Icarus Falls (An Alternate 1960s)

[Lord Grattan]

This TL deserves more than a Turtledove; it could be the basis for a course on effective timeline development and execution. I can see the catalog entry now:

SEALION UNIVERSITY
Department of Timeline Dynamics
Critical Alternate History Theory - E320

Surveys modern literary and critical alternate history discourse with emphasis on understanding and applying different theoretical approaches to drawing story receivers into the action portrayed and, the power of literature to evoke imagination of the story plot, as well as an emotional response toward the story characters.

Prerequisites: Butterfly Effect Analysis-*E120 and Studies in Narrative Transportation-*E180

Faculty: Professor AnywhereButOTL

 

[traveller76]

Baseball

Anywhere,

I am now caught up. A right proper dystopia you've created, little SNAFUs piled on top of one another.

Well done so far.

A minor point of contention: NASCAR was a regional niche sport at this time IOTL. The economy ITTL may have killed it.

The real question is what happens to baseball, the national pastime.

I would think there are still teams from national level to the farm clubs and schools, there needs to be some recreation. Plus I would figure it is fairly cheap entertainment.

 

[AnywhereButOTL]

....LBJ looking for electoral fraud? No way this is going to end well.

Given how determined he is, either this ends up with Bush exposed or LBJ secretly assassinated (which given the direction Bush has been headed, I wouldn't be that surprised over.)

Don't start conspiracy theories before the man dies. Sometime a heart attack is just a heart attack. But, given the behavior of TTL's GHW Bush, we'll never know for sure.

Don't you know? Humphrey assassinated Johnson to get the nation to feel sorry for him so that he could blame Bush and get put into office. This meets all of the basic tenets of a conspiracy theory, it has no evidence, it makes at least a little sense if you don't use critical thinking, and it is easily debunk able.

That's a very good point.

I'm sure you'll understand why I chuckled about the barrels then (especially because it was also in New Mexico).

That may have been a subconscious reference of some sort, apparently it's pretty common for brains to borrow elements of things that they're enamored with when making new material. It's why music all sounds fairly similar.

I love the more or less gradual corruption of George Bush here... I realized that he started pretty much appalled at the abuses of power Reagan and Rhodes had gone to get things done.... and was dedicated to at least attempting to set things right..

and yet latest development is that the man just ordered ballots to be burned to help ensure he won an election.

the corruption from power was very gradual and you kinda missed it if you weren't paying attention. I thought that was masterfully done Anywhere.

I was kind of amazed by how long people stuck with Bush while I was having him do all sorts of awful things to cement his power.

At the same time though, Bush was completely okay with things like supporting the Italian fascists. Gradual corruption it may be, but Bush was never exactly squeaky clean in the first place.

Yup. That was Bush basically just agreeing to things that he didn't fully understand. It did prove useful later in getting the Italians to cooperate in fighting Paladin though.

Anywhere,

I am now caught up. A right proper dystopia you've created, little SNAFUs piled on top of one another.

Well done so far.

A minor point of contention: NASCAR was a regional niche sport at this time IOTL. The economy ITTL may have killed it.

The real question is what happens to baseball, the national pastime.

I wasn't aware of this, I kind of just assumed it was always present (even during the Civil War, it just had to be there…somewhere), but with the bad economy and longer lasting oil embargo then we may not ever enjoy the wonders of the eternal left turn beyond 1972.

This TL deserves more than a Turtledove; it could be the basis for a course on effective timeline development and execution. I can see the catalog entry now:

SEALION UNIVERSITY
Department of Timeline Dynamics
Critical Alternate History Theory - E320

Surveys modern literary and critical alternate history discourse with emphasis on understanding and applying different theoretical approaches to drawing story receivers into the action portrayed and, the power of literature to evoke imagination of the story plot, as well as an emotional response toward the story characters.

Prerequisites: Butterfly Effect Analysis-*E120 and Studies in Narrative Transportation-*E180

Faculty: Professor AnywhereButOTL

Now this is high praise, I love it. Thank you very much for following this TL and being nothing but supportive during all of it.

I would think there are still teams from national level to the farm clubs and schools, there needs to be some recreation. Plus I would figure it is fairly cheap entertainment.

I'd imagine that baseball and football still exist and are doing at least somewhat well but just about everything else is suffering.

 

[AnywhereButOTL]

189.

As he lay beneath the stars, the bright, unfiltered expanse of the cosmos stretching out before him, McCain felt extraordinarily at peace. He was lying in the little pup tent that Hamid had given him, his head sticking out of the door, staring up at the stars. He hadn’t often seen the sky like this, most of the time it was obscured by bright electrical lights or he simply didn’t have time to look up and simply admire what lay above him. He was tired and his eyes burned with exhaustion but a little thrill of exhilaration kept him up, he was escaping from jihadist held Pakistan, off to Tibet, and safety. Pulling his head back into the tent he buttoned the flap and made sure that the Soviet pistol was nearby, he did not intend to be taken by surprise.

The next morning was peaceful and from the little space in the rocks where he had set up his camp McCain boiled water and ate a quick breakfast before packing his things and heading into the pass. This was the very edge of an area heavy with jihadist activity Hamid had warned him, and McCain was careful to stay away from the bottom of the pass, where being caught in an ambush would likely prove to be fatal. He would likely need to move at night and sleep during the day as he went further into the mountains, but for now he could move carefully along, this section of the pass was fairly shallow, there were no good areas for jihadists to set up camp, the real danger was still ahead.

Nobody had passed near him in the night and he suspected that the pass was perhaps not the most well traveled road in the region, an intentional feature of the route that had been chosen for him. Certain areas of the map Hamid had shaded and labeled with skull and crossbones symbols, displaying areas of the route that were mined. He would have to work his way around those but the first was another few days away, closer to the Tibetan border. The irony was that those mines had been laid down by American forces, to counter the flow of volunteer brigades coming in from Uyghurstan. The first friendly village lay just past the first minefield, marked in green by Hamid to display that it was majority Buddhist and thus wouldn’t turn him into the jihadists...to the best of his knowledge. He hadn’t traveled to Tibet for several months so things could have changed but he was still fairly certain that the villages were still holding out and being left mostly alone by jihadist forces.

Once he made it to the first village then the path would become increasingly mountainous and he would need to make his way to a pass that had been the site of several fierce battles between the Pakistani Army and Uyghur volunteers. The pass had been abandoned by both sides after an orbital projectile had devastated the area but unexploded munitions still littered the area and Hamid had drawn an especially menacing skull and crossbones near the pass. There was no way around it unfortunately, unless he wanted to cross into Uyghurstan, something that he desperately wanted to avoid.

McCain thought about these dangers as he walked, all the while keeping a sharp eye out for any potential signs of ambush. But the pass remained quiet and as he set up camp near the crest he made sure that his camp was carefully camouflaged amongst the rocks. There would be no fire on this journey, the only heat he would get would be from the little gas burner that he had in his survival pack. He had enough gas for another eight days and hoped that he would be able to purchase more at the first village he would encounter after leaving the pass.

When the sun rose the next morning and winds whistled down the pass McCain stayed put, this was about the point where he had been advised to travel only at night to avoid encountering jihadists. He read and reread the little booklet in his survival pack about surviving in Pakistan and was amused to see that it advised a downed airman to escape into Afghanistan, a trek of nearly four hundred miles from where he was. He played countless games of solitaire and though he wanted to doze off he forced himself to stay awake, even as the pass remained empty.

