A Giant Sucking Sound: a President Perot TL

[lukedalton]

Algeria intervention? Great now i know where i can risk to be in this TL, i was enlisted in the italian army at the times, that or Albania as in this period the goverment collapse due to a nationwide pyramidal scheme gone awry.
Well between this two intervent, and the one in Bosnia, Rwanda and Somalia and the terrorist attack the famous 'dividend of peace' will go to hell and the proposed reduction of the military budget will be postponed at future date

[vultan]

Well, methinks the Algerian War has the potential to bring Europe a bit closer in the future... French and German boys fighting and dying together could do a lot for people advocating closer integration of the continent.

[Blackadder mk 2]

Originally Posted by vultan

Well, methinks the Algerian War has the potential to bring Europe a bit closer in the future... French and German boys fighting and dying together could do a lot for people advocating closer integration of the continent.

And it could have the opposite affect with Britain meaning that we might see a united continent with Britain getting a different deal.

By the looks of things it seems that Britain is somehow more anti-Europe considering that the look of James Blunt's bit.

[vultan]

Originally Posted by Blackadder mk 2

And it could have the opposite affect with Britain meaning that we might see a united continent with Britain getting a different deal.

By the looks of things it seems that Britain is somehow more anti-Europe considering that the look of James Blunt's bit.

True, but when was Britain ever really considered part of Europe?

[Indiana Beach Crow]

Originally Posted by MaskedPickle

-Lt. Col. (Ret.) James Blount, VC, GC, DSO, MC, in European Just Cause : the Intervention in Algeria 1996-2003 and the Creation of the Eurocorps, by Emmanuel Todd

James Blount was awarded the VC, GC, DSO, the MC and made Lt. Col.? More than a few folks will be telling him "You're Beautiful"

[Jotun]

At that time, I was an enlisted radioman on board FGS Lütjens. Methinks that my ATL self is in for some interesting times in the Med before defecting to officer country in 1997

Suggestions for Germany after the Algerian intervention:

- terrorism (Algerian/Islamist/leftist/you name it) in Germany on the rise, probably no self-dissolution of the Rote Armee Fraktion in 1998 as IOTL
- lots of internal strife in Germany between Arabs and non-Arabs because of differing opinions on the Eurocorps intervention
- an unbearably smug and superior German pacifist movement (Greens and the Left, mostly)
- the intervention takes 7 years...there is no way the Bundeswehr would stay in that long. The SPD would have a field day in the 1998 federal elections on a pacifist campaign base, win an absolute majority and then take the boys home as fast as possible. Come to think of it, I doubt that Germany would go for an invasion in the first place, except for an Article 5 event simply because it would be unconstitutional to do so.
- from the point of decision to partake in the Algerian adventure, there would be mass demonstrations on a scale not seen since the heyday of the peace movement in the 70s and early 80s

[vultan]

Originally Posted by Jotun

- terrorism (Algerian/Islamist/leftist/you name it) in Germany on the rise,

Perhaps right-wing terrorism?

[Jotun]

Originally Posted by vultan

Perhaps right-wing terrorism?

I doubt that. German society even back then was extremely sensitive when it came to right-wing violence, and rightly so, to a certain degree. But it was -and still is- quite blind on its left eye...

[Cylon_Number_14]

I see what you did there...... and I don't like it!!!

Originally Posted by MaskedPickle

NEW LAW FORMALLY CONDEMNS INDENCY ON THE INTERNET ; LAWMAKERS HOPE TO CREATE A MILESTONE

-The Philadelphia Inquirer, June, 12 1996

[nerdknight01]

¡ Hi ! ¡ AGHH ! the horror, ¡ NO MORE FREE INTERNET¨S PORNO !.

Good luck.

[John Fredrick Parker]

Originally Posted by MaskedPickle

NEW LAW FORMALLY CONDEMNS INDENCY ON THE INTERNET ; LAWMAKERS HOPE TO CREATE A MILESTONE




-The Philadelphia Inquirer, June, 12 1996

This is worse than no internet porn* -- this is quite potentially killing the revolutionary public platform the uncensored** internet has become IOTL...

*though that is pretty bad
**in the US anyways -- essentially...

