galactica.
This venerable battleship’s lineage can be traced all the way back to World War II, when its predecessor stared down the Nazi Kriegsmarine battleship Bismarck. It stood then against the greatest tyranny the world had ever known. Now it sits in Caprica Bay, ready to stare down, and fight if necessary, ships of a former ally that the President said ‘represents a different, but no less dangerous, form of tyranny’. D’Anna Biers, KolCom News, from the hangar deck of the CNS Galactica.”—

Battleship CNS Galactica, BSG-4
Briefing Room Alpha

—“good luck to our fighting forces here and abroad. Coming up tonight on CapSat Classics 7, Channel 17, is an exclusive interview with Colonial Pop Music Hall of Fame rock guitarist Deos Mars. She’ll talk about being mentored by legendary guitarist Keith Richards and his assassination in 1981, her famous, friendly rivalry with The Edge, and her latest collaboration with Bono and American expatriate Bruce Springsteen. Headed into the top of the hour, I’m Kat, and this song hit No. 1 on the Colonial Top 50 charts in 1977. Here’s The Bee Gees, with ‘You Make Me Feel Like Dancing’—

You've got a cute way of talking
You got the better of me
Just snap your fingers and I'm walking
Like a dog hanging on your lead
I'm in a spin, you know
Shaking on a string, you know
You make me feel like dancing, I'm gonna dance the night away
You make me feel like dancing, I'm gonna dance the night away
You make feel like dancing
I feel like dancing, dancing (whoo, whoo!)
Dance the night away (yeah!)
I feel like dancing (whoo!) dancing, aah!

“Hey Starbuck! Turn that shit down!”

Kara Thrace, Captain, Colonial Air Force, call-sign Starbuck, stopped next to the satellite/terrestrial wireless receiver built into the back wall of the briefing room. She was behind the aisle seat in the rear of the eight rows of seats in the room. The receiver was wired directly to the satellite dishes and wireless antennas atop the Mercury-class battleship; every piece of tech was hardwired into the ship in some form, separate from the others.

Barry Gibb’s voice, backed by his brothers and bandmates Robin and Maurice Gibb, serenaded the room. At least one of the pilots wanted something harder.

“Turn that frak down, Starbuck,”, Lt. Tony “Jolly” Anders yelled over his shoulder. “Put some Motorhead on.” If you weren’t such a good guy, I’d punch you in the mouth for wearing that stupid moustache, Starbuck thought.

“We all know you’re a closeted disco dancer, Jolly,” Starbuck shot back. “You’ve got a raging hard-on, too. If there was a disco ball in here you’d—“

“Frak you, Starbuck. Go get your Kitty Player, put your headphones on and listen to Amy Grant—“

“Frak you Jolly—“ They had the entire room’s attention, now.

“We all know you cream yourself to her every. Single. Time.”

Starbuck flashed him her middle finger. Some of the pilots laughed out loud. Several more snickered.

“Channel 37. Motorhead, Hair, Iron Maiden, Bloodvein. That’ll grow you some balls,” Jolly said. “Gimme something good to listen to…Amy.”

Starbuck gave him the double bird, and the entire room burst out in loud laughter, as if it would be the last bit of levity they’d enjoy. She began twisting the tuner when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned around to see who it was. “Sir.”

Jackson Spencer, call-sign Dipper, Captain, Colonial Air Force and CAG (Commander Air Group) of Galactica, let go of her shoulder. The look on his face was as serious as she had ever seen from the normally unflappable officer, and there was a look in his eyes she had never seen before.

She figured that look told her more about what he was about to announce than anything else.

“Copy that, sir,” Starbuck said, pushing in the power button to turn the receiver off.

Dipper walked past the eight rows of pilots, all whom settled down as he passed by, He stopped at the podium in the front of the room, briefly flipped through the notes, photos and maps in the folder he carried with him, then looked up at the 50 pilots jammed into the briefing room. Two portable chalkboards — both covered with olive sheets, the same color as the Viper and Raptor pilots’ flight suits — sat just two feet behind him. Starbuck sprinted to her empty seat in the second row.

“Good afternoon,” Dipper said.

“Good afternoon sir!”, the pilots responded in unison. Any remaining levity in the room was now gone, as everyone could see the consternation on Spencer’s face.

“By now I’m sure you’ve heard the scuttlebutt regarding impending military action against the United States,” Dipper said. “May I remind you, per Colonial Fleet and Air Force directives, not to get your news from the wireless” — he pointed to the satellite/terrestrial wireless receiver in the back he had just shut off — “nor rumors, but from official sources. That means either the President, Admiral Nagala or Commander Adama. Understood?”

“Yes sir,” the pilots said. Everyone knew the wireless, TV, internet and print media were probably already operating under the Tinia Act. The best source of news right now was the good ol’ fashioned grapevine, which was red-hot with scuttlebutt about an imminent American attack.