Eventually, mercifully, the sun sank below the horizon and as the stars sparkled and a bone chilling cold settled over the land McCain packed his things, found his walking stick and felt his way to the top of the pass, where he observed the darkness below him and wished desperately that he had a starlight scope to observe the path through.

The pass was steep and twice McCain skidded down the slope, kicking up little clattering trails of stones as he dug his heels into the hillside to stop. Each time after he stopped he paused, heart thudding heavily in his chest, hoping desperately that nobody had heard the racket that he had made, and that if they did that they wouldn’t connect it to where he was.

As the sun began to rise McCain found himself halfway down the pass, setting up his pup tent between two rocks and getting ready to sleep. the landscape ahead looked harsh and unforgiving, hills and ridges intercut with narrow ravines and little passes. Every cut in the hillsides looked like a potential kill zone, every high point a perfect spot for a jihadist sniper to be drawing a bead on him from. Curling up in his tent, trying to ward the cold from his bones, McCain fell deeply asleep, and tried not to dream of being caught.

The next forty eight hours proceeded similarly, the days passed in a mingled haze of sleep, skimpy meals that did little to cure the hunger that gnawed at his gut, and games of solitaire. The twilights were the worst, it was too dim to play cards or do much of anything, yet too light to pack up and move. All he had to do was study his map through squinted eyes and wonder how far he was from his salvation. The night’s travel was spent in an agony of suspense, wondering if each step would be the one he triggered a mine or a trip wire with or each little noise he sent echoing off the surrounding rocks would be the one that would send the jihadists crashing down on top of him. Yet with every sunrise he found himself closer to the first village, and salvation.

It was the fifth night when he checked his map, ducking into a little crevice to turn on a flashlight and check his map without attracting any unwanted attention, and saw that he was less than a mile from the edge of the first minefield. Hamid’s skull and crossbones was especially ominous in the darkness and he checked his compass, he would head west to head around the danger zone until he found himself at the base of a cliff. From there he would continue along the base of the cliff and climb the next hill, there he would find the outskirts of the friendly village. Though Hamid had assured him that the villagers were friendly McCain wasn’t so sure and had decided that he would spend at least a few hours observing the village from the hilltop until he knew that it was safe to approach. There was a civil war raging in the country after all, there was no such thing as being too safe.

Moving upwards towards the distant black form oft he cliff face McCain had made it barely halfway up when he slipped. Skidding downwards he cursed and caught himself on a root, digging his toes into the hillside and ignoring the sting of his scraped hands as rocks clattered down the hillside below him. For a moment he just stayed still, then he heard a very distinct click from far below him and had just enough time to realize what was going on before the minefield below exploded.

The mines that McCain’s rock had hit had been air dropped by American forces several months earlier, dropped via parachutes that had been buffeted by the wind as they dropped, clustering them together. In an ideally planned minefield the mines would have been spaced at intervals so that any one detonation would not detonate other mines, this did not apply for the airborne mines, which went up in a series of tremendous flashes, showering the surrounding area with shrapnel.

Clutching the hillside desperately McCain heard something whir past his head, impacting the dirt next to his face. Closing his eyes he remained completely still, listening as the last of the explosions echoed off of the walls of the pass, his ears ringing and his body numb with adrenaline.

Letting go of the root he let himself slide a few feet down the hillside and thought about turning on his flashlight to check himself for injuries, he had no idea if he’d been hit or not during the mass detonation of the mines beneath him. But even as he fumbled for his flashlight he heard scuffling from across the pass, rocks tumbling down the slope, and distant voices muffled both by the wind and the incessant ringing in his ears. McCain froze, wondering what he was going to do, the voices were getting closer, the speakers barely fifty feet from him.

“What happened?” One asked, the Farsi phrase familiar enough to be understood.

“I don’t know,” the other replied, following this by a string of unintelligible words, “lets get out of here.” McCain remained very still as he listened to the pair of men clamber back up the slope, away from him. Whether they had been jihadists or locals he didn’t know and he almost didn’t care, so long as he remained undetected.

As the adrenaline slowly drained from him he felt shaky and weak, but miraculously he hadn’t been hit by any of the thousands of pieces of shrapnel that had been sprayed into the walls of the pass. He stayed still for nearly an hour, making sure that the pair of men were gone, and savoring the bite of the cold nighttime wind, which now seemed pleasant in light of his recent brush with death.

As he set up his camp in the dim, grey light of dawn he noticed a hole in the front of his pack and saw that his canteen had been dented by some high velocity chunk of metal that had ricocheted somewhere in his pack. He eventually found it lodged in the midst of a can of tea cubes, where it had cooled. Extracting it he brushed charred tea from the metal and looked at it. Originally triangular it had been beaten into an almost rhomboid shape by its impact with his canteen. It was about the size of a pencil eraser and he felt a little chill as he contemplated what it could have done to him had it passed through any other part of his pack.

The day passed quickly and McCain slept soundly, exhausted by the night’s travel. As the evening light dimmed he checked his map and saw that he was nearly within sight of the village, he would be able to set up camp in a secluded spot and observe the village to see if it had really remained friendly since Hamid had last visited.

As night fell McCain approached the hill with the utmost caution, staying away from the road and drawing upon all of the stealth training he had received. There was more vegetation here and he set up his tent in a thicket of bushes, their branches hard and bare, the olive green of the tent blending in perfectly.

But even as he lay within the tent, toying with his binoculars and waiting for the sun to rise, he wondered if he could just stay in the village until he was rescued, somebody had to have a long range radio or some piece of communication technology he could use to contact the nearest base...wherever that was. Had American forces been pushed out of the mountains since he had been shot down? Had they left the country altogether? Uncertainty clawed at his psyche but he fought it down and thought of what he would do when he got into the village. He would buy food and fuel and if he wasn’t able to end his trek there then he would continue onwards into Tibet, come hell or high water.

McCain awoke to a distant gunshot. Sitting partway up he grabbed his pistol and pointed it at the door before the distance of the shot occurred to him. Slipping through the doorway he made his way to the top of the hill and looked down at the village below him. It was small, only a dozen homes and a Buddhist shrine. As he passed his binoculars over the shrine he froze. The shrine was destroyed, the lovingly crafted statue of the Buddha smashed, the prayer flags shredded and ground into the dust, little bits of colored glass and candle wax dotting the ground. A flash of motion caught his attention and he moved his binoculars over to see the distant figure of a man bowing in prayer, a rifle leaned up on a nearby rock, the bloodied corpse of a rabbit hanging nearby. That explained the shot then.

Aside from the man on the nearby hill the town seemed abandoned but still, something was very wrong. As he stared, wondering just what was going on McCain didn’t notice that there was someone behind him until the barrel of a Kalashnikov poked him in the side of the head. McCain froze, and let his binoculars drop, holding his hands up. Icy fear coursed through him and he wondered why his assailant hadn’t just shot him. Then a boot nudged his hip and he rolled over, making sure to keep his hands in sight. Before him was an old man, his Kalashnikov still leveled at McCain. Next to him was a younger man, who began to whisper something to the old man, who nodded, his eyes never leaving McCain.

A moment passed, then the old man pointed to McCain’s tent and motioned for him to move towards it. McCain obeyed, wondering who his captors were as he brought out his survival pack. Giving it to the younger man he sat still as the man carefully went through his belongings, nodding triumphantly and saying something to the old man as he found McCain’s dog tags and gold currency.