[Archangel]

Subscribed!

[MaskedPickle]

ALGERIAN PRESIDENT ZEROUAL’S CALL FOR AN ADDRESS IN FRONT OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY VETOED BY FRANCE AND UNITED KINGDOM

-CNN Breaking News, June, 14 1996

MASS PROTESTS IN PARIS, LONDON, BERLIN, ROME, MADRID, LISBON AGAINST ALGERIAN INTERVENTION

-The Times, June, 14 1996

The quagmire created by the Chechen War, which forced President Yelstin to a degrading peace (at least for Russian public opinion), combined by the ongoing economic crisis trigerred by the disruption of Japanese trade, the loss of the Parliament to the Liberal Democrats and the Communists, and the general malaise led to an heavily fought presidential election and to the surprising results of the first round, on June, 16 1996 : Boris Yelstin made a very weak first with 32%, trailed by Vladimir Zhirinovsky for the Liberal Democratic Party, who received 23%. Zhirinovsky was just a few thousands voices away from Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the Communist Party, who asked for a recount and accused his challenger of having rigged the ballot. Zhirinovsky had benefited of a strong Liberal Democratic presence in the Duma, of a colorful campaign like he always had and even more from General Alexandr Lebed’s withdrawal and endorsement : the military, having been compromised by the nuclear arms smuggling that led to the Nagoya Incident, was not so popular in Russia, and Lebed made everything in exchange of a promise to serve in the next presidential cabinet.

Most Western medias heavily commented on the second round between Yelstin and Jirinovsky, presenting Jirinovsky as the « Russian Hitler », quoting heavily his antisemitic and racist comments, and the Economist devoted his editorial to seeing the rise of the Liberal Democratic Party as a logic consequence of the downfall of the Soviet Union. It even sparked a small debate in the incoming US presidential election, when a journalist asked Carroll Campbell, the Republican nominee, to comment on Jirinovsky’s endorsement of his platform, something Campbell refused to do.

But most of the public opinion was drawn to the UN peacekeeping intervention in Algeria, and in the mean time, all Russia was waiting for Zyuganov’s endorsement…

-From Democratic Hiatus : Russia under Yelstin, by Former Ambassador Condoleezza Rice, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science at Stanford University

REP. HENRY HYDE (R-IL-6) : So when you testified on March, 8 1993, in front of this very same Committee, which was composed at the time of most of the persons present today, you didn’t had enough evidences to prove that Iraqi intelligence was behind the World Trade Center attacks ? And so it was after the assassination of the late President Bush ?

NSA WOOLSEY : Well, the explosives used in the World Trade Center attacks were home-made, so it is not relevant to the weapons of mass destruction issue. As of the assassination of President Bush, files were found in the offices of Iraqi intelligence by the inspections teams.

REP. HENRY HYDE (R-IL-6) : In your opinion, a dictator holding weapons of mass destruction would use home-made bombs against a country he hates ?

NSA WOOLSEY : Well, there is the question of extracting the weapons to our country.

REP. TOM LANTOS (D-CA-12) : It’s precisely what this country feared, isn’t it ?

NSA WOOLSEY : …And maybe the weapons were destroyed by the Saddam Hussein regime ?

REP. TOM LANTOS (D-CA-12) : Well, Sir, I didn’t know our retaliation strikes were so precise they could hit very well hidden weapons.

REP. LEE HAMILTON (D-IN-9) : And in my opinion, that the Saddam Hussein regime had enough contacts to know when the Al-Majid coup would happen : and that in the hurry of destroying their WMDs to avoid the UN inspection teams, they didn’t avoided the coup.

NSA WOOLSEY : It’s not what I meant.

REP. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN (R-NY-20) : So tell us, Sir : did you had evidences that Iraq detained weapons of mass destruction ?