Dipper turned around and took the olive sheets off the chalkboards. The board on the left had a map of Caprica Bay, with Caprica City on the left, the bay in the middle and the Atlantic Ocean on the right. The Galactica and the other ships in its group were represented by Colonial icons, with Galactica’s icon where the bay meets the Atlantic. Expected enemy positions — represented by American flags — were superimposed on the Atlantic side.

The other chalkboard had a Colonial Mercator world map, with Kobol and the Atlantic Ocean in the middle. Allied icons — including Colonial, Canadian, British, Australian, French and Japanese navies — were octagonal versions of their national flags. Enemy icons — American and Russian — were represented by rectangular icons of their national flags.

“The map to my left represents Allied and enemy positions as of 20 minutes ago,” Dipper said. “The map to my right represents BSG-4’s current position, and the expected positions of enemy ships.”

The room was deathly silent. Adar, Nagala, Adama didn’t have to address the nation or the troops. Everyone knew what was coming.

Two hours later, Nagala made the formal announcement to the entire military.

[stevep]

Brky2020,

Well the change from American/Russian or possible opponent to 'enemy' kind of gives the game away that they think war is pretty much a certainty.

Of course with Russia in the 'enemy' camp then a number of the allies in Europe and Japan at least in the Pacific will have to consider what their doing and potential threat there as well. It could mean that other countries such as Poland, Germany and the Ukraine could be drawn in if Russia attacks them to get at allied powers.

Steve

[Brky2020]

PYRAMID
The Association of Kobolian Professional Pyramid Clubs, est. 1802
Eight divisions, promotion and relegation
1. Major Division
2. Championship Division
3. First Division
4. Second Division
5. Third Division
6. Colonial League One (split into ten divisions)
7. Colonial League Two (split into ten divisions)
8. Colonial League Three (split into ten divisions)

How pro/rel works: bottom team in Divisions 1-5 move down; top team in Divisions 2-6 move up, Division 6 represented by the Colonial League One playoff winner; Colonial League Two and Three playoff winners move up; Colonial One and Two relegation spot determined through "reverse knockout" playoff -- eight last-place teams complete, think of it as "win and stay up" -- four first-round losers advance; the semifinal losers advance; loser of the relegation final moves down.

MAJOR DIVISION (OUTDOOR season March-November; INDOOR season October-April)
Aerilon Threshers
Blaustad Monarchs
Boskirk All Reds
Canceron Hydras
Caprica Buccaneers (outdoor Atlas Arena, 110,500; indoor Colonial Wireless Centre, 25,192)
Celeste Lightning
Celeste Storms
Delphi Legion
Gemenon Twins
Hades Vice
Hadrian Blues
Hedon 1936 PC
Illumini Vipers
Leonis Wildcats
Libran Justice (outdoor Themis Park, 46,000; indoor Themis Arena, 21,900)
Mangala Krill
Olympia Stallions
Phoebus Suns
Picon Panthers
Promethea Golden Horns
Queenstown Pegasus
Scorpia Stingers
Tauron Bulls
Virgon United

Clubs with most First/Premier/Major Division titles

Outdoor

26 — Boskirk All Reds
22 — Caprica Buccaneers
19 — Caprica Pyramid Club/Caprica PC
16 — Queenstown Pyramid Club/Queenstown PC/Queenstown Panthers PC/Picon Panthers
14 — Tauron 1806 PC/Tauron Bulls PC/Tauron Bulls
13 — Promethea Athletic/Promethia Golden Horns
12 — Canceron Hydras, Leonis Wildcats, Perkinston All-Stars/Perkinston United
10 — Olympia Stallions, Petrus Forest 1853

Indoor (established 1956)

11 — Caprica Buccaneers
10 — Picon Panthers
8 — Hades Vice
5 — Canceron Hydras, Delphi Legion, Mangala Krill

Other top global pyramid leagues
Australia/New Zealand
Brazil
Canada
China
Croatia
England
France
Germany
India
Ireland
Japan
Kenya
Netherlands
Nigeria
Philippines
Poland
Romania
Serbia
Scotland
South Africa
South Korea
Sweden
Tanzania

WORLD PYRAMID CUP Champions

Men

1923 — Caprica
1927 — Caprica
1931 — Tauron
1935 — Picon
1939 — Canceron
1943 — abandoned due to World War II
1947 — abandoned due to aftermath of World War II
1951 — Caprica
1955 — Tauron
1959 — Soviet Union
1963 — South Africa
1967 — Netherlands
1971 — Sagittaron
1975 — Brazil
1979 — Scotland
1983 — East Germany
1987 — West Germany
1991 — France
1995 — United Colonies
1999 — Japan
2003 — United Colonies
2007 — Australia
2011 — United Colonies
2015 — Brazil
2019 — SUSPENDED DUE TO CURRENT ALLIED/ALLIANCE HOSTILITIES