“American.” The old man said, he didn’t exactly look pleased but at the same time his body language visibly relaxed.

“American,” repeated the younger man, handing out McCain’s dog tags, “plane?” McCain blinked and nodded, wondering where the young man had learned his fractured English. He nodded and the old man made a gesture resembling a plane in flight before pointing to McCain. Another nod, then the man pantomimed the same plane falling to the earth.

“Yes,” said McCain, “I was shot down.” He knew that the pair before him didn’t understand but they got the gist of his statement. Unfolding his map the young man examined his route and tapped Tibet on the map before pointing at himself, evidently he was from there. The old man said something and McCain noticed that for the first time in the conversation the Kalashnikov wasn’t pointing directly at him, instead the old man held it in a relaxed way, though it was apparent that he could whip it into position at a moment’s notice.

Turning the map over the young man retrieved a pencil from his pocket and began drawing something. The first picture was of the Buddhist shrine he had seen below. As McCain watched the young man drew a figure smashing the shrine with a hammer, he then drew a crescent and star over the sketch. McCain nodded, he understood perfectly, jihadists had taken over the village and destroyed the shrine. The young man then pointed at himself, pantomimed Islamic praying and then shook his head vigorously. He took out the old Soviet pistol that he had confiscated from McCain and offered it to him, the old man frowned but said nothing. McCain took his gun back and put it into its holster as the young man continued to draw.

This next drawing was an overhead view of the village, with five crescent and stars shown in various places. The old man and his companion were going to take their village back McCain realized, and they wanted his help in doing so. Pointing at him he gestured to the hill where he had seen the rabbit hunter earlier. Pointing at himself he gestured to where McCain had been and drew a Chinese pistol. The jihadists were all armed with Kalashnikovs and the plan was to wait until dark and then ambush and kill them. The young man did an admirable job of translating the mission through drawings and gestures and as he emphasized certain aspects McCain made them tea and shared out some of his food. He wanted to ask if they had a radio in the village but wasn’t sure if he could make his sentiment clear, besides, he would find out soon enough.

As evening fell McCain took position near the boulder that the rabbit hunter had prayed next to and checked his pistol for what felt like the hundredth time. Looking across the valley he spotted the pair of men who had recruited him into this mission taking up positions. Once they began to move then he would do the same, and head down the hill into the village. Three of the five jihadists holding the village liked to sleep in a large building near the shrine and it was McCain’s job to make sure that those three didn’t come out and join the fight. The other two were on patrol and from what McCain could ascertain the jihadists operated on a six hour watch schedule, which indicated some level of discipline amongst them. The villagers stayed indoors when the jihadists demanded them to, which was most of the day, although they did force them to pray occasionally.

The night darkened, the stars came out and McCain was aware that they were partially hidden amongst ragged clusters of clouds, it was cold out and McCain wondered if it was going to snow. Then he saw a little glint of light from across the valley and saw that it was the young man, flashing McCain’s flashlight. He began to move forward, heading down the hill as quietly as he could.

The village was silent and as he closed the distance between him and the village he wondered where the jihadists were, it was dark out and wherever they were, they were being quiet. Holding his pistol out he pressed himself against the wall of the nearest building and tried to control his breathing, which sounded all too loud in the dead silence of the night.

Looking around the corner he saw a figure move slowly past the shrine and felt his heart skip a beat. It was one of the patrolling jihadists, and as McCain considered whether or not to shoot him he saw a smaller figure approaching from behind, padding stealthily along the packed dirt street. As McCain watched, the figure withdrew a knife, the blade shining cruelly in the moonlight, then stabbed the jihadist in the back of the skull. For a moment the man stiffened, as though he’d been struck by a sudden bolt of lightning, then his legs gave out and the figure guided him down into a sitting position, his Kalashnikov rested gently in his lap, it looked very much as though the dead man was simply sleeping. Looking over to him the young man gave McCain a very disconcerting smile and moved along, hunting for the other patrolling jihadist.

Moving over to the building he had been assigned to guard McCain tried not to look at the dead man, his face was disturbingly peaceful and McCain hurried past him. Taking cover behind the ruins of the shrine he pointed his pistol at the front of the building and hoped that nobody would wake up.

As he hoped that a single shot echoed from behind him and he jumped, spinning around, only to see the young man approaching, a pistol in his hand and a corpse in his wake. A light flicked on in the house and McCain saw silhouettes framed in the windows, hurrying to respond to the sudden threat outside. He opened fire, shattering the front windows and suddenly the old man was next to him, firing short bursts into the front of the building with his Kalashnikov. Screams and shouts echoed from inside of the building but nobody stopped firing. McCain’s pistol clicked empty but he reloaded it and continued firing until all of the noise from the building stopped, leaving the last shots to echo away into the mountains, like the distant remnants of rolling thunder.

The young man was the first to move forward and McCain followed him, feeling numb and somehow elevated, able to detect even the most minute details with his enhanced senses. The door of the building was sagging open, two of the hinges smashed by bullets, and the young man kicked it down, sweeping the room with his pistol before nodding and smiling again at McCain. All three jihadists were dead on the floor, tangled, blood spattered on all of the walls and pulped flesh and brains staining the floor. The old man grunted in evident satisfaction and turned around, to where the first of the villagers were beginning to leave their homes, curious to see what had happened.

Leaving the bullet riddled charnel house that they had reduced the jihadist’s headquarters into, McCain sat down in front of the defaced Buddhist shrine and wondered if he had killed any of the jihadists, the young man had killed two of them by himself and seemed pleased as punch to have done that yet all that the events of the evening had left McCain with was a feeling of nausea.

His memories of the rest of the evening were fuzzy, but one thing he remembered vividly was the villagers patiently repairing their shrine, setting prayer flags back up and lighting candles. They even buried the jihadists facing towards Jerusalem, which had become the new Islamic holy center ever since Mecca had been destroyed.

He was given food and fuel the next morning and his pack laden with prayer flags. One of the villagers even gave him a little plaster statuette of the Buddha, a gift that he thanked the villagers for as he continued onwards, politely declining their offers to lodge him for the winter. He wanted to get home, and while staying in the village would be palatable, there were simply too many bad memories there for him to bear.

The rest of his trek somehow seemed boring compared to his exploits at the village and so when he crested a hill on the fifteenth day of his trek to find a cairn and a monastery in the distance he just stood still for a moment before sitting down and placing the little Buddha statue at the base of the cairn. He wasn’t sure why he did that as he continued on towards the distant monastery, but it just seemed like the right thing to do.

 

[Nofix]

I'll admit that the action scenes aren't usually my favorite, but this one was just beautiful.

 

[Brky2020]

Well, now I have another chapter to read before I'm caught up

Let's see - NASCAR is history, the NASL dies in its infancy as does the ABA. The NBA probably regionalizes like hockey - the NHL will survive, but if anything it contracts to Canada and the Northeast. Tennis, golf survive but shrink - they truly are the sports of the rich and powerful, now, while everyone else claims baseball, football and basketball.

Lots and lots of day games to be sure, like the early days of baseball, with Martial Law in effect.

Wonder if GHWB decides to throw the South another bone by making things easier on its own national pastime - college football?

