The Fountainhead Filibuster: Tales from Objectivist Katanga

[Petike]

Very good. I like that you don't mythicize Che and that both men can wage an intelligent conversation together.

[Linkwerk]

Originally Posted by Petike

Very good. I like that you don't mythicize Che and that both men can wage an intelligent conversation together.

Thanks! I'm bummed that I had to split up the flow of the conversation. This is critical That said, here's the rest of it!





Somewhere in rural Katanga, 1961



"Is that the lesson you take from Fanon, Ernesto?"



"It's the most relevant to my situation"


"There's something else Fanon has to say. Something relevant to mine."


"What else is there? You see oppression, you fight it."


"Oppression by whom?"


Che looked puzzled. Lumumba continued.


"This is exactly what the colonizers want, Ernesto. They want a civil war. This independence that was given- not taken- this joke of a formality, is exactly what the Belgians want to show the world. They want to see a Congo where black men kill each other as soon as the white boot steps off their neck. They don't want a country standing up, they want....Kasai, Katanga, Kivu. Small, fractured, powerless. They want to point at us and tell the rest of Africa 'look? see what happens? black men could never govern themselves.' Kasa-Vubu, Mobutu, Tshombe....they want what they call independence, they think they're reaching for power, but their minds have been colonized. What their doing isn't so much evil it's....a sickness. It's a colonial mentality. You said it yourself" Lumumba pointed to the book "without consciousness we're just a bunch of bandits."

Lumumba shook his head.


"I will not lead an army to go kill my countrymen, my brothers, as misguided as they may be. You said the army units in Kasai are loyal to me? Even that is part of the problem. They're loyal to me, or maybe to Mobutu, or maybe to Tshombe. Not to anything larger than a man."


"That's all very high-minded of you, Patrice, but colonial mentality didn't kick the shit out of you and fly you to Galtville to be shot. Colonialists did. We have to fight them."


"and what? Win a victory that turns to ashes in our mouth? In Cuba, yes, you've had your revolution. Now. A few years ago. But what about before? Jose Marti and the struggle against the Spanish and-"


"So are you going to write books now? Is that your plan? You have to act."


"Do you know how many university graduates there were when we were given independence? Thirty. Thirty. Not a single black administrator. No schools worth mentioning. You cannot expect a people to become a people just by picking up guns and reading Fanon in the mud, Ernesto."


"You know, that American woman talks about books and ideas changing the world, but was it her stories about the poor, oppressed rich which would have killed you? Was it her lectures who tied your wrists? You are not the one who started this war, but you- and the people- need to be the ones who win it."


Che's voice raised into a low shout. The other men in the column looked back at them over their shoulders.


Lumumba looked him right in the eyes, through his broken glasses.


"I said I would not fight my countrymen. I did not say I wouldn't fight."


Lumumba pulled his cracked shoes back on and stood up.


"Let's go. I need to get to Stanlyville and talk to Gizenga."






Two days later.


The Cubans worked the small shovels furiously, just beyond the treeline by the side of the road. Into the small trenches went their 3.5in bazooka, the RPD light machineguns, and their other long arms. The men rolled up their sleeves and tucked handguns into their waistbands. No more marching. They would drive the rest of the way, on main roads.

Che Guevara reached into his knapsack and pulled out the improbable disguise of a white safari shirt, somehow still clean. He turned to Lumumba.

"My men will take you to Stanlyville, and stay with you. They're good, they all spent time in the mountains. You can trust them."


"and you?"


"Me?" Che shrugged, holding up his fake passport. "I'm just a Chilean doctor. A good Catholic humanitarian on his way home."


"You're leaving? Already?"


"I wasn't even supposed to have come. I had to see what was happening in Katanga for myself. I'm needed at home- badly. The Yanqui is becoming more and more brazen with his subversion and clandestine attacks. There's talk of invasion. They need me to organize the militia."

Lumumba nodded.


"I have been thinking about what you have told me, Patrice. You may be right. This struggle might need to take place in several different arenas simultaneously, People's War might not immediately apply here, but...."


"but?"

Che sauntered over to the small trench and began stripping apart his RPD, throwing each piece into the shallow indent.


"You and Fanon may teach them about consciousness, pride, and the dignity of independence, but I don't think you could teach the Congolese people how to field-strip a carbine or lay a mine."

He began walking away, picking up a smaller travel bag as he headed towards the road.

"I'm leaving now, but..."