Women

1925 — Tauron
1929 — Sagittaron
1933 — Leonis
1937 — Caprica
1941 — abandoned due to World War II
1945 — abandoned due to World War II
1949 — Tauron
1953 — Caprica
1957 — Sagittaron
1961 — Canceron
1965 — Soviet Union
1969 — Yugoslavia
1973 — East Germany
1977 — Caprica
1981 — Sagittaron
1985 — East Germany
1989 — Caprica
1993 — United Colonies
1997 — United Colonies
2001 — United Colonies
2005 — Scotland
2009 — United Colonies
2013 — Nigeria
2017 — United Colonies
2021 — July, hosted by Republic of South Africa

[Brky2020]

Jan 19, 2020 13:07:37 GMT stevep said:

Brky2020 ,

Well the change from American/Russian or possible opponent to 'enemy' kind of gives the game away that they think war is pretty much a certainty.

Of course with Russia in the 'enemy' camp then a number of the allies in Europe and Japan at least in the Pacific will have to consider what their doing and potential threat there as well. It could mean that other countries such as Poland, Germany and the Ukraine could be drawn in if Russia attacks them to get at allied powers.

Steve

Everyone thinks war is a certainty, but the Colonial military runs a tight ship. You especially don't want to be on Adama's boat and blurt out to D'Anna Biers "we're going to war" when the government has yet to declare it (Adar would make the announcement first, Nagala would follow with his own announcement verifying the government's declaration of war, and Army/Navy-Marine/Air Force commanders like Adama would announce it to their troops). 

The stakes are high, stevep . The media is calling this the American/Colonial War, but the probability of it becoming World War III grows by the day...no, the hour.

As will be seen later on, there's been activity on both sides ahead of the conflict.

The Allies not only see dangerous regimes in Washington and Moscow, they also see danger from Islamist groups residing in Middle Eastern countries allied with Russia...and from North Korea, which has quietly built up ties to Moscow and has switched its animosity from America to the Colonials in recent years. The American regime can be removed from power, the thinking in Caprica City, Paris, London, Canberra and Tokyo goes, and the American people reasoned with. Putin cannot be as easily removed, and unlike Graham, is more likely to respond with an aggressive nuclear solution.

You are right, in that Russia could strike at Ukraine, then Poland, then west across the Rhine into western Europe. That, in fact, is part of NATO war plans.

The immediate priorities, though, are the defense of Kobol and the securing of the American cities of Washington, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Houston, Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle, New Orleans and Charlotte. That's where the Cylons come in. There's also the virtual front to fight -- the Russians and Americans have tried for years to cause virtual havoc within Allied nations with some success (there was the Japanese Blackout of August 2016, the London subway shutdown in March 2017, the Colonial Password Theft of 2018) -- and so Colonial and Allied hackers will now try to do the same.

America is convinced the Colonies and the rest of the world are Coming for Them. Coming to eliminate the American way of life. Coming to send tens of millions of "pagans, Muslims and atheists" into the US to "drown out" all the (mostly white or 'Uncle Tom' Christian) Americans. Coming to ban baseball, football, apple pie and Chevrolet. Coming to impose Pyramid, soccer, gods worship and sharia law (more people than you'd think blur atheism, Colonial religion and Islam together). The whites scared to death the black expatriates, and the liberal whites, are coming back for reparations and revenge. 

Fears based on half-truths, conspiracy theories and outright lies fed to them by the regime, with just enough truth to make the paranoia halfway justifiable: there are expatriate African Americans who want reparations, and compensation not just for slavery but for having to go into exile and/or having lost loved ones and property due to the Long Terror and the Long Exile. There are liberals who want a complete ban on religion, thinking it to be the cause of the regime. There are those who want to dissolve the United States and make it a UN protectorate or -- as one proposal puts it -- give the largest part of the country to African-Americans, a smaller part to Native Americans, and split the rest into zones of occupation overseen by different Allied armies (the Colonials would get New York, the British New England, Canada would get the Great Lakes, Japan the Pacific Northwest, etc). 

But most of the American diaspora who haven't decided to permanently resettle into their new countries just want to go back home, if they can, and rebuild the U.S. into what it was before Ronald Reagan died.

The plotters will have a say in what America does, as will the Russians, who have been given quite a foothold into America in exchange for their "friendship"...Putin will not give that up without a fight.

There are others, deep in the background, who have their own agenda...and has anyone asked the Cylons what they think about the whole matter?

[stevep]

Brky2020,

Thanks for the insight into the wider situation. That last sentence has its own foreboding. Do the colonials even believe that the Cylons think rather than being pretty much controlled?

Steve