Getting off the bread and circuses train, I am surprised you didn't have Bush order the military to "secure" the Saudi oil fields - I have read elsewhere this was a real-life option in the event militants ever overthrew the Saudi government.

 

[Alias]

So what are the likely religious demographics of Syria and Lebanon now? Also will Iraq grab any parts of Jordan or Syria?

 

[Archangel]

Good updates, AnywhereButOTL!

 

[DocBrown]

This is a riveting timeline and good job on the McCain update. Hope he makes it back to the U.S. and can hopefully not be the nutcase politician he is today, but rather a more moderate or even leftist man viewed in a more positive light.

 

[AnywhereButOTL]

I'll admit that the action scenes aren't usually my favorite, but this one was just beautiful.

Thanks, I got some enjoyment out of writing it.

Well, now I have another chapter to read before I'm caught up

Let's see - NASCAR is history, the NASL dies in its infancy as does the ABA. The NBA probably regionalizes like hockey - the NHL will survive, but if anything it contracts to Canada and the Northeast. Tennis, golf survive but shrink - they truly are the sports of the rich and powerful, now, while everyone else claims baseball, football and basketball.

Lots and lots of day games to be sure, like the early days of baseball, with Martial Law in effect.

Wonder if GHWB decides to throw the South another bone by making things easier on its own national pastime - college football?

Getting off the bread and circuses train, I am surprised you didn't have Bush order the military to "secure" the Saudi oil fields - I have read elsewhere this was a real-life option in the event militants ever overthrew the Saudi government.

That's the thing, the jihadists haven't overthrown the Saudi government *yet*. They just very strongly encouraged them to start cutting ties with the United States. This was clever of them because the US won't be able to invade without looking very bad, they wouldn't be battling terrorism, they'd be very openly just fighting for oil.

So what are the likely religious demographics of Syria and Lebanon now? Also will Iraq grab any parts of Jordan or Syria?

In Syria there's probably going to be a pretty nasty civil war erupting between the Alawites and just about everyone else, while in Lebanon I'm not entirely sure what'll happen. They just lost half of their population so I wouldn't be surprised if they did nothing for a little bit.

Good updates, AnywhereButOTL!

Thank you.

This is a riveting timeline and good job on the McCain update. Hope he makes it back to the U.S. and can hopefully not be the nutcase politician he is today, but rather a more moderate or even leftist man viewed in a more positive light.

Having gone through what he did during his escape from Pakistan, that very well may be the case.

 

[AnywhereButOTL]

It's a long one today folks.

190.

Where Are They Now? Famous Figures In The Icarusverse

Pat Nixon: The widow of former Vice President Richard Nixon has become more active as the years go by and has even slowly become good friends with Jackie Kennedy, who she spent several sleepless nights speaking to over the telephone immediately after the funeral. She does not plan on remarrying anyone and keeps a small corner of her house dedicated to her former husband. Her younger daughter Julie is married to the grandson of former US President Dwight Eisenhower and lives a quiet existence in New York. Her older daughter Tricia became intensely interested in automotive safety after her father’s death and spent some time working with Ralph Nader on the issue. She has proven to be bright and engaging and her colleagues expect great things from her.

Barry Goldwater: The senior Republican senator from Arizona, Goldwater’s favorite hobby at the moment is figuring out a way to get Gerald Ford to become President, because while their politics may not match up they have become great friends over the past few years.

James Buckley: A popular conservative lawyer and politician, Buckley has decided to return to practicing law after the failure of his 1970 Senate run. Despite his failures in the political arena he has become popular amongst conservatives who feel betrayed by Reagan and Rhodes‘ mishandling of the economy.

Joseph Biden: A freshman senator from Delaware, Biden was narrowly elected based upon his commitment to Humphrey’s planned environmental laws, which proved to be popular amongst the voters. He is generally regarded to be one of the more liberal freshmen senators in the Democratic party.

Hu Jintao: Ash in the wind, was killed in the opening minutes of the Sino-Soviet nuclear exchange.

Hamid Karzai: A young Afghan boy living in Kabul, his family is concerned by the mounting violence in the countryside and are tentatively thinking about moving to Europe or America.

Walter Cronkite: The head anchor at CBS Evening News Cronkite feels that he has been talking about nuclear warfare too much lately.

Jorge Bergoglio: The senior priest at a Jesuit mission in Buenos Aires, Bergoglio has impressed his superiors immensely and is currently acting as a liaison between the mission and the military government. Is secretly hiding a number of left leaning civilians wanted by the police.

Angela Merkel: Merkel has been selected as an ambassador from her school to attend the reunification of West and East Germany and the destruction of the Berlin Wall.

Jerry Spinger: Having won reelection handily Springer is idly contemplating running for Governor of Ohio at some point and is generally a popular and well regarded politician.

Bill Clinton: Having spent some time in Texas to try and swing the state for Humphrey in the election, he is feeling deeply demoralized after the wake of the New Mexico recount. On the bright side he has made some new friends and has been hanging out with a young man named Steven Spielberg lately, who has gotten him very interested in filmmaking.

Gene Clark: In the wake of the implosion of the American music industry Clark managed to emerge unscathed even as he watched others flee the nation or be forced out due to political pressure from President Rhodes. He is one of the more popular musicians in the United States at the moment and has contributed greatly to resurrecting acoustic guitar music in popularity.

James Rhodes: The former President lives a fairly solitary existence and occasionally appears on On Point to criticize the ‘liberal’ foreign and domestic policy of President Bush. He is careful about what he says though because even if Helms and many of his other enemies are long dead he knows that if he slips up then he’ll most likely have an unfortunate accident of some sort.

Hillary Rodham: Rodham is currently studying at Yale Law School after working for Governor Rockefeller’s reelection campaign in New York. While she is repulsed by the more conservative wing of the Republican party she has remained a self professed ‘liberal Republican’ even as she cast a vote for Humphrey in the election.

Harry Turtledove: Currently doodling a map of the CSA on a napkin at a diner somewhere in Los Angeles. A lot of his teachers think that he has an overactive imagination but his friends love him.

Carl Sagan: Sagan was recently denied the directorship of the Laboratory of Planetary Sciences at Cornell due to his political advocacy of nuclear disarmament and other anti nuclear sentiments. Despite these setbacks he is still well liked by his students and colleagues.

Barack Obama: Now eleven years old, Obama is living in Honolulu and has been greatly inspired both by Edward Brooke’s ascension to the vice presidency and Daniel Inouye’s part in Humphrey’s campaign. He recently wrote a report at school about the plight of Arab refugees in Jordan and has impressed both his teachers and classmates alike.

Dick Cheney: Working as a low level staffer for the junior senator from Wyoming and exchanging small talk with a few of his colleagues.

James Carter: The Governor of Georgia, Carter has renounced the questionable tactics he used to be elected and has attracted significant controversy fro the Freedom Party, which has announced that it will run a candidate against him in 1974. He has become a great friend of the black community though and a respected member of the Democratic party.

Phil Ochs: At this moment Phil Ochs is furiously scribbling down a song in response to the results of the 1972 Presidential election. He has been living in Chile since late 1969 and is not planning on returning to the United States until a return to normalcy has been achieved.

Bob Dylan: A folk musician, Bob Dylan lives in Toronto, where he moved after the 1971 FBI leaks. His last few tours were largely unsuccessful and while he makes a comfortable living from his music he has considered retirement.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: A young man living in Tehran, Ahmadinejad has been watching the slow disintegration of his country with growing horror as the Shah’s forces struggle to contain the growing unrest all across the nation.