-Extracts from the testimony of National Security Advisor R. James Woolsey before the United States House Commitee on Foreign Affairs, June, 18 1996

« The evidences against the National Security Advisor are staggering, and he has to resign before Congress accuses Mr. Woolsey of perjury in due form. But we should really look after his boss : the President is responsible for the foreign policies and actions of this country, and he could be accused of perjury on the Iraqi issue as well. And perjury, Sir, is among the high crimes and misdeameanors on which the President can be impeached. »

-Rep. John Conyers (D-MI-14) outside the Capitol, June, 18 1996

« During my many terms as Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, I had the honour to preside on a lot of events, the most important of them being of course our peaceful and successful reunification. Our friendship with France comes just after, and that’s why I decided to support Mr. Chirac in his resolution against Algeria. Errors were committed, at least in the eyes of my fellow countrymen : the mass protests showed that, and then this vote of no confidence from the Bundestag. Democracy works like this, it’s okay, and we must be proud of it, due to the past of our country, and as I always worked for the triumph of democracy in our lifetime. The people has spoken : that’s why I have given my resignation today to the President of the Republic, to take effect as soon as a successor will be found… »

-German Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s televised address, June, 19 1996

« I disagree with Mr. Zhirinovsky on many points, but I won’t call to vote for Yelstin. Russia has suffered too much under this tyrant who has ordered to fire on our own deputies, who thrown us into an unwinnable war against separatists, who thrown our economy in disarray, who sold our country to avid businessmen and disgraced our proud military ! (applause) Russia needs reform, Russia needs strength, Russia needs a true leader, not a kleptocrat ! As long as democracy remains, I will remain, and I will support the man who will give change to Russia. »

-Guennady Zyuganov’s speech in St. Petersburg, Russia, June, 20 1996

SCHAUBLE SWORN IN AS CHANCELLOR ; PLEDGES NOT TO CHANGE THE GOVERNEMENT’S POLICY IN ALGERIA UNTIL THE NEXT ELECTIONS

-Die Zeit, June, 21 1996

KHOBAR HOUSE COMPLEX IN SAUDI ARABIA TARGETED BY A TERRORIST ATTACK

-The Times, June, 25 1996

DEVOUT MUSLIM NECMETTIN ERBAKAN BECOMES TURKISH PM, ARMY BARKS EVEN MORE

-New York Times, June, 28 1996

[MaskedPickle]

Thanks to all! The Freedom Party Convention begins in the next update! Your speculations for the three parties' running mate are now open and welcomed, even if I already made my stand!

historybuff - Kirkpatrick will retire on Inauguration Day, so her successor will only be known if Perot is re-elected... Or will come from another party.

As of Europe: with nuclear disarmement well ongoing with START III, the main obstacle behind the formal creation of an Eurocorps will be removed, and so I can see a strengthenining of the European Union. No mystery behind this: I'm a proud Europhile, although it's one hell of a mess.

Sorry to all my European commenters who happened to serve in the army during the timeframe of the Algerian War! My brother had dodged military service, so he's not concerned... At least you have a chance to see James Blunt, although he will become more of a war hero and of a shell-shocked warrior.

As of Internet porn: this law was almost passed by Pennsylvania judges IOTL, and as of the freedom of Internet, it's far more advanced ITTL thanks to the Task Force DIIN and Perot's support, with the electronic town halls and all (although it has chances to create even more apeshit than Florida's voting machines in 2000...): the ADSL technology will be available to the great public as soon as 1999! So Internet is even less controllable IOTL, and I think Perot would tell Lieberman to shut up with his "Kill Internet" switch...

[RamscoopRaider]

Excellent, keep the good work coming

[historybuff]

Who's the new German Chancellor, I don't recognize the name.
Crap. Vladimir whats-his-name becoming Russia's new President, he's crazy.

[MaskedPickle]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Sch%C3%A4uble

[lukedalton]

Originally Posted by MaskedPickle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Sch%C3%A4uble

Hum an hardliner and law and order type, seems that controversial decision time is up for Germany.
The continuous war effort in Algeria will probably make the EU more sympathetic to Israel position especially if the good colonell try to give some support from Libya against the neo-colonial invaders

[DanMcCollum]

Originally Posted by historybuff

Who's the new German Chancellor, I don't recognize the name.
Crap. Vladimir whats-his-name becoming Russia's new President, he's crazy.

Schuable was a minister of finance (or what ever the term is) in OTL, I believe.

[My Username is Inigo Montoya]

Originally Posted by DanMcCollum

Schuable was a minister of finance (or what ever the term is) in OTL, I believe.

He still is!