He looked over his shoulder at the disheveled Prime Minister, squinting slightly.




"I'll be back."

[Linkwerk]

Chronologically, the next part of the TL is full of negotiation scenes....I might need to skip around to some mid-60's shoot-em-up scenes after this.


Or some high-quality Rand madness.

[Some Bloke]

Objectivists and communinists fomenting civil War? This looks like a first time job for ... The Hammer Shields!

[Petike]

I really like Lumumba. The guy has my sympathies.

[tonsofun]

This is awesome on so many levels. Seeing these two updates made me smile.

[SergeantHeretic]

Linkwerk, wil lyou marry me?

[Enigmajones]

I really liked the update, but still, you missed capitalization on two of Lumumba's sentences.

[SergeantHeretic]

Lord, save us fro mthe grammer Nazis.

[Enigmajones]

Originally Posted by SergeantHeretic

Lord, save us fro mthe grammer Nazis.

Oh because god forbid I tell him where he messed up. Criticism should be appreciated, especially in a grammatical sense, not torn down. This is a great story, however, when this story comes to being published, and Im sure it will, it needs to be up to snuff.

[SergeantHeretic]

Originally Posted by Enigmajones

Oh because god forbid I tell him where he messed up. Criticism should be appreciated, especially in a grammatical sense, not torn down. This is a great story, however, when this story comes to being published, and Im sure it will, it needs to be up to snuff.

I was just taking the mickey out of you, relax.

[Linkwerk]

Originally Posted by Enigmajones

Oh because god forbid I tell him where he messed up. Criticism should be appreciated, especially in a grammatical sense, not torn down. This is a great story, however, when this story comes to being published, and Im sure it will, it needs to be up to snuff.

Hey, thanks on two counts- I love some proof-reading, and I love that people think this could be published.

Mostly, I'm writing in a coffee (well, nescafe)-induced frenzy right before I have to be somewhere, so I'm surprised there aren't MORE grammatical errors. That said, I'll be sure to correct them. A poorly written timeline is....a poorly written one.


Also, on another note, my writing soundtrack has deeply confused my youtube recommended video section, considering that it's now filled with Rhodesia nostalgia videos, Fela Kuti, documentaries about the South African bush war, Frantz Fanon, Ayn Rand, Neoliberalism, and Malcom X.

[SergeantHeretic]

Originally Posted by Linkwerk

Hey, thanks on two counts- I love some proof-reading, and I love that people think this could be published.

Mostly, I'm writing in a coffee (well, nescafe)-induced frenzy right before I have to be somewhere, so I'm surprised there aren't MORE grammatical errors. That said, I'll be sure to correct them. A poorly written timeline is....a poorly written one.


Also, on another note, my writing soundtrack has deeply confused my youtube recommended video section, considering that it's now filled with Rhodesia nostalgia videos, Fela Kuti, documentaries about the South African bush war, Frantz Fanon, Ayn Rand, Neoliberalism, and Malcom X.

Ah the playlist that makes the DHI (Department of HOmeland Insecurity) have an anyurism.

[Winston Smith]

Inherently awesome updates are inherently awesome .

[Enigmajones]

Originally Posted by Linkwerk

Hey, thanks on two counts- I love some proof-reading, and I love that people think this could be published.

No problem, and you're a good writer, and this is a good story, believe me, this is something you should consider trying to get published.

[stirlingdraka]

Yes I agree you should publish this since it is very good.

[mrsandman]

Originally Posted by Linkwerk

"I'll be back."

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH HHHHHHHHHH
Holy shit this is awesome, I can't wait for the next update.

[Winston Smith]

I now have the strange mental image of Communist Terminators verses Objectivist Commandos verses UN Canadian/Irish/Swedish peacekeepers. You gotta extend this TL to the present day dude.

[omega21]

Oh hell yes. You've outdone yourself with the dialogue, Linkwerk. Good one!

[Linkwerk]

Originally Posted by Winston Smith

I now have the strange mental image of Communist Terminators verses Objectivist Commandos verses UN Canadian/Irish/Swedish peacekeepers. You gotta extend this TL to the present day dude.

Once the main story arc is completed- the whole story wraps up around 1967 or so- I intend to do a lot of "where are they now?" scenes.


The story isn't directly linear, but the furthest ahead segment I want to write takes place in the late 80's.



Also I've been doing some more background research and it turns out Carlos the Jackal would have been, like, 12, when most of this story is happening, which is really, really too bad.