Jackie Chan: Since the collapse of the Hong Kong film industry following the Sino-Soviet nuclear exchange Chan has been working at the docks and saving up money to move to America and go to Hollywood. He has been studying martial arts as well and continually impresses everyone around him.

Kim Jong-Il: The son of North Korean President for Life Kim Il-Sung, Il has been enjoying life lately, insulated against the troubles that his nation is undergoing.

Stephen King: Unemployed at the moment, and wondering how he will pay his bills. Has a mostly finished manuscript about a future America that is a dictatorship, and is considering publication.

Park Chung-hee: The President of South Korea, he has enforced emergency rule ever since the Sino-Soviet exchange and is responsible for increased relations between the ROK and the ROC. He is unconcerned with the unrest in his nation, after all that’s what the police and the army are for.

Xi Jinping: Currently living in Tibet, Xinping lost his entire family in the Sino-Soviet exchange and has far too many nightmares about the horrors he saw during Biao’s Great Retreat.

Mohammad Ali: The boxer has received more than a few death threats from anti Muslim fanatics but has been strong and called for peace and clarity from the Muslim community in the months after the destruction of Mecca. He has received credit from many for convincing many of the top members of the Nation of Islam from responding to threats and violence with more violence.

Dan Quayle: After his National Guard unit was deployed to China in 1970 Quayle distinguished himself in combat, earning a Silver Star. He is currently thinking about running for congress in 1974.

His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama: Ever since his return to Tibet he has been working alongside American forces within Tibet to provide proper infrastructure, jobs and other opportunities to the people of his nation. He was the runner up to President George H.W. Bush for 1972’s Man of the Year.

Joseph Mengele: Captured by Israeli agents in Argentina he is scheduled for execution in May of 1973, on the twenty eighth anniversary of Germany’s surrender in World War Two.

Howard Zinn: A civil rights worker in the south, he was sought out and murdered by white supremacists during the 1969 race riots. More than a thousand people attended his funeral and an honorary plaque was put into place at Boston University.

The Beatles: The Beatles are currently headquartered in Vancouver, where they moved to following the presidency of Jim Rhodes. Disturbed by the rising tide of authoritarianism in Rhodes‘ America, John Lennon moved his band north, refusing (much like Phil Ochs to the south) to return to the United States until things were back to normal. At this time the bands‘ music became almost morbidly dark and culminated in their latest album cover showing a set of psychedelically colored mushroom clouds rising from targets in India. They remain popular and while the members bicker almost continually, the durability of the band is sound for the moment and thoughts of breakup are far from everyone’s mind.

Fidel Castro: The President of Cuba, Castro has become a remarkably paranoid man as of late, unwilling to follow the path of diplomacy that the Soviet Union has with the United States and fearing an American backed uprising behind every sign of dissent. He has gone to great lengths to ensure that he will remain in power, even as he watches the rest of the world go up in flames around him.

Ralph Nader: Nader is currently an environmental and automotive safety lobbyist pushing the Bush administration to adopt significant environmental reforms such as Senator Frank Church’s proposal to expand and strengthen the EPA, and further efforts to reduce nuclear arsenals across the globe. He is well liked by most of his colleagues and though Bush does grumble about him on occasion he admires his drive.

Jerry Brown: Having been inspired to go into politics by his father, Brown is currently California’s Secretary of State under Governor Finch. Though the two men do not necessarily see eye to eye on all things they are good friends.

Timothy Leary: Leary is currently living in Kabul, where he went shortly after Jim Rhodes became President. He enjoys living there and though he is concerned by the rise of radical Islam in the countryside. He has continued his experimentation with psychedelics in Afghanistan, largely ignored by the government, and continues to publish his work.

Albert Gore Jr: Upon his return from China, Gore has spent a large amount of time talking to other veterans and is disappointed with the treatment that veterans receive in terms of help for PTSD (which is still largely unrecognized), healthcare, and job opportunities. He is currently looking into becoming the head of his local Foreign Legion post and advancing the cause of veteran’s issues nationwide.

Osama Bin Laden: Bin Laden is currently in Riyadh and has found himself identifying more with the radicals outside of his family’s home than with many of his family members, who are more concerned with the possibility of losing their wealth in a potential jihadist uprising than the impact that Paladin’s attack on Mecca has had on their religion.

Cesar Chavez: One of the people disappeared by the FBI during the Reagan years, the search for his body by his followers is still ongoing.

_______

Nations Of The World

North America

United States: Undergoing an economic depression at the moment, its unemployment rate is currently at 18.2% and President Bush’s approval rating, once at 93%, is now at 50% in the wake of the extremely close 1972 election. The Freedom Party is growing in popularity in the south and Bush is hesitant to remove martial law strictures from the final thirteen states that it is in due to this growth in anti minority sentiment. There are quiet discussions amongst United Nations delegates over a restructuring of the Security Council veto but nothing will come of it. The United States is regarded negatively throughout a great deal of the world due to its funding of dictatorships and military juntas in Central and South America as well as its foreign wars and questionable domestic policies. NASA is closely watched by space buffs all over the globe, though more than a few people worry about the increasing militarization of space, especially the orbital bombardment platforms, which do nothing to improve America’s reputation.

Canada: Hurt badly by the global depression and the oil embargo they have been focusing on drilling for oil within their own lands instead of looking outwards for energy. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau views the United States in a decidedly distrustful light but has continued to act as an ally for the time being, if only to battle the blight in Europe and Asia.

Mexico: Under the leadership of President Echeverría Mexico has moved away from the near police state that previous leaders placed it in and though Mexico is still decidedly authoritarian the people have more freedoms than they did before Echeverría came into power. He has condemned the actions of the United States in Central and South America but has been largely ignored by the US government, which Mexico depends on for trade revenue. Mexico has been less affected by the oil embargo than other nations due to the large amounts of oil and other natural resources that it possesses.

Central America And The Caribbean

Cuba: A communist police state ruled with an iron fist by Fidel Castro, Cuba is an powder keg just waiting for a flame. Having become ever more paranoid and convinced that the United States is out to get him Castro has been keeping the secret police busy as even his most loyal supporters begin to grumble about the decline of their nation.

Guatemala: A small rural nation which also happens to turn an extremely far reaching blind eye to the heavy presence of American black operations bases within its borders. These bases have been remarkably busy lately and so have the government’s death squads. Jokes about running out of room for mass graves have become popular as 1972 draws to a close.

Jamaica: A police state, the poor world economy is not helping anything either.

Haiti: Led by Jean-Claude ‘Baby Doc‘ Duvalier, Haiti has grown progressively poorer and less stable as time goes on. Whispers of revolution are almost as prevalent as disappearances conducted by the secret police.

Dominican Republic: Actually a republic, while the Dominican Republic has suffered tremendously from the economic downturns of the past few years it is doing its absolute best to get back onto its feet and try and absorb the numerous refugees coming in from Haiti.

Honduras: Still paying war damages to El Salvador.

El Salvador: Still bitter about the Football War.

Nicaragua: Still ruled by the Somoza family and still turning a blind eye to the black ops bases dotting the countryside.

Costa Rica: A bastion of peace and democracy in the region, Costa Rica may not be as rich as its fellow nations but its people are certainly happier.

Panama: Ruled by an anti communist military junta, the nation of Panama is very much on Uncle Sam’s payroll.

South America

Colombia: One of the key conspirators in Operation Condor, Colombia has found that with sufficient infusions of American money and equipment it can kill leftist insurgents in numbers never seen before.

Venezuela: A democratic nation under the leadership of President Caldera it has become immensely wealthy in the months following the oil embargo due to its vast oil reserves. Key customers include the United States and much of Europe. It is a democratic nation and one of the only South American nations not to join in Operation Condor.

Guyana: Spared the horrors of Jonestown, Guyana can now be placed on a map by slightly fewer people.

Suriname: A small, peaceful nation with a diverse and ever growing population of refugees from Brazil.

Brazil: With the American air mission ending in several months the military junta has been been having its forces trained in guerrilla warfare through American trainers, who will remain in the country for the foreseeable future. Even if the rebellion was crushed, the people are still decidedly unhappy.

Ecuador: Ruled by a military junta, the nation of Ecuador is a recent addition to Operation Condor and a dear friend of the United States.

Peru: Following a military coup in 1968 the military government has found itself becoming wildly unpopular with the people, leading the nation ever closer to revolution.

Bolivia: Another Operation Condor participant, they have been remarkably successful in stamping out political opposition to the ruling military junta but less successful in actually eradicating leftist insurgents.

Paraguay: Dominated by the Colorado Party, Paraguay is loosely involved with Operation Condor, and much more rigidly involved in some absolutely horrific human rights abuses.

Uruguay: Very close to Paraguay, not only in borders and government type, but also in how political prisoners are treated.

Argentina: President Rhodes‘ favorite nation in South America and also easily the most despotic. The secret police here are modeled off of the Gestapo and they are not afraid to let the resemblance show.

Chile: Ruled by a socialist government under Salvador Allende, Chile is perhaps the most democratic nation in South America, and as a result Allende’s government is the target of more than a few secret plans involving coups and gratuitous bloodshed as the first step.

Europe

Iceland: In the wake of the latest economic crash the Icelandic banking community has become vilified as the unemployment rate soars.

Norway: The Mideast War and subsequent oil embargo against the western world has prompted Norway to nationalize its energy sector, which has resulted in Norway being able to ride out the economic shock better than many of its neighbors.

Sweden: Plagued by economic chaos and rising taxes, the people of Sweden have been voting to the right lately and the country seems to be entering a period of decline.

Finland: Heavily influenced by their Soviet neighbors the Fins have been drawn further in through shipments of Russian natural gas, to the muted concern of western Europe.

Union of Socialist Soviet Republics (USSR): Having thwarted Commander Fedorchuk’s coup, Premier Kosygin has been busy shaping the political arena into a favorable area for Governor Gorbachev once he succeeds him. The Soviet Union is still a one party police state but has been getting marginally freer as Gorbachev’s reforms take effect.

Estonia: Run by a right wing militarist party that is decidedly anti Soviet. Estonia is one of the first nations to eliminate the blight within its borders and has adopted a strictly isolationist policy as well as a tightly sealed border.

Latvia: Democratic elections turned into a fraud tainted morass and eventually the military took power when it appeared that civil war was about to break out. Has stabilized since then and is planning to hold elections in 1974.

Lithuania: An oligarchy run by a collection of entrepreneurs and ex-criminals who took advantage of the collapse of Soviet Eastern Europe to claim and privatize formerly state held property. The nation is stable though there are whispers of dissent from the people about the ever growing divide between rich and poor.

Belarus: A right wing dictatorship ruled by the military. Anger towards the Soviets for the detonation of two of their nuclear silos is at a fever pitch, as is discrimination and violence aimed at ethnic Russians, who have been offered asylum in the Soviet Union. Enmity between the Soviet Union and Belarus will likely last well into the next century.

Poland: A decidedly autocratic nation, Poland is a close ally of the United States in the region and has recently been proposing an Eastern European Defense Pact to guard against possible Soviet aggression in the region.

Slovakia: A former part of Czechoslovakia, Slovakia maintains good relations with the Czech Republic.

Hungary: Having broken free of communist rule in the immediate aftermath of the Soviet Civil War, Hungary is now under the leadership of the military, which is promising that democracy will be restored at an undetermined point in the near future. It has been welcomed into the European community and seems to have a bright future ahead of it.

Romania: A military dictatorship that is currently scrambling to fix the nation’s crumbling infrastructure, revamp its horribly inefficient economy and scrub every last trace of Nicolae Ceausescu from the nation’s history.

Bulgaria: One of only two socialist nations in Europe to survive the Soviet Civil War. It has rode out the economic shocks of both the war and the oil embargo and it currently fostering closer relations with the Soviet Union as well as, to a lesser degree, western Europe.

Turkey: Having intervened in Syria to prevent further Israeli expansion, Turkey now finds itself locked in a sort of Cold War with Israel, neither side willing to make a move.

Greece: Ruled by a military junta, Greece is still attempting to repair its damaged reputation and greatly regretting ever doing business with Paladin. The people of Greece are not pleased with this and while nothing more than pro democracy protests has occurred thus far, the junta is gearing up for something far worse.

Albania: A nightmarish dictatorship which has just become contaminated with the blight, Albania is in for a long, hungry winter.

Yugoslavia: Having sealed its borders to prevent being reinfected with the blight, Tito does not plan on lifting emergency rule for a good long time.

Austria: Is very glad that it is no longer effectively the no man’s land of the Cold War.

Czech Republic: A democratic socialist nation which is simultaneously mistrusted and welcomed by the rest of the European community.

East Germany: Will be officially dissolved as a nation on January 1, 1973.

West Germany: Very pleased at the turn of events in East Germany but also busy battling blight and rising poverty and unemployment rates.

Denmark: A democratic and stable nation that is well liked by its peers.

United Kingdom: Currently ruled by the Conservative Party, though with the increasingly severe economic downturn it doesn’t appear that that will be the case for very much longer. The United Kingdom is largely stable, with the exception of Northern Ireland, which has been under emergency rule for the past eighteen months as heightened IRA violence continues to terrorize the region.

Ireland: Just as badly hurt by the oil embargo as the rest of the world, votes for Labor are at an all time high.

Netherlands: A progressive and stable nation currently undergoing an unemployment crisis.

Belgium: Has great cuisine, even if the Walloons and everyone else are bickering again.

France: Has successfully eradicated the blight, losing only one half of a percent of its harvest while doing so. The oil embargo has been a major blow and the economy is currently in free fall, along with a number of investors who put in too much money at the wrong time.

Switzerland: Even more isolationist and distant than usual. Virtually the only nation in Europe not to be hit by the oil embargo, mostly because of the enormous amounts of wealth that the various Arab states have in Swiss banks.

Italy: Currently leading the charge against fascism in Europe. Due to Andreotti’s popularity his security laws passed easily and there are currently a half dozen detention camps in Italy holding just over ten thousand very miserable fascists and other terrorists.

Spain: Currently ruled by Franco, who is becoming more and more populist due to increasing anti fascist sentiment in the rest of Europe.

Portugal: Very similar to Spain in ways that it would never admit, Portugal is under the authoritarian leadership of Prime Minister Caetano and desperately trying to hold onto its colonial possessions.

Africa

Morocco: A fledgling republic, the people of Morocco have enjoyed democracy since 1971, when a coup ousted King Hassan II and established a republic. Morocco is close allies with the United States, though they are concerned with America’s alliance with Israel.

Algeria: A socialist state, Algeria has become very wealthy selling oil to the west in the aftermath of the Mideast War.

Tunisia: A totalitarian dictatorship, Tunisia’s chief export has been refugees ever since the collapse of its economy in 1969, following the Sino-Soviet exchange.

Libya: A dictatorship led by Colonel Gaddafi, whose plans for Libya really are something special.

Egypt: Limited to a few scraps of land in the southwestern portion of the former nation, everything else has either pledged to join Sudan or been occupied by Israel.

Mauritania: Authoritarian dictatorship. Just as many people are fleeing the nation to become jihadists up north as are leaving in search of a better life.

Mali: A mixture of severe drought and ongoing civil war has made it difficult to determine exactly who controls Mali. In any case the nations of the world are perfectly content to let Mali bleed itself dry.

Senegal: A democratic socialist nation which is currently accepting refugees from the civil war in Mali.

The Gambia: A quiet and democratic nation, currently working on improving its infrastructure and standard of living.

Guinea: Autocratic and poor, the people of Guinea are unhappy with their current ruler but he has far too many guns for them to do much about it.

Sierra Leone: Wracked by ethnic warfare and an increasingly totalitarian government, Sierra Leone is considered a failed state by many in the UN.

Liberia: Destabilized by spillover from the civil war in Sierra Leone, Liberia is a nation on edge and though it is democratic, there is worry that their government could turn into a dictatorship.

Republic of Upper Volta: The republic is currently transitioning from military to civilian rule as is the intent of a new constitution ratified in 1970. There are high hopes that Upper Volta will go on to become a very successful nation once civilian rule is fully implemented.

Ghana: Currently under military rule Ghana is nevertheless still largely democratic and stable, insulated from the civil wars in the region by both distance and a powerful military.

Benin: A Marxist dictatorship, Benin is expected to explode into civil war as the people, upset with the harsh rule of the dictator, begin to dissent and protest.

Togo: A police state at odds with their Marxist neighbors. Secretly feeding aid to anti communist groups within Benin.

Niger: Currently weathering a severe drought, Niger is balancing on the edge of civil war as privation, political and ethnic divides, and religious strife all contribute to unrest within the nation.

Nigeria: An oil rich nation which has grown very wealthy from selling energy to the west. Nigeria is still unstable though, as religious and ethnic differences, coupled with competition over oil producing areas of the nation, create significant hardships for everyone involved.

Chad: Currently embroiled in a civil war waged between a totalitarian government and various jihadist groups, all of which is only exasperated by the drought that the nation is experiencing.

Sudan: Waging a similar civil war, this one fought between an Islamic north and a Christian and Animist south. Oil production has been largely crippled by the fighting and drought has halved food production, which is likely to lead to famine in the near future.

Republic of Zaire: An authoritarian dictatorship, Zaire is a lukewarm ally of the United States due the government’s opposition to communism. With the Cold War having been ended, the government is beginning to shift towards anti Islamic policies in a bid to preserve relations with America.

Cameroon: The government of Cameroon is somewhat democratic, though highly corrupt, leading to a largely lukewarm reception from both the people of the nation as well as the rest of the world.

Gabon: A one party state, Gabon is struggling economically and though the government has promised sweeping reforms it is unclear if they will work as intended.

Ethiopia: Hurt badly by the oil embargo, the Ethiopian government has become unpopular amongst the people as it fails to resolve the sudden increases in fuel and food prices as well as potential famine in some parts of the nation. Succession is unclear and the future of the nation is very much in doubt.

Eritrea: A totalitarian dictatorship ruled by the military, possesses a fierce dislike of Ethiopia.

Somalia: A military dictatorship, Somalia is currently doing its best to ward off famine and make sure that its people have enough to eat.

Uganda: A military dictatorship under Idi Amin, the people of Uganda are beginning their trip down a river of darkness.

Kenya: A democratic and largely stable nation, the Kenyan people are concerned by the violence occurring further north yet do not wish to intervene.

Rwanda: A civil war wracked failed state undergoing a serious genocide, Rwanda is officially ruled by the military, though it is unclear whether the military actually has control over the nation or merely more guns than everyone else.

Burundi: Burundi is in a similar position as Rwanda, embroiled in the midst of a civil war between ethnic groups, with the military holding feeble control over the nation. Genocide is widespread and nobody seems interested in stopping it.

Tanzania: A republic, Tanzania is a democratic and largely stable nation, keeping a wary eye on the escalating violence to its north.

Malawi: An authoritarian dictatorship, Malawi is effectively cut off from the rest of the world by an Orwellian surveillance state.

Rhodesia: A dictatorship led by a minority white government using racist apartheid policies, Rhodesia is currently hunting to stamp out leftist guerrillas seeking to overthrow the white government. The UN doesn’t approve of this, naturally, but there is little that they can do besides embargoes that Rhodesia can get around by trading with South Africa.

South Africa: An apartheid police state, South Africa is working to eliminate dissent against its apartheid policies through increased immigration (to boost the number of white people in the country), and increased surveillance and security laws. There is private talk of establishing some sort of secret police service just in case regular disappearances become necessary.

Madagascar: A strong French ally and an autocratic police state, the people of Madagascar are still reeling from the brutal destruction of a populist rebellion against the Madagascan government.

Middle East

Lebanon: A small Islamic state that was mostly depopulated during the Mideast War. Currently it is scrambling to form a cohesive government and seek revenge against Israel.

Israel: An expansionist Jewish state, Israel has occupied territory in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt and established martial law across its land. It possesses a nuclear arsenal and is not above using it in combat. It also possesses fifteen percent of North Africa’s oil reserves.

Syria: A failed state split between Israeli and Turkish forces. Turkey has announced that it will allow elections in Syria, but it is not clear when they intend for that to happen.

Kurdistan: A fledgling Kurdish state that was born out of uprisings in Iran, Syria, Iraq and Turkey. Currently the only portion of the state’s planned borders to be free of enemy forces is the Iranian land, but headway has been made against forces in Iraq and Syria.

Jordan: A failed state partially occupied by Israel. Civil war between Muslims and other religious groups living there had become widespread and Iraq has announced that it might intervene if the violence spills over its borders.

Saudi Arabia: A theocratic Islamic state which controls a great deal of the Middle East’s oil reserves. Ever since the destruction of Mecca by fascist terrorists it has been greatly influenced by radical Islamist groups who are using Saudi Arabia as a staging area to fight Israeli forces in Syria and Jordan.

Iraq: A dictatorship ruled by Saddam Hussein, Iraq is currently battling Kurdish separatists in the north and attempting to stem the flow of refugees from Jordan and Syria. Intervention in Jordan is being discussed in Baghdad.

Kuwait: Kuwait has nationalized its energy industry and is a participant in the oil embargo, which has enraged British Petroleum, a company that recently had the rights to most Kuwaiti oil.

Qatar: A fledgling nation, Qatar is democratic, stable and not intending to get involved in regional politics until things settle down and the winners of the ongoing conflicts become apparent.

United Arab Emirates: A sister nation to Qatar, the UAE is in much the same situation.

North Yemen: Ruled by a military junta, North Yemen is almost perpetually in some sort of conflict with South Yemen.

South Yemen: In much the same situation as North Yemen.

Oman: Having just finished putting down a leftist rebellion, Oman is now facing challenges from jihadist fighters, who claim that the government is too secular. Another civil war seems to be brewing and nobody is happy about it.

Iran: One of the United States’ last remaining allies in the region, Iran is beginning to splinter as jihadists and pro democracy groups alike begin to undo the Shah’s support. Kurdish rebels have also taken part of the western mountains and though the Shah has promised that it will be taken back there are grave doubts as to the likelihood of those claims.

Azerbaijan: Has finished destroying Armenia and is currently focusing on putting down uprisings in that land.

Georgia: Having successfully broken away from the Soviet Union during the Soviet Civil War, Georgia is now scrambling to catch up to the rest of the world.

Afghanistan: A progressive, democratic nation, Afghanistan is under threat of jihadist rebels in the countryside, who wish to place the nation under Sharia law.

Central Asia: A collection of four failed states in a constant state of civil war. The usage of chemical weapons and dirty bombs has become commonplace and it is far and away the most violent place in the world at the moment.

Pakistan: A failed state currently occupied by the Pakistani Army as well as nearly one hundred thousand American troops, Pakistan is highly unstable and the north dominated by jihadist fighters coming from Central Asia and Uyghurstan. Defense Secretary Kissinger has privately considered the usage of nuclear weapons there but deemed that using them would hopefully be unnecessary.

Asia

Mongolia: A totalitarian dictatorship ruled by the military, Mongolia is still heavily influenced by the Soviet Union even if it is, technically, independent.

Manchuria: A puppet state controlled by the Republic of China, unification will likely happen by 1980.

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: A totalitarian dictatorship run by President for Life Kim Il-Sung. The nation is currently undergoing significant hardships but Il-Sung is confident that he can fix his nation’s problems.

Republic of Korea: An autocratic police state currently experiencing significant economic and political strife. Nobody is sure just how far the government is willing to go to maintain order.

Japan: A democratic nation with a badly crippled economy, leftist parties have taken power lately but it is unclear whether they can do any better than their predecessors in fixing the nation’s problems.

Republic of China: A military dictatorship which has spent the past two years reconquering mainland China. They currently rule over a land scarred by atomic warfare, genocide, dysfunctional politics and war crimes.

Uyghurstan: A theocratic dictatorship under economic siege from the rest of the world. It is drowning in poverty, religious extremism and desperation, a terrible combination.

Tibet: A theocracy that is nonetheless still largely democratic. It’s de facto leader, the Dalai Lama, is one of the world’s most well liked people and he is doing his best to make sure that everyone in Tibet can live safe and comfortable lives.

Guangdong: A puppet state of the Republic of China, unification will likely happen before 1980.

Vietnam: Ruled by a military junta and backed by the United States, Vietnam has been slowly pushing through democratic reforms in recent years, though they still have a long way to go before they can call themselves a democracy.

Philippines: A dictatorship currently embroiled in a civil war between jihadists and the government, the Philippines are in a state of widespread violence and fear.

Laos: Led by a monarchy Laos is in a similar position to Vietnam, given enough work it can eventually become a democracy.

Cambodia: Led by a benevolent dictator, the people of Cambodia have come a long way since their civil war and things look bright for the nation.

Burma: A socialist nation run by a military junta, the people of Burma live under a dictatorship, and while resistance groups do exist they are often too small and poorly funded to do any real damage to the junta.

Thailand: Ruled by a military junta, Thailand has been undergoing years of instability and insurgency from communists fleeing from China. The Thai government hasn’t lifted emergency rule since 1969 and is unlikely to in the near future.

Indonesia: Ruled by an autocratic dictator, Indonesia is currently experiencing a civil war between leftist groups and jihadists tacitly backed by the government. Violence is widespread and the United States has vetoed UN efforts to get involved.

Malaysia: Wracked by racial and economic strife, the government of Malaysia has placed the nation under martial law as it attempts to fix the problems at hand.

Bangladesh: With its capital destroyed by a Pakistani atomic bomb in 1970, Bangladesh has fallen onto hard times and is still struggling to recover from the war, chiefly with Indian support. Bangladesh is one of the poorest nations in the world and 1972 is the first year of their existence that they will not experience famine.

India: Ruled through martial law by an autocratic government, India is still angry about the usage of American nuclear weapons on its soil and fosters a deep sense of anti American sentiment that will likely take decades to fade. The economy is still in shambles and the martial law, though unpopular with the people, will stay in place for the foreseeable future.

Sri Lanka: The military government is currently battling the Tamil resistance in a civil war that is beginning to look like it will last for a while.

Nepal: Governed by an absolute monarchy, Nepal is a tiny and poor country which has largely been ignored by the world over the past few years. It has absorbed numerous refugees from the chaos in China though and as a result has garnered a large base for the local communist party, which though currently illegal, is plotting for the day that democracy is brought to Nepal.

Bhutan: Similar to Nepal, Bhutan is also an absolute monarchy, though the current monarch, inspired by the rise of democracy in Tibet, has been busily enforcing democratic reforms in his nation.

Australia: Due to the chaos in Asia and an increase in refugees the government of Australia has been busily strengthening their anti immigration laws and building bigger detention centers for illegal immigrants.

New Zealand: The government of New Zealand is currently working with representatives from the Maori tribes to investigate historical grievances that the Maoris have against European settlers.

 

[Rinasoir]

Ireland: Just as badly hurt by the oil embargo as the rest of the world, votes for the Irish Communist Party are at an all time high.

I think you would be better off changing this to either Sinn Fein or Labor. With the increase in religious belief around the world you've alluded to earlier the Catholic Church, one of the strongest anti-communist forces in the country, would already be in a stronger position than it was OTL. And that was pretty strong.

 

[Alias]

I counted 19 civil wars, 4 failed states and 4 potential civil wars.

This a great TL not counting the fact half a billion and counting people have died.

 

[C. McKay]

Would impressive be the word?

Nice to see that Phil Ochs and Gene Clark survive...for now.

 

[Tsar of New Zealand]

Awesome update, though...
...wait a second. Did you mention at some point that the Where Are They Now? would be the penultimate segment? Then does this mean...
You're ending this TL?
Or maybe you aren't and I'm just panicking...be nice to see things tied off neatly, but I think there'll be a lot of fanon add-ons to this no matter what

 

[UncleDynamite]

Poland: A decidedly autocratic nation, Poland is a close ally of the United States in the region and has recently been proposing an Eastern European Defense Pact to guard against possible Soviet aggression in the region.

Polan can into Pact!


Great update! Is this the penultimate one?

 

[wietze]

Suriname: A small, peaceful nation with a diverse and ever growing population of refugees from Brazil.

ittl i expect suriname not to go independent, and still be part of the netherlands. ittl the us has no need for pushing decolonisation, it needs reliable allies, thus i expect either no referendum for independence or one that resulted in a stay as part of the netherlands (most likely as a special territory, with aim to be become province, bit like how french guyana works)

 

[Brky2020]

I didn't expect the story to end this soon - if the 'where are they now' page in fact heralds the end - and I expected that page to cover where the important players are in 2014.

 

[Fubart Solman]

The bit about Libya was a bit concerning. I still find it funny how well Cambodia is doing. I'm sad to see the eminent end of this TL. I'm looking forward to any timelines that you do in the future.

 

[Archangel]

Good update, AnywhereButOTL!
One small detail I had missed: when did TTL Angola became independent?